Laser alignment for the Drill Mill
I read of this modification for the drill mill somewhere?
As anyone who has milled on a drill mill will tell you, as soon as you move the head vertically you have to get out the test indicator and realign the head horizontally with the job/crossfeed table.
Its a real pain.
The laser lines up with a line drawn vertically on a cupboard 4 meters away.
Laser $23.95 from Jaycar.
re aliging mill, simpler and more accurate method
you have made it all too complicated.. an simple method is below
a simple method is to use a mirror and a target mask with one of those laser centre finders... (If you dont have a laser edge finder, read my double mirror method below it, but it only works if your mill has a hole though the spindle, as used by a draw bar or such)
place the mirror on the milling cross feed table, put a target mask, with minute hole to allow the laser beem though over laser edge of the edge finder, so that the laser beam just come though.
then try shoot the beam down on to the mirror on the bed, and aim it back up to the original edge finder laser hole...
the advantage of this method, is that since any alignment movement of the angle head is doubled (the re mirror reflection) you can get it to within in optical alignment accuracy or thousands of an arc.
NOTE> ALways wear those special laser protection glasses, when using laser. if a red laser, then the glasses should have a green lens. etc.. dont worry the dot is so bright you will see the faint illuminated dot even though that..
(this is a modification of the old photographers trick of using two mirrors, one with a hole in it. to align enlargers...)
Double mirror method. (one of the Mirrors must has a small hole, either drilled in it if it is a plastic mirror or scratched though the silvered backing if a glass mirror)
again place the plain mirror on the bed, and put the hole of the second mirror over the draw bar hole.. next look though the hole, and start the alignment. when aligned you should see aligned concentric reflections of the hole you are looking though and the front face of the mills "hole" where you put the mill bits, etc...
Regards, Andy