Degree Finder or DRO Question

[November X-ray]

On another forum, to remain un-named, someone asked about a way to return their drill press table to the exact spot after it had been swung out of the way for whatever reason. Several suggestions centered around plum bobs and string lines, pre-set adjustable guides/stops, etc. This got me to thinking, I know there are electronic angle finders that work with a digital readout display, why could'nt something be adapted that would read in degrees, minutes and seconds to a drill press table, or a mill head for that matter. I would think for the short distance associated with the radius, degrees, minutes and seconds would be really accurate.

Now, forgive me if this sounds far fetched as I know very little of electronics or how these angle finders devices work, but I am thinking they work very much like a linear DRO, except calibrated to display angles for the travel instead of linear measurements. I figure the cheap levels have something similar too that work with a pendelum.

Just thinking outloud, perhaps someone can tell me if my thoughts are prudent or outright ridiculous.

[ScrapMetal]

You could do that easy enough. I just don't think there would be enough call for it to make it commercially viable as I think most drill press operations are considered "close enough".

Now, for the guys who tend towards OCD (myself included ) might consider something like this centering scope:



Enco - Centering Scope

Put it in the chuck and you can line it back up to your mark in no time.

Personally, I may need to get one but lots of other tools I need to get first.

-Ron

[DaveH]

X-ray,
I think it is a clever idea, would be useful for the round column mills.

DaveH

[ETC57]

Ya like mine good idea X-ray,


When I raze or lower the head on my mill it always drifts a little left or right, so I make every effort not to move it.

Jerry.

[f350ca]

I think the electronic levels use accelerometers that actually measure the earths gravitational pull. They're used in quite a few things now, even Ipads and Iphones.

[November X-ray]

Does anyone know if a DRO can be made in a circular shape? If so this could be applied to many items especially if these could be made in various sized diameters. Round column mills, drill press table, indexing on a lathe, just about anything that turns on an axis.

I do know that the very high dollar electronic surveyors "gun" does have a digital readout for the azimuth and inclination although the unit must be very tiny. Surely someone makes or can make something to work, but the real question is cost?

[stevec]

Some radial arm saws had digital read outs and the circular one would do for a drill press and round column mill installation. I don't think they're fine enough resolution though.

[November X-ray]

(06-18-2012, 07:38 AM)stevec Wrote: Some radial arm saws had digital read outs and the circular one would do for a drill press and round column mill installation. I don't think they're fine enough resolution though.

But as long as the repeatability was accurate, could'nt you simply go back to the same spot thus ensuring if you had to swing the device for whatever reason you could get back to the original start point.

[EdK]

When I had my round column mill, I was thinking of attaching an absolute encoder to it so I could return the head back to where it was with a reasonable degree of accuracy. The thought was to have some sort of collar with hash marks and numbers on it with a pointer to get the head roughly back to where it was and then fine tune its location using the absolute encoder. It never came to fruition though.

Ed

[Highpower]

I have heard of some folks that securely attached a cheap laser pointer to the head of their mill/drill pointing toward the farthest wall in the shop from the machine. With the mill head centered they would lay out a vertical line on the wall where the laser spot was.

After moving the head of the mill all they had to do was make sure the laser was still on the line. It sounds like a good idea to me, although I've never had to try it.

Others had said that they pointed the laser straight down at the base of the mill and made a mark there to reference to, but I think with the distance of going across the shop to the wall would be more accurate?