Yet another DRO install on a RF-30 clone

[DeadGuyAle]

Thanks @ARC-170
Would like to see if not too much of a bother to find!

 

[ARC-170]

Thanks @ARC-170
Would like to see if not too much of a bother to find!

This is the only one I could find. I could swear I had more, so I'll keep looking.


At least it shows the threaded rod and how it's attached to the machine: bolts on the spindle collar. The washer is a stop. You can see the threaded collar I made that attaches with a sheet metal bracket to the DRO. The DRO is attached to the cover (not shown). I ran the wires inside the machine and out the bottom.
It took a little fiddling to get this to work well. All the bolts and screws need to be tight.

 

[DeadGuyAle]

This is the only one I could find. I could swear I had more, so I'll keep looking.
View attachment 494840

At least it shows the threaded rod and how it's attached to the machine: bolts on the spindle collar. The washer is a stop. You can see the threaded collar I made that attaches with a sheet metal bracket to the DRO. The DRO is attached to the cover (not shown). I ran the wires inside the machine and out the bottom.
It took a little fiddling to get this to work well. All the bolts and screws need to be tight.

Thanks for the picture @ARC-170
Got enough to move things forward and appreciate the help.

 

[DeadGuyAle]

After a lot of back and forth on z axis scale mount decided to make it as complex as possible and go with mounting the scale internally in the head. That and I may do the gas strut mod to take the z axis slack out at a later date which would use the space occupied by the current z axis stop.
Used https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/rf30-dro-scales-install.90253/page-1 for some general ideas.
As to be expected slight variations were required to get everything in place.
Had to pull the top end apart multiple times to fiddle with bracket fitting, then reassemble to make said brackets.


Scale head bracket was rough cut on the portaband then trued up.
Loosen the vise, x axis the table/vise under the next section and continue, did it in a couple passes.


General layout of parts.
Wanted the cable to go up through the pulley cover as opposed to down the head towards the table.


Upper support used one of the idler pulley mounting holes, alignment was off plus it was too low and set below the scale mounting hole.


JB welded some scrap spacers on to fix those issues.



Enlarged one of the holes in the cover and routed the cable around inside. Left enough slack in the head for the spindle to extend, runs up and down without hanging up so called it good.





It seems to be working as advertised, 5.11 at full extension and returns to within.020 repeatability. Good to have it done so I can move on to other projects.

 

[extropic]

You wrote .020 repeatability. Is that a typo?

 

[DeadGuyAle]

You wrote .020 repeatability. Is that a typo?

Good catch, generally around.002 on retraction. The stop is a rubber ring so it varies.