How many axes on a lathe DRO?

[gary.a.ayres]

I guess the size of the machine is quite a factor. A DRO on the topslide might be easy enough on a big lathe but a nightmare of fiddliness on a small one.

Would be good to have a lathe with a DRO though. I once saw an immaculate Myford Super 7 at a model engineering exhibition in England with one on it- probably just the two main axes if I recall. The lathe had a pristine paint job in an unusual pale beige colour and it all added up to an unattainable little object of desire that has had me wanting to DRO-ify a lathe ever since.

The nearest I have got to it is that I have a Myford ML10 which had X and Y axis scales on it when I bought it. It should be just a matter of getting a display and hooking it up. The ML10 is in excellent condition. Or I should say 'was', as it was right under the part of the roof of my workshop in France that blew off. I haven't yet been over, and it remains to be seen what kind of state the ML10 is in now or if the DRO scales will even work.

Anyway, I guess that's just a very round-about way of saying Yes! to DRO's on lathes, and I'll be following this thread with interest...

[propforward]

In looking at my compound slide, I think I can get a magnetic type scale on it OK, but I suspect the trailing cable will be a pain in the proverbial when I make angle adjustments. So most likely when I do this I'll just go the fairly standard 2 scale approach, and add an independent one for the tail stock. It looks to me now that the quite substantial extra expense for adding the compound slide DRO doesn't get you very much extra functionality.

I do appreciate the comments and input. Good food for thought.