I Gaging Dro Installation, Shenwai Sw900b Lathe

[Ulma Doctor]

I Gaging DRO Installation
i got the i gaging dro's for my Shenwai SW900B lathe.



a close up of the scale installation, below

i got the 6" cross slide (Y axis) installed and the display positioned on my vfd enclosure.


to install,
lay out where the scale and dro slider will fit and be mounted.
(i removed the cross slide assembly)
drill holes & tap holes for the scale mount & dro slider ( i chose #8-32 x 1/4" screws- #29 tap drill)
(re-install cross slide)
install scale on cross slide & bolt the dro slider to the saddle
operate the cross slide and shim scale and/or dro slider as necessary to have a smooth, dragless, feel
install batteries and mount the display as necessary.

the unit works great in metric, decimal inch, and fractional inch
advertised accuracy is .002" per 6" of travel, i'll put it to the test....
stay tuned for the X axis in the next act!
i'll also be converting the units to battery free operation after the 2nd dro is installed...
thanks for reading!

 

[thomas s]

Nice job Mike and I like the lathe.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

thank you very much, Thomas

 

[mattthemuppet2]

nice work, this is great inspiration for installing the iGaging scales I have on my 618. I've been looking forward to it for months!

 

[Bamban]

I have similar lathe, Federal branded, a 1024, that I installed the Z axis iGaging DRO on. I mounted the scales on a 2x2 angle Aluminum, one leg serves as the protective shield, so far have not had any issues with oil or chips getting on the scales. Have not installed the cross slide scales yet.

Looking forward to seeing the completed project on your lathe.

 

[brav65]

Nice work Mike, I have not been in the shop for 6 months. I am on a project and doing 12 and 14 hour days 6 days a week.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

nice work, this is great inspiration for installing the iGaging scales I have on my 618. I've been looking forward to it for months!

Thank you very much Matt, i'd like to see the thread when you're done and write it up

I have similar lathe, Federal branded, a 1024, that I installed the Z axis iGaging DRO on. I mounted the scales on a 2x2 angle Aluminum, one leg serves as the protective shield, so far have not had any issues with oil or chips getting on the scales. Have not installed the cross slide scales yet.
Looking forward to seeing the completed project on your lathe.

Thanks Bamban!! these class of lathes are economical, well made and sturdy machines.
good idea with the angle Al3, i may steal the idea...
the project was really quite easy, just a little plannin' and thinkin'
i'll be sure to post the next act soon!

Nice work Mike, I have not been in the shop for 6 months. I am on a project and doing 12 and 14 hour days 6 days a week.

i'm happy to hear from you again, i hope things are going well for you and the family!

i'll do a shop dance for you and sacrifice a carbide endmill to ward off the evil work spirits that keep you from shop time!!!

brav, lucky for them they put the right man on the job

i hope you get a break soon, it's always good to hear from you!

 

[brav65]

Thank you very much Matt, i'd like to see the thread when you're done and write it up


Thanks Bamban!! these class of lathes are economical, well made and sturdy machines.
good idea with the angle Al3, i may steal the idea...
the project was really quite easy, just a little plannin' and thinkin'
i'll be sure to post the next act soon!


i'm happy to hear from you again, i hope things are going well for you and the family!

i'll do a shop dance for you and sacrifice a carbide endmill to ward off the evil work spirits that keep you from shop time!!!

brav, lucky for them they put the right man on the job

i hope you get a break soon, it's always good to hear from you!

Thanks Mike

 

[Ulma Doctor]

In this episode,
i made some brackets to make my I-Gaging DRO Install go smoother on the X axis.
the bracket (top) is the OEM bracket. the 2 lower brackets are 3/4" wide x 68mm long channel iron drilled and tapped the center holes for 8-32 screws.


these fab'd brackets will space the dro scale slider from the lathes' bed.
the brackets will be installed on the lathe bed and then the scale will fasten to the brackets.
i'm choosing to mount this scale on the rear side of the lathe.
in the next act, the slider bracket and final mount up,
stay tuned!!!

 

[Ulma Doctor]

IGaging DRO Install, Continued...
i'm starting the mounting phase of the brackets i made in the last episode.
Today, i went to the dollar store to get some supplies to assist with the installation.
i have other things i could have used for the same result, but i thought it would be a nice challenge to see how inexpensively i could make a plumb rig on the fly.
here is what i came up with...
i got a 6 pack of plain refrigerator magnets, embedded in plastic.
dental floss, waxed- mint flavor, they didn't have plain waxed

metric hex nutsM8x1.5m in the economy pack, the nuts were omitted in the picture
total cost $3.22.
i used a magnet to hold a nut tied to a length of dental floss for use as a quick small plum bob.
headstock side


tailstock side


i added the fab'd brackets and held them in temporary alignment.



i'll then locate and drill,& tap the mounting holes and show the aftermath next time,
stay tuned!