Cheapo DRO

[welder]

I have wanted a DRO for my mill for awhile but couldn't afford the cost of a proper glass scaled unit. I was searching eBay and found these. http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com.au/viewitem?itemId=350570169111&index=1&nav=SEARCH&nid=17658216793

Last weekend I managed to fit the x axis I did this by removing the table stops as I never used them I made some aluminum discs to replace the steel stops and bolt the scale to.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9_Hhjl417iE/T8RvAex4h7I/AAAAAAAAAkI/g-l_AY4_-Jo/s400/P5270806.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EBzJjc0VgII/T8R0A9pamKI/AAAAAAAAAkc/BXvcZamI9L0/s400/P5270807.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Cvl0CkaSwZ0/T8RtVV22SGI/AAAAAAAAAkA/s_yCpxBYVp0/s400/P5270805.JPG

[welder]

For the quill I used a smaller readout I already have.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Ijm4bge2qtQ/T8R1lSTYyGI/AAAAAAAAAks/m4Z748FfyZc/s400/P5270812.JPG

To mount this I made an aluminum cam which the read out will be bolted to. I will update ad I do more work on it but it has cost me $150 for a 3 axis DRO.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bATVIgQybsU/T8R2YV39pzI/AAAAAAAAAk0/fqjpXYWO47o/s400/P5270814.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kMiM_1sYWJE/T8R245r5EkI/AAAAAAAAAk8/wOJxCDkWdZs/s400/P5270821.JPG

[Dave J]

That is going to make things so much easier than counting hand wheels.

Dave

[welder]

Thanks Dave I have been counting hand wheels and milling to layout lines as the mill has no graduated collars.

[toolman49]

G'Day Welder,
Great minds must think alike, as I am currently doing the same to my RF 31 (AKA the pig). I'm waiting for a couple of 500mm mini USB cables from HK as the standard cables are a bit short .I will post some pics when finished.
Regards,
Martin

[Stustoys]

Hi Welder,
Welcome to the DRO club lol
Very soon you'll be wondering how you lived without them so long.

Stuart

[Dave J]

Thanks Dave I have been counting hand wheels and milling to layout lines as the mill has no graduated collars.

If you have been working this way on the mill, you will be banging out precision jobs by the thousands now LOL.

Dave

[Dave J]

Hi Welder,
Welcome to the DRO club lol
Very soon you'll be wondering how you lived without them so long.

Stuart

I am surprised you don't have one on the mill yet?

Dave

[Stustoys]

Hi Dave,
Confused............ I do, even if its still only 2D.

Stuart

[Dave J]

Sorry :doh::doh: I meant lathe, or did your come with one?

Dave

[Stustoys]

Its on the list........ just a little way down lol

Stuart

[Dave J]

Now is the time to do it while your reassembling it, LOL

Dave

[toolman49]

G'Day Fellas,
The cable I was waiting on turned up this afternoon, so it's all finished. I don't want to hijack someone else's thread, so I will keep it brief. At first glance the Y axis bracket and scale mounts/covers look like crazy overkill, but were done with an eye to the future, should I upgrade to a decent glass scale DRO it will be pretty simple as all the real work has been done.
Regards,
Martin

[Dave J]

Looks great, I see you mounted the readouts on the left. I have always wondered why manufacturers mount the readout on the right on mills, it's a pain have the lathe on the left and the mill on the right. Even the CNC's have the system on the right.
I have been thinking of changing my mill over at some point to try it out.

Those brackets don't look over kill, they look professional. I have seen some guys mount glass scale with thin aluminium that could easily flex, and it makes you wonder why they even bothered with high resolution glass scales, as they wont get true readings with mounts like that.

I was thinking of one for my tailstock on the lathe, so will be interested in updates to see how it goes.
Grizzly has a nice one and the display is mounted on a pedestal, but it's a bit expensive considering what they sell for on ebay.

Dave

[Com_VC]

hehe it seems more natural for me to look to the right.

[Dave J]

hehe it seems more natural for me to look to the right.

I have gotten use to it over the years, but will try the other side and see how it goes. I have seen some guys mount them on the left.
I also tried the lathe readout on the carriage like the larger lathes, but didn't like it as much because your looking away from the work instead of just up.

Dave

[toolman49]

G'Day Gents,
I mounted the displays to the left as there was more room and the controls for the power feed and quill lock are on that side and being just on 6 foot with a stuffed back I more often than not use the pig sitting on a stool, slightly to the left. FWIW the DRO on the lathe is mounted above the headstock, so looking to the left is quite natural for me.
Regards,
Martin

[welder]

The y axis scale on the mill is very inaccurate This is most likely because of the way I mounted it. My question is do the scale have to be level to read Accurately this is probably stupidly obvious :blush2:

[Michael G]

Yes (If I understand what you have asked)
Think about your trigonometry - consider that the scale is running on the hypotenuse. The mill ways are the adjacent. Any angle will mean you read the real distance divided by the cosine. Only when the mill way axis and the scale axis coincide will you get a true reading.

Michael

[Big Shed]

Yes (If I understand what you have asked)
Think about your trigonometry - consider that the scale is running on the hypotenuse. The mill ways are the adjacent. Any angle will mean you read the real distance divided by the cosine. Only when the mill way axis and the scale axis coincide will you get a true reading.

Michael

There is also the mechanical thing to consider. You have a little box running on an aluminium rail, this is fixed to your Y axis. If the two are not in alignment you are straining the whole setup mechanically, getting binding in one or both in both planes.

So, I made sure my scales were in alignment in both planes using a dial indicator.

[welder]

Well this evening I made a new bracket to mount the y axis readout

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Ze22FpZgerM/UFMI8jE3eTI/AAAAAAAAAqY/glPjqQEVWFo/s640/P9140004.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-82AEvwF1jrA/UFMJgzCVclI/AAAAAAAAAqg/dnAk0MoffwY/s640/P9140006.JPG

[welder]

although I am stil not getting an accurate reading. I set up an indicator against the cloum of the Mill zeroed it a nd zeroed the readout moved the indicator .2. I have a feeling that my readout is faulty but once again it is probably me.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tQ56FHMLHZs/UFMLphqQxNI/AAAAAAAAAqs/GSQ6oRgzXQg/s640/P9140011.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kb_rtVUMkKo/UFMPlLmSquI/AAAAAAAAArM/8PRcO97yRTI/s640/P9140013.JPG