DRO fitted

[Dell]

Hi all
just finished adding a 3 axis DRO to your mill although I added the Z DRO to the quill as I think for what I do it will be more useful, I used magnetic scales because they take up less room than optical, I never drilled or tapped any holes either.

The next job is to motorise the Z axis because the dial is on the top at the back and not very easy to get at.

 

[not done it yet]

My x axis dro’s are on the front of the bed. The y axis travel is often troublesome if working with a vise.

You will enjoy the precision, compared to taking feed screw backlash into account. All the extra features of a full dro like that are good, too. I don’t use many of the extras on mine, but they are there if/when I do need them.

 

[Dell]

I now have to learn the DRO and the mill both newish to me but as they say you are never to old to learn, but when you get to my age ( no king on the door of 70 ) it just takes longer to sink in.

 

[DSR]

Have you seen blondihacks on youtube - she does a good intro to the ubiquitous far eastern DRO and the features of them.

 

[Newlands]

One of my better decisions was to fit a dro on my Centec mill - it makes even simple jobs much simpler. You won’t know how you managed without!

 

[not done it yet]

My Centec came with full dro (plus a quill read-out) but I’ve fitted a cheaper 2DP set on my Raglan (accuracy is good enough for my work). I now use the full dro to calculate the co-ordinates for my smaller machine if I need anything more than basic x, y and z values.

 

[Dell]

I mainly got it because I restore antique and vintage clocks as a hobby and there is only so much that I can make with a watchmakers lathe, I have ordered a rotary table with indexing plates so hopefully I can make replacement clock wheels and pinions. ( note the word hopefully)
As I said in first post I am fairly new to milling so I think I have a very steep learning curve but first things first , making plate work to mount motor on back to motorise Z axis.

 

[RichardM]

I love my DRO, so much so that I could not bear to part with it when I sold my little Chinese mill. It is currently boxed up and sitting in the spare room waiting for me to get off this keyboard, make and enclosure to finish the electrics on the Centec, and fit it to that.
Wouldn't be without one now, even thinking of fitting one to the lathe.

 

[not done it yet]

I don’t use the one on my lathe as much as those on the mills. I’ve yet to fit the long travel scale.

Ive just been provided with metric dials and feed screws for the cross and compound slides. They will complement my little mill, but the Centec is only operated by the DROs.

Are the scales from the ‘little’ chinese mill long enough for the Centec?

 

[RichardM]

"Are the scales from the ‘little’ chinese mill long enough for the Centec?"

Yes, it's a 2a. probably too long and I will have to cut them down.

 

[not done it yet]

Ahh, yes. 9”. Mine is 14” (although it is reduced a bit by the power feed).

Still a good mill. Even with mine, the riser block is needed on occasions.