DRO to vertical mill z axis

Hello, I have a Warco Super Major mill and would like to fit a dro to the z axis. Has anyone done this to similar vertical mills and can advise on where to mount the scale?

Thanks

Derek Toller

DRO or Digital Scale?
I used digital scales for a while, they're useful but not a patch on a DRO.

Fitted an old digital calliper to mine. Will take a photo later.

I have looked on the Warco site at the current mill, and as there is so much plastic bodywork around the head that it would be difficult to add a digital scale. The scales that I have bought are intended to be vertical, so the numbers are the right way round. Arceurotade have some of these.

Dear Derek I'm working on this at the moment for my Chester Lux mill. i will make two brackets to fit top and bottom to which i will attach the magnetic strip. the reader will be attached to 8mm rod passing through two linear bearings. The rod will attach to the quill via a bracket attached to the quill. I have some poor drawings - first attempt at CAD but it may help if l can work out how to retrieve them i could email them to you over the week end. Robert Butler

I have put DRO on the Z axis of my Dore Westbury mill if this is of any interest.

John B

Thanks for all your comments so far. I bought a low cost digital scale from Machine-DRO Ltd at the Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition on Thursday and am still thinking about how best to mount is so any ideas would be welcome.

The Warco Super Major Vario (and similar other makes) has a similar DRO mounted on the head with the reading head inserted into the aluminium plate at the front. Something like this would suit me although I don't want to cut a hole in the plate.

Derek T

Make a new plate ?

As fitted to Warco WM40.

Pete

If you aren't prepared to do some basic modifications to your mill you might as well forget the whole thing.

If you are not so keen to drilling holes into your mill (like I was) you can always bond your mounting brackets to your mill with a suitable adhesive. I installed a 3 axis on the mill and a 2 axis on the lathe without drilling a single hole in the machines.