Tach recommendations for the PM1340GT lathe?

MachTach has always worked well for me. I have three of them. I use Hall effect sensors instead of the optical sensor, usually with 6 magnets attached to the spindle by whatever method suits the particular machine.
Hawkeye, I am curious why you use 6 magnets?
 
MachTach can be set for a wide range of input pulses - possibly as many as 99, IIRC. I just figured that a few extras would add to the resolution at lower RPM.
 
Might be a little crude but, I work on chainsaws and sometimes need a tach to set RPM. I purchased a 332 Pro Laser Photo Tachometer and found it also works well on my Lathe as well. You simply place a small piece of reflective tape on the chuck, point the tach at tape and RPM is displayed.


LASER TACHOMETER.jpg


Thanks in advance for the help.[/QUOTE]
 
Thanks Giles for the reply.

You are right, everyone needs one of those and they are relatively inexpensive and typically come with all the reflective tape you would ever need. It only takes a small piece to do the job.

I have had one in my tool set for sometime now and I even bought one for my son. Mine was quite handy on a KMG grinder I built recently to understand the behaviour of the VFD I put on it.

I have used it on my lathe and mill as well. So yeap, both machines have their small piece of reflective tape on them and it will stay on both as a backup.
 
Has anyone tried a green LED tach? I was wondering if it would compliment the green DRO display or be distracting.
 
This is going to sound a bit simple perhaps but how have you guys attached the magnet to the spindle? I can see machining a collar or spider but has anyone simply used an epoxy resin on a carefully degreased spindle?
Thanks for the thoughts.
Alex
 
If you do not add a spider which would include a socket for the magnet, use a piece of 3M electrical tape.
 
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I had my magnet taped to the spindle with a few wraps of electrical tape for about 10 months before I got around to making a spider. I think it could have stayed that way indefinitely.
 
The 3m double sided tape would do for sure. It held front license plate on my car at 160 mph
 
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