Has anyone made a dual axis tramming tool?

[HMF]

Hey Guys,

This is available commercially, but I thought some of you may have made one. It is a dual axis tramming tool for a mill.

 

[woodguy]

How about this one:

http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=822.msg5441#msg5441

 

[HMF]

author=Paddy OFernichur link=topic=1723.msg10531#msg10531 date=1302877392

Never made one or even thought about it, as I use an Indicol and a good DTI. I have, however, though about finding a good large-diameter bearing race to sweep the indicator on. Nice & smooth instead of the interrupted readings over the t-slots of the mill.

I'm not sure, but I thought people used a brake rotor to sweep the table top with?

[video=youtube;ZfioLDhBNBQ] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfioLDhBNBQ [/video]


http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=30323

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=21221

http://www.machinistblog.com/how-i-tram-my-mini-mill/

Regards,

Nelson

 

[Starlight Tools]

Watch out for brake rotors, they are not always perfectly flat, I know, my truck tells me every time I step on the brakes.

A large bearing race is almost guaranteed to be flat.

Walter

 

[AR1911]

I never saw the point in the dual setup.
I just made a single-head trammer.
12" 1x2" bar of aluminum.
Big caliper bolt in one end.
Back-plunder DTi with a "button" tip on it on the other end
The caliper bolt was from the junk box. It has threads under the head, and a long untreaded tip to go in the collet.
The button-tip lets it ride over the table slots easily
The back-plunger dial lets it ride face up so you can always see it.

I sometimes use a brake rotor. I machined it carefully on a brake lathe, then cut the hub out with the last pass.
Works fine with a DTI, but with the above setup I don't need it.

 

[GK1918]

for Nelson, I know what you are talking about. Most call me nuts for making things from wood. Yes
some make all fancy smancy out of stainless yes good work but how much pressure is needed for
a dial indicator. dial ind is like the weight of a bug. Your pic says it all. piece 90*s to round stock
attach dial ind. to that, thats it. I just find brake rotors ok but off a little off out of the box. By using two
dials I think is faster its one half the rotation of one. find the low and high set to "0" try again, then
tap the head a little with your hand reset to "0" until both read "0" the reason is, with one dial. you
just cant sweep across the T slots I dont know depends on the size of the table. I like wide sweeps.
bottom line Nelson is all us old timers have old ways, cant say its book stuff but works. I wrote many
times on these sites, when a problem stop-think to be solved is right under ya nose. I find a lot of
people they think over built (when kid i did that) no more. My shop alarm no digies no keypads no
secret IDs a piece of black string wired to a 12vt batt with two car horns facing my window in series
with out door lights. break string-horn goes off lights go on, no hi teck stuff. Since then I modify this
to a home depot wireless wired to my string that turns a radio on in the house, so no horn or lights
home depot :clicker; I just bypassed the clicker button to trip my string. Oh If I could only know how
to make a vidio. Latest is ball turning? fancy stuff, just learn to do it with your compound rest. Its there
make it work for you. The best thing everybody can do Is read up how you do it in say 1910. aint no
cnc's then . everbodys so geared up if they aint got couputor hooked up it cant be done. nonsense.

 

[rossbotics]

never, never, ever use anything on the table of the mill to tram against, only tram on the table itself, there is no such thing as a perfectly flat rotor, i don't care who told you this method it is wrong !!!!!!!!!!

 

[brucer]

i also use an indicol and interapid indicator with a carbide tip and only indicate the table... no way would i use a brake rotor... indicating off an object on the table just adds more variable to the mix..

 

[Blogwitch]

Nelson,

I have made a couple now, both work extremely well.

Woodguy gave the link to my build on Madmodder. That will save me having to post all about it on here.

For the people who swear by the single indicator method. Well that was my way of thinking until I made mine, no more rubber necking or mirrors to see the gauge, no more laying sheet material over the table slots to stop the tip of your gauge being bent, no more jumping readings as you turn the quill etc, etc.

It's OK while you are young, but as you become older and more fragile, easier is always better, which I also think makes us wiser as well.

Not that these are an old persons tool, as they are surely not, just a more efficient and easier method than previous ways of doing it, and anyone would benefit by either buying or making one. The prices have dropped dramatically for commercial units since I made mine.


John

 

[brucer]

author=Bogstandard link=topic=1723.msg25279#msg25279 date=1315691192

For the people who swear by the single indicator method. Well that was my way of thinking until I made mine, no more rubber necking or mirrors to see the gauge, no more laying sheet material over the table slots to stop the tip of your gauge being bent, no more jumping readings as you turn the quill etc, etc.

John

no mirror or rubber necking going on here, most people buy the wrong type of indicator for mill work