The Home Machinist!

I finally took to installing the X-axis to my mill, but came up right off the bat with a dilemma. It appears that I will lose almost 1-1/4" travel on the Y-axis by mounting the X-axis scale and encoder at the rear of the table. My Y-axis only has 5-3/4" travel and 1-1/4" is too much to lose. That means my only other option is to mount it on the front of the table. I took some measurements and find I can mount the X scale 1-3/8" out from the front of the saddle. It will require some tricky gymnastics to mount the scale and encoder there and avoid interfering with the table locks and stops. I don't like it, but I think it is doable. I will make a strong shield to cover the scale to keep it from damage. I looked at the Y-axis installation and it looks like not much of a problem, but I will have to make a special bracket to mount the encoder to.

I have glass scales on my lathe, and magnetic scales on my milling machine.
They both seem to perform identically, as far as resolution and repeatability.
I prefer the much more compact nature of the magnetic scales. Easier to clean if necessary, too.
~RN

I have come up with a way to mount the X-axis scale and encoder on the front of the table since there is not enough room to mount it on the back of the table. I hope you can understand the sketches. The angle will run the full length of the table and will protect the scale and encoder. The encoder bracket that is supplied with the kit will be modified to suit and an extension piece will be made to mount the encoder bracket to. The angle is 1-3/8" out from the table in order to allow access to the table locks and stops. If you can see a better way of doing it, please let me know .

Here are two more sketches.

Interesting idea.
There is a possibility you will lose some resolution/repeatability due to the extended mounting.
It provides opportunities for flexibility, especially if hit.
~RN

NP317 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 16, 2018 1:10 pm Interesting idea.
There is a possibility you will lose some resolution/repeatability due to the extended mounting.
It provides opportunities for flexibility, especially if hit.
~RN

I have no other choice as the table stops 1/4" from the column. If I place the scale/encoder there, I will lose 1-1/4" which is a lot, as I only have 5-3/4" Y travel. I have been looking at various DRO installation videos on you tube and I saw a few that were mounted on the front of the table. Pray, tell me how would I lose resolution/repeatability? I think my proposed setup will be quite rigid. The way I have it designed, I maintain access to the table locks (very important) and the table stops. I can also access the oil fittings. I just have to be careful not to bump into it. I could change the angle to steel instead of aluminum. That would add more rigidity. Only problem with that is steel angles are hot rolled and not perfectly straight. I can also up the aluminum angle to 3/8" thick, but would have to trim the legs down a few inches in width.

For your smaller mill, that sounds like a good solution.
Go for it!
~RN

NP317 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 17, 2018 9:33 am For your smaller mill, that sounds like a good solution.
Go for it!
~RN

Thank you for your endorsement. I've ordered some 2x2x1/4 aluminum angle. That should be rigid enough (27.250 lg) to keep the scale from flexing and protect it from damage. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

I've begun fabrication of the components needed to attach my DRO to my mill. It is oppressively hot right now in south Mississippi (95°), so my time in the shop is very limited, but I am making progress. My wife is in the hospital and visiting takes me away from shop time. I will be taking her home tomorrow. In my spare time, I'm double checking my plans for any errors and updating as I go. All my sketches and drawings are done on Autocad©. I would be lost without it. Later

Best wishes to your wife.
Hospitals are places to be avoided.
~RN

NP317 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 20, 2018 7:20 pm Best wishes to your wife.
Hospitals are places to be avoided.
~RN

Thank you for your thoughtfulness.

Ron thanks for replying,I see where you live now and I can kinda relate.Its right at 100 here today,but this is normal for late July.Like you due to my age I also take my time cause I'm just tired for learning from all my mistakes.Right now I have two projects going on,1st is a lathe and the other is a mill which is what I want to put a DRO on.Which I have it taken apart and just doing a cleaning and repairs as I go.I was just collecting information about which one's and ones to stay away from.I won't get serious till fall or winter if there is a winter.Who knows maybe both of us will have early fall