Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
As you are aware the most frustrating thing about round head mill drill's is losing the centre when raising or lowering the head, fitted a laser to the head and reflective tape marker 12 feet away on the concrete wall, would like more distance but unfortunately that is the width of my workshop.
I can get 2 thou repeatability which makes it a lot easier to do the final centring with DTI.
I can get 2 thou repeatability which makes it a lot easier to do the final centring with DTI.
Re: Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
Looks good to me. I guess it is mounted rigid.
Re: Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
Hi Spro, Mill sits on a solid steel stand bolted to 4" reinforced concrete floor, the wall is 5" concrete hollow blocks, voids filled with cement.
Re: Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
put a mirror on the wall and reflect the laser back to the mill
Standards are so important that everyone must have their own...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
- Bill Shields
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Re: Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
or maybe a corner cube reflector
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Re: Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
The returning beam from a corner reflector will be parallel to the outgoing beam. A flat mirror will effectively double the distance to the target as well as putting the spot right there on the mill.
- Bill Shields
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Re: Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
is what i thought...if returning beam is coaxial with originating beam then you know where you are.
if returning beam is not coaxial with originating beam, then head is tilted..and you know where you are not...
or am I missing something?
if returning beam is not coaxial with originating beam, then head is tilted..and you know where you are not...
or am I missing something?
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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Re: Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
Bill writes:
> if returning beam is not coaxial with originating beam, then head is tilted..and you know where you are not...
Sure, but the displacement of the spot when tilted will be the same as what you would see with no mirror. It is also right on top of the laser. With a flat mirror the displacement is double because the lever arm is effectively doubled and by adjusting the laser and/or mirror and/or target you can direct the spot to a conveniently located target with a scale on it. This doubles your resolution.
> if returning beam is not coaxial with originating beam, then head is tilted..and you know where you are not...
Sure, but the displacement of the spot when tilted will be the same as what you would see with no mirror. It is also right on top of the laser. With a flat mirror the displacement is double because the lever arm is effectively doubled and by adjusting the laser and/or mirror and/or target you can direct the spot to a conveniently located target with a scale on it. This doubles your resolution.
- Bill Shields
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Re: Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
that is absolutely true..only....
I am not sure how you are sure that the mirror is truly normal to the desired position?
I am not sure how you are sure that the mirror is truly normal to the desired position?
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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Re: Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
>I am not sure how you are sure that the mirror is truly normal to the desired position?
It doesn't need to be. It just has be rigidly mounted. You center the head by other means and then make adjustments to put the spot on your zero mark.
It doesn't need to be. It just has be rigidly mounted. You center the head by other means and then make adjustments to put the spot on your zero mark.
- Bill Shields
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Re: Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
ah...ok.....makes sense
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Re: Laser Align Round Head Mill Drill.
Some interesting comments guys, my column is not perfectly vertical.
Using an extension rod mounted in the chuck and a finger type DTI and a small holed bushing clamped to the table and zeroed it in.
Marked the laser spot on the wall and locked the X and Y on the table.
Lowered the head to lowest position and moved the head on the column to get zero, had to gently bump it to achieve zero.
Marked the laser point on the wall and drew a line between the two marks which I think exactly replicates the column position.
Using an extension rod mounted in the chuck and a finger type DTI and a small holed bushing clamped to the table and zeroed it in.
Marked the laser spot on the wall and locked the X and Y on the table.
Lowered the head to lowest position and moved the head on the column to get zero, had to gently bump it to achieve zero.
Marked the laser point on the wall and drew a line between the two marks which I think exactly replicates the column position.