DRO's

[DaveH]

Hi,

Has anyone fitted DRO's to their lathe?

DaveH

[stevec]

Not I, however one came with my 16x60 Lux-Matter lathe and I'm glad of it. It has metric dials and, being an old goat I don't work in metric and certainly can't convert to inch like the DRO can.
my 12x36 Busy Bee is inch and \I have no plans for DRO for it.
Thanks to a dear friend I have a Mituyoyo DRO on my mill and love it. because of all the back and forth hither and thither stuff I do on the mill the DRO is a godsend.

[Hopefuldave]

DaveH Wrote:Hi,
Has anyone fitted DRO's to their lathe?
DaveH

Not to mine, can't figure out ways to:

Dodge the almost-permanently-fitted taper adaptor on the rear (T-slotted) flat or the carriage apron (considering installing one between the ways over the bed ribs, where all the swarf and cutting fluids can get at it :S) ;
Get enough clearance for the cross-slide scale without encroaching on the production stops;
Allow for the double cross-slide (that the taper adaptor moves the lower part of!);
Find a glass scale small enough for the topslide...

Annoying, really - I have a repaired 3-axis fancy readout I could use!

I have though fitted numerous DROs to lathes and mills (2-axis on lathes, usually 3-axis on mills), happy to do what I can to answer any questions that arise :)

The Important Considerations are:

Precise alignment of the scales (horizontally and vertically) with the read head's travel (I aim for within 0.05 - 0.1mm, 2 - 4 thou" end-to-end, a DTI on a mag base moving with (e.g.) the carriage makes this attainable) to avoid damage to the glass in glass scales;

Rigidity of mountings, both of the scales and the read head - no good if the drag of the read head cable pulls it 10 thou" out of alignment;

Making *Sure* that nothing gets in the way, there's no chance of the read head hitting the end of the scale (expensive...) and that the hardware doesn't get in anything else's way! Too easy to fit it all and then realise you can't get to the carriage lock, the oil port for the carriage ways, the.... Don't ask.

Dave H. (the other one)

[DaveH]

Hi Dave,

Dave H. (the other one) Just have to luv it.

Nice to see you here Dave, any photo's you can show us.


DaveH

[EdK]

(03-08-2012, 04:26 PM)Hopefuldave Wrote: Too easy to fit it all and then realise you can't get to the carriage lock, the oil port for the carriage ways, the.... Don't ask.

Dave H. (the other one)

That one bit me, but not after I installed the DRO. I had a heck of a time fitting my cross slide scale. The carriage lock was very close to the cross slide so I had to make a new carriage lock nut. I "got-r-dun" but it created a good deal of head scratching to get there.

Ed

   

[DaveH]

Ed,

You've got me "cross slide scale" what is that?


DaveH

[Tony Wells]

That would be the -X- axis scale, Dave.

My newest lathe I bought with a Sony 2 axis. Love it. Dead on accurate. I have mounted a couple, and yep....planning is half the job.

[EdK]

Dave,

The cross slide scale is the measuring device that the DRO reads to keep track of where the cross slide, or carriage, is located. The scales for my DRO happen to be magnetic and have a resolution of .0002", if I remember correctly.

Ed

   

   

[DaveH]

Thanks Tony
Thanks Ed,

Those words "cross slide scale" just did not register with me.

Now where's that hole gone


DaveH

[TOM REED]

my new lathe a 12x40 SIEG which I bought from timeway machine came with a SINOTEC 2 axis DRO installed, it works well and has many more functions than I have learned how to use hihi tom