For lathe, M-DRO or DRO PROS?

[mksj]

Typically the DRO is mounted over the headstock, the vertical profile of the display makes it straight forward to operate the keypad with your left hand and operate the carriage with your right hand. Having the display move with the carriage in the back is dangerous if you are leaning over to say zero an axis and also swarf will hit the display. As far as +/- on the display if I recall it can be set in the display menu and also a factor of the display head orientation on the axis.

 

[yota]

Typically the DRO is mounted over the headstock, the vertical profile of the display makes it straight forward to operate the keypad with your left hand and operate the carriage with your right hand. Having the display move with the carriage in the back is dangerous if you are leaning over to say zero an axis and also swarf will hit the display. As far as +/- on the display if I recall it can be set in the display menu and also a factor of the display head orientation on the axis.
View attachment 493857
View attachment 493858

as far as swarf hitting the display, if you look at my last picture, the display unit is just as high and just as far from the chuck as it would be on top of the headstock. however, your point about working the display unit with the left hand while operating the positioning controls with the right is a very good one that I overlooked. my headstock though, is almost all access panel for the gearbox which I can't mount onto. your safety concerns are also quite valid. will have to give this further consideration. thank you for your input.

 

[mksj]

Oil and swarf typically fly to the right of the chuck, and rarely at the headstock, at least with my lathes. Height is not an issue which is why I mounted the chip shield to carriage, and it is quite effective in limiting both swarf and cutting oil spray in particular with heavy cutting. Just what I found what has worked. On some machine I have seen the DRO mounted in the center to the back splash shield but as mentioned I am always cautious around a spinning chuck. Your lathe is quite a bit different so see what position you are most comfortable with and keeps it away from the chips/oil.

 

[yota]

looks like you changed lathes recently?

 

[ChazzC]

as far as swarf hitting the display, if you look at my last picture, the display unit is just as high and just as far from the chuck as it would be on top of the headstock. however, your point about working the display unit with the left hand while operating the positioning controls with the right is a very good one that I overlooked. my headstock though, is almost all access panel for the gearbox which I can't mount onto. your safety concerns are also quite valid. will have to give this further consideration. thank you for your input.

Bracket attached to the back side of the headstock with the display above & to the left of the cutting oil tins.



Rough sketch done on my phone, but you get the idea.

 

[yota]

instructions for the M-DRO generic lathe kit are pretty sparse although most of it is intuitive. I've had to use DROPro videos mostly as M-DROS vids are all for Myford lathes and not very detailed. several differences between the 2:

DROPro scales have end caps, M-DRO scales do not, just open on the ends apparently.

DROPro requires that you align the magnetic strip and encoder with hash marks they provide. see nothing like this on the M-DRO parts.

DROPro provides a clear plastic shim to get the spacing correct between the scale and the encoder head, I did not receive a shim from M-DRO. I would use a feeler gauge but not sure if that's a good idea with the magnetic scale strip.

last, what are these? for grounding the display? not shown anywhere.


thanks!

 

[mksj]

To address your comments/questions, I have installed both types of scales.

1. M-DRO do not have end caps. part of the reason is the scales mount differently DRO-PROS via end caps, M-DRO through the rail or by the ends. Easy enough to make some if you wanted. It still would have been nice of M-DRO provided either metal or plastic end caps.

2. M-DRO does not have alignment marks, head and scale can be mounted in either direction. DRO-PROS need to be aligned with hash marks.

3. M-DRO are quite insensitive to mounting height, they even worked with a 0.2" gap but use a feeler gauge to get them into spec. Yes it would be nice if they provided a plastic feeler gauge. You could also use a paper shim. The DRO-PROS have wipers on either end, so having a proper gap may be more important. M-DRO, gap is specified as 0.004-.04", I would just use a piece of sheet paper as a spacer guide. Magnetic scales are much less effected by misalignment vs. galss scales

4. Grounding tabs, there is a stud on the back of the DRO which the tab mounts to and the other end of the wire should connect to the machine metal ground. This prevents both static and electrical noise, and I assume minimizes ground loops. I do not use it on my machines, as the mounting bracket attaches directly to my metal electrical cabinet, the the ground stud has continuity with the mounting bracket. Still I have seen it recommended to add the ground stud wire.

New lathe and old lathe in the previous pictures, I moved about 6 years ago and was easier to sell my PM-1340GT and then buy a heavier lathe after I moved. No regrets with the PM-1340GT, very good lathe but the ERL-1340 is 3X the weight and a pleasure to use. I might have gone with a 1440/1640 size lathe had I not had all the lathe tooling for a 1340.

 

[yota]

thank you, sir. the new lathe does look a LOT beefier. I think this will work for the display position. the display arm pivots if I touch it so will need to put some plastic shims on the bolt to keep it in place. will probably end up cutting a few inches off the arm anyway. the orange C-channel is a piece I cut off my first hydraulic press, a harbor freight model which I bent just using it in a normal manner. have a much larger older US made one now.

 

[yota]

got a little bit done.

 

[yota]

now I need to study the set-up manual for the Easson unit.