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Mick Whittingham28/08/2009 12:55:20
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1 forum posts
5 photos
Hi,
 
I have just purchased a shiny new digital readout for my Tom Senior horizontal mill. Fitting is going well so far but I thought I would approach the collected knowledge of MEW readers for any advice. Has anyone used DRO's or fitted them to existing machines? Are there any pitfalls to avoid or advice that would benefit me? I intend equipping my Raglan vertical and Raglan 5" with scales so I can use the one console and swap it between machines, does anyone have any experience of doing that?
Regards,
Mick
mgj28/08/2009 17:30:00
1017 forum posts
14 photos
Make sure the console is a universal one then.
 
I don't have much experience of this, but some i know are milling consoles, some are lathe ones, and some are universal.
 
I set my Warco Supermajor mill up. I just read the instructions, ensured that all was set up well within the tolerances quoted for mounting the scales and fitted them with decent covers. Ensured the head carriers were good and well (miles) over solid and won't flex. Works brilliantly and is accurate to .0002" though the spec say +/-.0008. To mill to 2 tenths is fine by me.
 
I shall fit one to my big lathe, which is an Engineers Toolroom 1236, but I'll use a dedicated readout. The idea is fine I suspect, but in practise the hassle of constantly entering setup and rejigging, wouldn't for me, make swapping a viable exercise. Not as a normal occurrence. Its a pain going in, entering the correction for each scale in parts per million, sense/direction, beep on/off, diameter or radius etc.
 
I accept its not a long exercise, but it is a PITA every time you swap.
 
So I shall use two of the economy boxes.
PeterB15/09/2009 17:17:49
14 forum posts

Mick,

I've just bought a 3-axis set for my horiz mill from Allendale.  I bought the more expensive of the 2 read-out boxes as this enables me to use it for my lathe too (when I've saved-up enough dosh to buy the xy slide readers).  All that has to be done is to swop over the xy(z) axis plugs at the back of the box.  I take Meyrick's point about resetting, but I am happy to do that. 
 
What is a real PITA for the beginner is the meaningless Chinese/English instruction book.  Its close to useless and when I complained to Allendale, they told me a Brit is currently re-writing the book and a copy will be sent to me when its finished. 
 
Cheers, Peter
Rob Manley15/09/2009 18:24:49
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71 forum posts
14 photos
I have retrofitted a digital readout to my senior mill and have included photo's showing what i have done.  The Z and Y are obvious but the X isn't.  The scale is attached to the table and the sensor attached to the saddle with a steel cover over them to protect them from oil/swarf etc.  The scale required packing out slightly as the saddle sticks out under the table.  It works very well and i only lost 1/2" of travel in the Y.  Everything is nice and beefy.  Hope this helps.
 
 Rob. 
 
ps. ive just seen the photos and my workshop looks a total mess!  I can assure you it gets tidied now and again!  
 



 

Edited By Rob Manley on 15/09/2009 18:27:53

Frank Dolman16/09/2009 06:56:34
106 forum posts

  What super pictures. Well done!

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