Which digital readout to get.

I am thinking of buying a digital read out for my Warco 600 lathe and maybe the VMC.

Any sugestions for a reasonable quality product and any thing that I should avoid.

Advice always welcome.

Paul

On both machines avoid the cheap scales and go for either the glass C type or maybe the 1 micron magnetic in certain areas where space is limited.

Allendale are good but dont recommend the budget readouts having had two of them in 3 axis.

Paul,

I fitted a Sino 3-axis DRO (from Allendale) to my FB2 mill a few years ago; it has worked faultlessly and has transformed my ability to do precision work. I would personally never bother with those cobbled-together systems using recycled digital calipers and the like, but I appreciate not everyone can afford the proper stuff.

My own feeling is that a DRO is far more useful on a milling machine (for both milling and drilling) than on a lathe, since when one needs a precise diameter on a lathe one normally approaches slowly and checks with a micrometer.

David

Edited By David Littlewood on 08/01/2013 02:30:36

Paul

I have fitted a two axis set up from Machine DRO to my Seig X3 milling machine a few years ago and has worked well the company supplied all the fittings to fit the scales a set of pictures showing instalation. From memory it took me a morning to fit and it worked straight off. I didnt do the 3rd axis and have not really missed it.

Like David L it has transformed the machine and what I am prepared to tackle on the on the machine, once fitted you will wish you had done it years ago.

I would do your milling machine first, I have not been tempted to put it on the lathe.

Olly

David

I have just received a Sino DRO from father christmas, and was wondering if you have any photos of your setup, as I shall also be fitting this to an FB2.

Thanks

Colin

I started out with Chinese scales and was quite satisfied for a while, but found they did not give a really stable display. I then moved to glass and magnetic units and the resuls were fabulous in comparison. My advice, if funds are available, would be to go for glass scales on the X and Y axes of a mill and glass or magnetic on the Z axis. Possibly best to leave the lathe alone to start with since the scales will get much more use on the mill.

Don't get me wrong, the Chinese scales do work and I still use a couple of converted 6 inch callipers on my mill quill and lathe tailstock but the glass/magnetic ones are in a different class.

Doug

Colin,

As requested; let me know if you would like bigger copies PM'd to you.

Y-axis scale

X-axis scale

Note the stop at the base of the column, which is to protect the X-axis scale from contacting the base and possibly suffering damage. It does limit the Y-axis travel slightly, but I have only found this a very minor inconvenience which I have always been able to work around.

Though I bought a 3-axis system, I didn't fit the Z-axis scale until a few months later, so I don't have a decent photograph of it; I'll try to get one posted later. It was a little more fiddly to fit as I had to fabricate brackets at top and bottom, but I was able to do this fairly easily from the generous supply of Al brackets supplied by Allendale/Machine DRO.

BTW, although the Z-axis is (obviously) of little use when drilling, it is invaluable when milling, and I would say that without it the system is missing half its functionality. I recommend anyone to get the proper 3rd axis scale; it is better to have them all visible on the same monitor, and the position of a Z-axis scale is necessarily a little exposed - at least on this machine - and it needs to be robust and well protected.

David

Edited By David Littlewood on 08/01/2013 16:39:33

Thanks for the replies keep them coming then will make a decision on which to buy.

I have the calliper type z-axis on the mill and lathe tailstock it will be the VMC first to be fitted.

When in my 50's I was on a jobs seekers training course at the old York carriage works then run privately by the tutors and had a fantastic time.

There was a Harrison lathe with DRO that did not work and was given the handbook and fixed it.

Something similar would be nice but a professional DRO might be behond  my means?

There was no chance of an engineering job at that age but the experience was worthwhile.

Thanks again for the advice.

Paul

Edited By Windy on 08/01/2013 16:50:45

Paul,

You could ask the price for Newall DROs because the Microsyn Scales are only 5.64mm diameter carbon fibre tubes, naturally the Read Heads are larger. They are, being industrial, more pricey than Sino etc, but in the end you get what you pay for. 5 year warranty on DRO and for life on the scales.

I have had excellent service on 4 machines currently fitted with this system. They are virtually indestructible cf. the glass scale versions that are about and do not notice coolant and oil, being completely sealed.

As promised, a picture of the Z-axis scale on my FB2.

Unfortunately it doesn't show the fixing of the read head very well, and it's a bit hard to get a camera round there. I'll try again later.

David

How have you stopped or reduced the amount of head movement David when altering the height? Different reading when locking up unless precision toleranced. Round column same as my small very accurate Clarke.

Take it the usual Y1 feed there isnt one and only for drilling, no fine feed.

hi paul

I have just fitted a dro to my Myford 254 c/w mill,, After much consideration , I decided to

purchase an Electronica EL400DRO .

I collected the unit in person from the UK distributor Electronica Mechatronic Systems, in Leicester.

The display was complete with a variety of brackets and elaborate instructions.

The console is very robust and unlike some is made of die-cast aluminium. looks and feels really good quality.

The magnetic scales are compact and very easy to fit/.

They can be cut easily to any required length., .

As a bonus the scales are totally resistant to coolant and swarf .

Speak to Mark Hudman, very helpful and very knowledgable.

take a look at ,my post on homeworkshop.

you are welcome to call and see mine, or if you want some photos of mine just email me.

best regards. ray

Edited By ray jones 1 on 10/01/2013 16:46:21

Jon,

The FB2 has a rectangular guide on the LH side of the column, with a corresponding groove in the head, which is fitted with a proper gib strip. In over 25 years of using it I have found it remarkably good at maintaining the head alignment on moving the head up or down.

Not sure I understand your other question. There is fine feed, by which the entire head is moved up or down the column (and to which the DRO scale is attached), and a hand-feed quill for drilling, the handle for which can be seen on the last photograph. The latter has a movement of 40 mm and can be locked with a lever when miling.

David

I could see it working with two gib strips at 90 degrees to each other acting on the rectangular. I have same problem with a dovetailed and needs locking up else head tilts in towards column and veers off away from gib strip side lock. Same with all mills they all need locking down.

Ray took me ages to find their website, another alternative http://www.ems-i.co.uk/

On the lathe when setup 1/2 on Y axis does it halve the X axis? Also does it retain zero when switched off and any movement made?

Looks like what they are offering in terms of magnetic is the size of glass scales along with their inherant problems of mountings and bulkyness. IP67 but will need constant cleaning out unless mounted with reader downwards making harder install and extra lost travel in some instances.

What they should be pushing is these formats with a ultra thin aluminium cut to length pro install self contained sealed backing pad with no unecessary overhang. Piccy is very reminiscent of the Allendale except with less options to mount the encoder.

Shame they arent open Sunday, i will be within a few mile.

hi yes that is their web site,, http://www.ems-i.co.uk/

my magnetic tape is enclosed on all sides,

mine is the second one down in the pic, Open Extrusion Magnetic Scale

http://electronicaems.com/magneticscale.html

also here is a link i found very useful,, a range of vidoes to show cutting to length and installation info.

http://www.dropros.com/Electronica_Lathe_Digital_Readout.htm

ray

Edited By ray jones 1 on 10/01/2013 20:33:07

here are a few pics

Edited By ray jones 1 on 10/01/2013 20:50:12

Edited By ray jones 1 on 10/01/2013 20:59:02

Ray,

Please post your photos one per line; if you post them side by side this stupid forum software stretches out the text on everyone's popst and takes it under the pesky advert strip on the right.

Jon,

The FB" has a gib strip bearing on the side of the locating bar and is adjustable by screws in the normal way; the column, being round, provides lateral location, and in the (unlikely) event of wear can be adjusted by means of a vertical slit and two stout clamping bolts.

It works!

David

spiders eat dro's !!

hi paul,

EL 400 looks very neat. well made. The buttons are "REAL "buttons

not "plastic buttons" on a membrain- as in some calculators.

glass slides etc, these cannot be cut to length, if your travel is say 150 mm, ,plus mountings

etc your total length overall would be , say 220. mm

If the glass slide was 250mm, it could not be cut, you would have 30 mm overhang.

The one I have has S1 magnetic slides, they are slimline , enclosed, yet very robust and totally swarf and coolant tollerant.

they are rated at 5 microns and display to 4 decimal places

to cut them to,length takes 5 minutes and is fool proof and easy,

unscrew the one end.( 2 - 3 mm scews)

take out stainless strip guard.

put the slide in my chop saw

slide stainless strip guard.back in

ray.

supplier:

MARK HUDMAN EMS

MOBILE 07595 036601

WORK 0116 270 6891

EMAIL

WORK [email protected] ;