Added DRO to cross slide

[ScrapMetal]

Hi Ron,
Yep you can cut to suit. This is the exact same DRO I fitted to my lathe and mill. If you examine the strip closely you can make out the shape of the little "thingys" under the black surface. I just cut between 2, 'cos I wasnt sure what would happen:bitingnails:
I did find that they only work one way though after I removed the slider and stuck it back on reversed. The display just drifts around. Thought I had stuffed it then:whistle:

Cheers Phil

Thanks Phil. I will "hack away" with confidence.

Hello All,
there is one way to mount the DRO scale that doesn't take up too much tailstock travel, that is to fit an intermediate strip of metal to the cross slide itself, make it long enough to then mount the scale to and then attach the reader to the stationary part of the saddle, this way, the wiring doesn't move when the cross slide does and the scale moves relative to the reader as it should, it seems wrong at first but if you set up the scale on the moving part you do save a lot of "floppy cable sindrome" which can make cleaning your machine difficult, after fitting out machines for twenty five years my scale is now always mounted to the cross slide! I don't even consider the other way anymore.
Best Regards
Rick

I like that idea. Would you happen to have a pic of your setup?

Thanks,

-Ron

 

[12bolts]

... attach the reader to the stationary part ...

Rick,
that is what I did with my install on the mill, and the lathe saddle.

Whereabouts are you locating the reader on your cross slide? I just cant find anywhere that is not going to stick out and be prone to damage, or in close, but interfering with other operating functions.

Cheers Phil

 

[Old Iron]

Paul;

Nice neat clean addition. I wouyld do one more thing though. If you still can turn the scale pick up side down. Fewer chips to muck it up that way. My 2 cents worth.

"Billy G" :biggrin:

Billy

I had the thing open because one of the mount wholes was not threaded. It would have been to much work to go any farther. IT appears e to me that it reads from the bottom. the wire just runs over the top to exert where it comes out. So turning it over mite be a bad idea don't know for sure.

Paul

 

[Old Iron]

Hello All,
there is one way to mount the DRO scale that doesn't take up too much tailstock travel, that is to fit an intermediate strip of metal to the cross slide itself, make it long enough to then mount the scale to and then attach the reader to the stationary part of the saddle, this way, the wiring doesn't move when the cross slide does and the scale moves relative to the reader as it should, it seems wrong at first but if you set up the scale on the moving part you do save a lot of "floppy cable sindrome" which can make cleaning your machine difficult, after fitting out machines for twenty five years my scale is now always mounted to the cross slide! I don't even consider the other way anymore.
Best Regards
Rick

Rick
I can't seem to picture what you are talking about. Pictures would be nice if you have the time.

Paul

 

[ScrapMetal]

I was thinking, why not mount the rail vertically (on it's side) rather than horizontally (flat)? That way you wouldn't have to be as concerned with chips getting on the track.

Hmmm, after a little more thought, it could start to interfere with the tailstock and limit the size you could turn. Guess I have to think about it some more...

-Ron

 

[ScrapMetal]

Thanks Rick. I'm getting closer to trying to install mine so I'm taxing the old grey cells trying to figure the best way to set it up for "me".

-Ron

 

[ScrapMetal]

Hello again,
The number of mounting methods is limited only by your imagination, another method that works in very limited cross slide situations is to attach the scale to the back of the cross slide right where a taper turning attachment would be, this does leave a really long quite ungainly looking "spike" hanging off the back of the machine, but if the brackets are well engineered the system works and won't limit swing or tailstock position, I will try to get some pictures of a couple of mock ups in the coming days.
Best regards
Rick

That method (or similar) is actually on the top of my list at the moment as I have no taper attachment to go there. Pics would be great!

Thanks,

-Ron