Cross slide lock with a DRO fitted

[Dave J]

As promised to Ed I have done the mod.
It has only taken me 6 or so years after fitting the DRO to do this, LOL

I had a backing spar behind my glass scale on my 12 x 36 lathe and it covered the cross slide lock, so this is the solution I came up with. I don't run coolant as yet so I only had to worry about the chips.

I removed it today, but forgot to take pictures of the main part. It was such a hassle to replace because I left the scale in place and the new bolt was sticking out, so I just drew a picture of the part and took photos of the finished thing (sorry)

Picture one is what shape I found the spanner fitted best and I just milled it out.

   

Installed, it was hard to get a good picture with the phone so I posted them all.
   


   

   
I decided to put a cover on it and then found it was hard to get out, so a touch with an end mill gave me a finger nail edge to get it out. My scale sits above the cross slide about 2mm so this was helpful.

   
   

   

   

Dave

[DaveH]

Dave,
That's a very neat solution
6 years mmm ......... quick eh!

DaveH

[EdK]

Dave,

I assume those pictures are showing a cover over the scale and spacer with a notch cut in the cover to access the cross slide lock. Is that correct?

Thanks,
Ed

[Dave J]

Thats right Ed, sorry for the lack of photo's. Remember I am rusty on making threads, as I have been off for a while, LOL.

I got the phone out for photo's then my son came home getting his motor cross bike etc to go away, then when I went back to it I forgot all about taking photo's. It only took about 1/2 hour and was just a fill in job as I am waiting on pop rivets for my coolant tray I am still working on.

The cover is a Meister DRO cover which normally has a lip on the top, I cut it off and cut off some of the bottom to fit.
It would be just as easy to use a piece of 1.5 - 1.6mm angle there.

The backing plate/spar is 6mm thick, and I found I could mill it down 4.5mm (leaving 1.5mm) and still have plenty of room for the spanner which is just a cheap Chinese one.

The bolt I grabbed was a perfect fit, and I slipped in a bearing while I was there like I did to the mill when I got it. It make locking an axis so much easier with a bearing between the bolt and the tapered slug in the lock hole.

Dave

[Dave J]

(04-05-2013, 07:54 AM)DaveH Wrote: Dave,
That's a very neat solution
6 years mmm ......... quick eh!

DaveH

There are jobs that have been on the list for a lot longer, LOL
Be easy to lock it up now, in the past I have just done up the taper gib.

Dave

[Mayhem]

(04-05-2013, 09:21 AM)Dave J Wrote: ...I slipped in a bearing while I was there like I did to the mill when I got it. It make locking an axis so much easier with a bearing between the bolt and the tapered slug in the lock hole...

Dave - can you elaborate on this please? Are you using a thrust bearing?

[EdK]

(04-05-2013, 09:38 AM)Mayhem Wrote:

(04-05-2013, 09:21 AM)Dave J Wrote: ...I slipped in a bearing while I was there like I did to the mill when I got it. It make locking an axis so much easier with a bearing between the bolt and the tapered slug in the lock hole...

Dave - can you elaborate on this please? Are you using a thrust bearing?

Darren,

I believe he means he put a ball bearing into the cross slide lock screw hole that presses against the gib to lock it in place. My mill came with a setup like that.

Ed

   

[DaveH]

I'll speculate,
Similar to Ed's drawing but the ball bearing doesn't act directly on the gib but through a 'brass' slug. The 'brass' slug acts directly on the gib.


DaveH

[EdK]

(04-05-2013, 01:01 PM)DaveH Wrote: I'll speculate,
Similar to Ed's drawing but the ball bearing doesn't act directly on the gib but through a 'brass' slug. The 'brass' slug acts directly on the gib.


DaveH

No brass slug on my mill. The ball bearing bears directly on the gib. It came that way from the factory. I'm not saying that it's a good design but I haven't had any problems with it.

Ed

[stevec]

Ed, is there a little dimple in the gib for the ball?