Dro Install On Mill *Updated*

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[How-To] - Mounting a Z axis DRO on a Bridgeport (Clone) Quill

Hi All, A few years back I completed the DRO installation on my mill by adding the Z Axis to the head, that is my mill is a bed style where the head raises and lowers not the knee or table. However, I found it not be as useful or at least user friendly as I thought, mainly due to the fine...
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@Eddyde Beautiful setup! I was wondering about spherical/leveling washers to install my lathe's Z axis scale. My lathe has a sloping backside where the scale needs to go. How's those washers staying put? Have they moved at all since the install? Thank you!
 
Splat said:
@Eddyde Beautiful setup! I was wondering about spherical/leveling washers to install my lathe's Z axis scale. My lathe has a sloping backside where the scale needs to go. How's those washers staying put? Have they moved at all since the install? Thank you!
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Thanks!

The spherical washers work perfectly, the whole set up is rock solid and hasn't budged in 8 years of use (I had used them to mount the Y-Axis as well).
One thing not clearly shown, I needed two pairs of spherical washers for each cap screw, one pair directly under the head and the second, between the aluminum mounting bar and the machine casting. I also had to slightly slot the holes to allow for the angle of the screw through the aluminum bar, but just making larger holes would work just as well.

Another thing I should mention. After I mounted the 2nd Z-Axis scale on the Quill, I purchased an Axis Combiner or as they call it, a Linear Encoder Summing Interface, from M-DRO. This device merges the data from both Z-Axis scales into one signal to the DRO thus keeping the same zero datum when moving either the quill or the entire head. It works flawlessly.

In hindsight, I wouldn't have done anything differently, except doing the Quill sooner.
 
great report, thanks

It's really helpful when people to check in after a few years, to report on what worked and what didn't. I'm in the process of installing a Acu Rite DRO on my Bridgeport, I'm going to do all three axes for the table, and while it's probably easier to just put a separate caliper-style quill readout, I can see the value in summing the Z axes in one readout.
 
@Eddyde Ed what size spherical washers did you use, if you recall? Thanks.
 
Splat said:
@Eddyde Ed what size spherical washers did you use, if you recall? Thanks.
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I used M8 screws as the mill is metric and I wanted to keep it that way. However, I used spherical washers for a ⅜" screw with a ⅞" OD, from McMaster.
 
Thanks Eddy. I used 5mm for the aluminum mounting bar and tge spherical washers are only 0.5" OD. I could get bigger but wanted to get the darn Z axis dro scale on my lathe done today.
 
Yeah, I don't think it matters that much, whatever fits should work fine.
 
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