Author Topic: Adding a DRO to my mill  (Read 9258 times)

Online sco

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Adding a DRO to my mill
« on: September 13, 2014, 02:39:44 PM »
Having dodged a domestic crisis this week by managing to repair the 14 year old washing machine for the umpteenth time by simply replacing the motor brushes at a total cost of £3.50 I decided to quickly spend the money saved on a DRO for my mill ;-)

I decided to go with magnetic scales due to their compactness and a graphical type readout for it's easy of use, pictures show manufacture of the mounting bracket for the x-axis and the installation so far.

Simon.
Ars longa, vita brevis.

Online Jo

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2014, 03:41:01 PM »
Having dodged a domestic crisis this week by managing to repair the 14 year old washing machine for the umpteenth time by simply replacing the motor brushes at a total cost of £3.50

I will keep my fingers crossed that it doesn't go again in a time frame that anyone might remember what you spent the money on  :LittleDevil:

Sexy has been trying to talk me into buying him a DRO and as he is an  :old: imperialist I have been tempted but most cheap DRO's don't go as accurate as he does so I have been avoiding it and using large diameter dial gauges.

Who did you buy it from and if we can ask  :-X what did it cost.

Jo
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Online sco

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2014, 04:06:16 PM »
It was a toss up between Colin at CBR and Machine DRO who were both very helpful - Colin couldn't supply the magnetic scales (and didn't recommend them) and was also more expensive for the display so Machine DRO got my order.

Cough £700 cough, so yes the all the boring domestic appliances need to keep going for a good while yet.  My only excuse was I was egged on by Chris (modelsteam) and Jim (ImIndoors)  :mischief:

Simon.
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Online Jo

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2014, 04:45:00 PM »
 :o You can get two for that price. Eric has expensive magnetics on all of his and wouldn't recommend glass scales  :noidea:

I wait to hear how good it is.

Jo
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Online sco

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2014, 05:16:19 PM »
Maybe - I know the graphical displays are more expensive than the LCD's and the mag scales are more expensive than the glass - don't think twice though.

Perhaps Colin is prepared to cut you a better deal than he was me!

Simon.
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Offline vcutajar

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2014, 05:20:52 PM »
Simon, I am sure you won't regret using linear magnetic encoders.  I have three on my mill and they are a godsend if you do not want to loose axis travel.  I got them also from M-DRO.  One of the heads was faulty but was quickly replaced.

One thing I did which I do not know if it will make a difference was to replace all the fixing hardware they sent with non-magnetic stainless hardware.

Vince

Online Jo

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2014, 05:21:40 PM »
Yes the graphical displays are a lot more expensive, Colin and I had a good chat about them. The major advantage being that you can work with the item on a slant and it does the co-ordinate corrections taking into account the slant angle.

I could have done with that today but I got away with drawing it up in Alibre and rotating it to the required angle then reading off the co-ordinates  ;).

Jo
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Arbalest

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2014, 06:07:13 PM »
Looking forward to seeing your install progress Simon. Very wise to fit Magnetic scales I reckon given some of the gripes I've read about the glass ones. Should be fit and forget.   ;)

Online sco

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2014, 09:16:17 PM »
Here's the display mounted to the wall.  One thing I forgot to ask Machine DRO was how careful you need to be with mag bases around mag scales?

Simon.
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Online sco

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #9 on: September 14, 2014, 10:56:00 AM »
Y-axis install now done, just Z to do and Z is looking tricky if want to have a cover to shield the scale from swarf - which I do.
« Last Edit: September 14, 2014, 07:00:34 PM by sco »
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Offline Mosey

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #10 on: September 14, 2014, 01:18:16 PM »
I take it that you drilled and tapped into the table and machine base to mount these?
Mosey

Arbalest

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #11 on: September 14, 2014, 02:37:03 PM »
That's a very neat installation Simon.  :ThumbsUp:

Online sco

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #12 on: September 14, 2014, 03:11:37 PM »
 The mill did come pre drilled and tapped but most of the holes have been in the wrong place.

Z is proving a bit more of a challenge....

Simon.
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Online sco

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #13 on: September 14, 2014, 07:04:03 PM »
Used some angle to mount the Z-axis scale so that it faces the operator - might seem to make more sense to mount it directly on the side of the column but that will make fitting the shield much more tricky.

Still need to stick the magnetic strips on and align the reader heads and fabricate the shields...

Simon.
Ars longa, vita brevis.

Offline Jim Nic

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Re: Adding a DRO to my mill
« Reply #14 on: September 14, 2014, 08:51:48 PM »
Looking very neatly done Simon. 
Just one query in my mind, as I see it you have the Z axis read out measuring the position of the head but do you have any indication of the position of the quill?
Jim
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