krisfarm
8th June 2011, 03:36 PM
A short time ago I decieded to fit a DRO to my AL1000D lathe. After a bit of research and some good advise from Dave J-thanks Dave, I found that the options available were not that plentiful as I wanted the compound and cross feed axis to be fitted with micro sized scales with a 1 um resolution. Sino were the only supplier offering DRO kits at a reasonable price. I ordered a kit comprising one KA300 scale 1020mm in length with a 5um resolution. Two KA500 micro scales one 220mm long and one 120mm long both with 1 um resolution. I chose these lengths which are a little longer than are actually needed to give me a bit of manouvering room for fitting.Total cost delivered to my door six days later was $641-00Aust.Sino give excellent service and were very prompt answering all emails.
On my lathe the cross slide has the way oiling nipples up close to the dovetail body on the tailstock side and it also has a gib adjusting screw located in the middle, so I deceided to mount this scale on the front (chuck side). Mounting the scale reader head on the compound slide in the central position would have made access to the allen bolt that needs to be loosened to change the compound angle very difficult. I deceided to machine up reader head boxes to allow some manouvering space and provide some addition protection to these heads. I also made the cover for the cross slide out of 2.5mm thick steel for additional protection- another good tip from Dave J. The reader head box for this scale is also designed to take some of the load in case I drop something heavy on it.I also fitted an additional cover over the X axis scale as well.
After fitting all of this up I then had the challenge of the Sino Operation Manual. This is one area that Sino should improve, it is a bit of a nightmare to read and try and understand.After much head scratching I now have the DRO working as it should.
A few pictures to help explain all those words.
X axis-photos 479 & 484
Y axis -photos 480,483 & 495
Z axis- photos 476& 485
Monitor- photo 489.
Bob
On my lathe the cross slide has the way oiling nipples up close to the dovetail body on the tailstock side and it also has a gib adjusting screw located in the middle, so I deceided to mount this scale on the front (chuck side). Mounting the scale reader head on the compound slide in the central position would have made access to the allen bolt that needs to be loosened to change the compound angle very difficult. I deceided to machine up reader head boxes to allow some manouvering space and provide some addition protection to these heads. I also made the cover for the cross slide out of 2.5mm thick steel for additional protection- another good tip from Dave J. The reader head box for this scale is also designed to take some of the load in case I drop something heavy on it.I also fitted an additional cover over the X axis scale as well.
After fitting all of this up I then had the challenge of the Sino Operation Manual. This is one area that Sino should improve, it is a bit of a nightmare to read and try and understand.After much head scratching I now have the DRO working as it should.
A few pictures to help explain all those words.
X axis-photos 479 & 484
Y axis -photos 480,483 & 495
Z axis- photos 476& 485
Monitor- photo 489.
Bob