Questions about new DRO

Discussion on all milling machines vertical & horizontal, including but not limited to Bridgeports, Hardinge, South Bend, Clausing, Van Norman, including imports.

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Mr Ron
Posts: 2126
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2009 12:36 pm
Location: Vancleave, Mississippi

Re: Questions about new DRO

Post by Mr Ron »

I finally got my X-axis installed on my mill. I had to modify supplied brackets and make new ones. I hooked it up temporarily with the display and it works as it should. Tomorrow I will begin installing the Y-axis which should go more smoothly now that I have the experience under my belt. The most time consuming thing was finding the right Imperial fasteners to substitute for the Metric ones supplied. If I had stayed with metric, I would have to buy metric drills and taps. So far, I find the DRO kit to be first class in every way. The installation on my mill is unique in that I don't have enough room at the rear of the table to mount the DRO, so I had to engineer a way to mount it on the front of the table and maintain the stops and locks also located there. When I am finished, I will take pictures and post them here. While installing the DRO, I got to appreciate the quality of the mill itself. It was made under the name "Select" and made in 1987 in Taiwan. All the ways are hand scrapped and bearings are either SKF,FAG or NSK.
Mr.Ron from South Mississippi
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Davo J
Posts: 361
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 9:15 am
Location: Australia

Re: Questions about new DRO

Post by Davo J »

pete wrote: Sun Jul 08, 2018 2:38 pm Fwiw some years ago I saw one of the best and well thought out DRO installations on one of the machinist forums for a Bridgeport type mill but can't recall where it was. The poster did mount his X axis on the front of the table, managed to keep the table locks and power feed adjustable limit stops. He also used at least 2" x 2" heavy steel angle iron as protection above the X axis scale since mounted on the front I think it's quite vulnerable to heavy items such as mill vises, rotary tables or large heavy parts being dropped on it.

Even better ROBRENZE on Youtube is an extremely talented, more than clever and over the top professional machinist who mounted his X axis scale and reader head under and inside his mills hollow table casting. A lot more work to do it that way of course, but it doesn't lose any Y axis travel or complicate maintaining those table locks and power feed stops. Plus the scale stays cleaner and would be really well protected. It's the first time I've ever seen any X axis scale mounted that way. I'm 2-6 months away from investigating if it's possible to do the same on my mill. I expect to pull the table at least a few times while getting the scale and reader head mounted and properly aligned if it is possible to do it, but think it would be well worth the extra work.
I haven't been around for a long time, but was just reading this.
I thought I'd share the link of mine in case it helps someone out
http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... hp?t=84767
pete
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: Questions about new DRO

Post by pete »

:-) And that's the exact one I was thinking of Dave. You did a top quality and well thought out job on that. At least my memory wasn't faulty about it being one of the best I've ever seen.
Mr Ron
Posts: 2126
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2009 12:36 pm
Location: Vancleave, Mississippi

Re: Questions about new DRO

Post by Mr Ron »

I finished installing my DRO as shown on previous sketches in this thread. Everything turned out as expected and is working just as it should. The installation is very sturdy with no sign of flexing. I am very pleased with it. I didn't lose the use of the table locks or limit stops. Now it's time to get down to work and make things. I want to post pictures, but my camera is not cooperating.
Mr.Ron from South Mississippi
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