Fitting Digital readouts (DRO's) to Clarke CMD10 mini mill.

Hi All , I'm looking to fit DRO's to my Clarke CMD 10 Mini mill soon to make machining easier. I believe this machine is almost identical to the siek x1 mill ?

Measuring the travel of the table , the 'left to right' axis travels approx 12"" and the front to back axis travels approx 6".

Just wondered where to buy and if anyone has any pics or advise regarding how and where to fit them. Any help apprciated.

Many Thanks ...Chris.

No-One

Surely someone must have some pics of the way they fitted them regarding bracketry e.t.c. ?

Hi Chris

These small mills come in a variety of different configurations and there are several factories in Tiwan and China making them. So not only do they come in different colours but they eminate from different places as well and to make the mix even wider some importers have them badged and made to their own specifications. What I am trying to put over is that just because they look similar there can be differences in the castings and the clearances between the moving bits.

Here is a link to a site showing DRO scales fitted toa Seig X2. This mill has a tilting mast but the X and Y axis arrangements would be similar .

**LINK** Amadeal and ArcEuro have the scales but you would have to improvise your own brackets as per the link but the dimensions may be different. You could also search the CNCZone for X1 + DRO

Hope this helps - Regards - Pat

Hi Chris,

I have an X2 and found it relatively easy to fit three axes of the simple DROs to it. X on the right below the table. Y at the back of the table below a 25mm aluminium angle swarf shield, Z on the right of the column. Steel spacers used and brass 'z' tabs used to connect the moving readout part to allow for any small discrepancies in fit. Worked a treat.

Neil

Chris

Have fitted Allendale read-outs to my Clarke mill-drill, they are just electronic vernier scales but without the anvils.

Total cost £75 for X and Y axis and work superbly. I am extremely impressed with the quality and the accuracy.

Will post photos later, am at work atm.

Trevor

Photo link;

**LINK**

Trevor

If you follow Trevor's line it would be a good idea to make a shield of some sort to protect the scales from swarf. I have made a similar mod but mounted the long scale at an angle under a piece of ali angle to give it some protection. I've still had to dismantle the scale to remove tiny bits of swarf from the pcb tracks on the readout.

Russell.

I covered over the scales on same mill 12 year ago, none lasted long. Two strip downs usually fine, third time thats it, scrap.

Y axis mounted down low on the angled base, partially hidden by bed overhanging. Also wont get in the way like piccy above. 1 3/4" Angle braced it up and intended to act as some sort of cover. Remote 3 axis readout all in with 3 scales £240 then.

Debris and liquids will find their way in.

For Z rigidity make up a quill collar with bracket built in and an offset bracket with two holes to match behind the scale readout. Same with X and Y scale brackets, theres movement in the supplied reader bracket tested last year to 0.135mm of actual movement before it starts to register.

Hello Chris.

As Jon says, sooner than later the oil or the chips will find their way ...
I've been there ...
I always had trouble with common scales (digital caliper like) until I installed the system that you can see in the photos in my album and you may find, for example, in the ArcEuro Trade here.
I used aluminium angle profile as a mechanical protection that does not prevent the reading, which is made on the separate displays.
Pictures (dificult to take) of my system: here here and here.

Best regards
Costa Dias

Having tried various 'budget' DRO solutions, and suffered from that, I have now installed a magnetic scale DRO system on my lathe, these scales as supplied by **LINK** are simple to install and impervious to fluid ingress. My only caveat would be to choose the one piece mounting system, having tried both systems, the one piece is easier to install and provides better resilience to magnetic attraction of chips due to the stainless steel cover strip. It is also easier to add 'wipers' to the read head to clear chips. I have added aluminium angle covers to my readers which also helps keep the swarf away from the read heads.

I still have glass (Mitutoyo) scales on the Ajax Mill, but if these ever fail, I will replace with the MDRO magnetic scales.

The so called 'Chinese scales' are adequate but not robust, that said, I am sure that the magnetic heads and the majority of glass scales are also produced in Asia and so we should not deride these products by arena!!.

They are all viable products and we should base that viability on fitness for purpose and budget both of which go hand in hand.

I would agree that the simpler scales suffer from ingress of foreign bodies and they will wear more quickly than the more robust designs.

I recently added a scale to the Z axis of my Ajax Mill utilising a simple scale rather than a glass or magnetic just because I had it spare, hooked up to a modified Shumatech DRO350 - (which also reads my Mitutoyo glass scales with the addition of software modified QCC100 adapters) is providing a very adequaten DRO system which replaces the failing Mitutoyo display unit.

When funds permit, I will replace all with the Allendale(MDRO) magnetic system, as they are more robust than the traditional glass scales, easier to align and comparible in cost.

I have no affiliation with Allendale, just a very satisfied customer, I have to say they are more helpful than most other suppliers of similar equipment.

regards

CB

I am surprised by the last comments, have had these on the machine for several months now and had no problems, agreed, I do not use coolant, but that makes the machine easier to clean and maintain. If any lube is required a squirt of WD40 is more than adequate. In the last few weeks have been machining gear and bearing mountings, and 1/2" Ali plate, so it has not been idle.

Trevor

It can work the other way round Trevor, use the coolant to wash the machine down. Let it drain off and get the shovel in or use your hands, easy.

Quite agree CB there are three differing ways to get some sort of DRO on a machine and its has to be based on cost effectiveness and the amount of use it will be given.

Cheap scales (caliper type)

Glass scales and the Magnetic (chinese made)

Glass scales of reputable manufacture.

For me on the small mill RF25 12 yr ago fitting the cheap scales from Arc and via SPC remote Warco 3 axis readout proved to be a waste of £240 and a battery every week in each! Luckilly i cant remember the last time i used that machine, maybe 5yrs.

One thing i will do on larger mill is replace the X axis chinese glass scale mounted on rear of bed for a magnetic mounted on the front - can just about get it in and retain bed locks, power feed trips and dividing plates etc. Its the reader that costs here and cant see why very few people use them, what they do is mount humongous glass and C type covers which get in the way and or restrict movements. On the bigger lathe i have lost literally 6mm where tail stock butts up to Y axis cross slide - thats it. That machine has had a wash down this morning to get rid of that nasty brass that lingers every where.

Another criteria certain cutters wont work without coolant. Its not uncommon to have to spend a good 30 mins without coolant for various reasons, same cutter used with coolant means i could do same task within 2 mins! Even the less savage cutters will last a lot longer and pay for themselves in no time, worth a thought.

Slightly on same subject i found the Noga misters better on a mill than a lathe.

Before i forget have had a few cheap caliper type scales seize up and gouge out the stainless, worth another thought.

The cheapish chinese glass scales can be easilly took apart and cleaned. From memory its just 5/8" glass strip at an angle glued in. Brush under neath and a wipe over on accessible area, put it back together, job done.

Fitting any of the scales is self explanatory and dependant upon how good a job you want to do. Me i dont do anything by halves.