Lathe suggestions?

[routercnc]

Finally finished both DROs at last!

Z axis
Here is the spacer plate between the drop down bracket and the read head. This needs to be reasonably accurate in thickness to put the read head in about the right place on the scale:


Checking to see if it would work - also to see if the numbers went the right way (positive to the right). It wasn't obvious which way round the read head should go and there was no mention of anything in the instructions for the scales:



Bump-stop to bump-stop is a bit less than the quoted travel (450 mm) unless you angled the top slide round and included that as well(~70mm), otherwise all good.

I'll stop briefly here to point out that initially I was uncertain about fitting DROs given that it is likely to go CNC in the future. However I'm glad I did because the handwheel graduations on Z are not something logical like 10 lines of 0.1mm (giving 1mm per big number). No, they are 10 lines of 0.25mm, which means each big number is 2.5mm. I guess they are trying to get a metric-ish imperial system. The X axis cross-slide had a different number but was also not 0.1mm per line. Can safely ignore all that.

Back to the Z axis DRO. I added a 60mm x 60mm x 3mm aluminium angle bracket to run the energy chain in. This bolted to the holes used to fix an optional mill head attachment.





Note that I had to cut the energy chain open to lay the cables in as it was not the type with slots in. I couldn't feed the cable through as the connectors on the end were too big.

I think the angle bracket shelf will attract swarf etc. so thinking about a plastic curtain arrangement of some kind hanging off the top of the saddle. Not decided yet.

X axis
I wasn't happy with the original 100mm scale so swapped it for the 150mm model. This hangs out the back a bit so needed a bracket making:






Seemed to have made a Minion!



Here it is fitted:


The other end was just a simple round spacer tube.

Dialling it in:

In this shot you can also see I swapped out the cross slide locking bolt from a cap head to a hex head, otherwise I wouldn't be able to use it. May swap the gib bolts in the future too.

Last bit to do was fit the splash cover. After looking at lots of options I decided to go for a bracket off the back of the scale. Here roughing a pair out of a bit of box section:


Done:






I'll leave fitting the display readout until the lathe is set up on the bench - hope to do that this weekend.

[cropwell]

It is interesting to see how you have done this, as I have the Sino DRO as a factory fitted option to my Amadeal 290-VFF.


I notice that the bracket on the cross slide will limit the tailstock. On my machine the read head is fitted into the recess of the saddle. This means that the tailstock can get closer to the chuck (only about 10mm further away than without the DRO). I seem to do a lot of centre drilling of short pieces, and I prefer to do it with as little stick out of the quill as possible.


Here are a few pictures to show you what I mean.





You may note that the cap-head screw that stops the tailstock smashing the DRO scale is bent and needs replacing. Also the gib screws are not accessible with a hex key and the cross slide lock can't be used. If I need to adjust the gib or lock the cross slide the easy answer would be to replace these with hex head screws, then you could just pop a spanner on them.


I think the spacers that the factory fitted are a bit naff and would look better as a single piece. I may make something better if I ever dismantle the DRO fitting. The other thing I would do is tidy up the cable routing and use P clips rather than cable ties.

As a last note - the red things are plugs in the T slots to stop coolant pissing over the apron and onto the floor and/or me. They are only red 'cos that's the colour ink I had in the 3D printer.



Cheers,


Rob

[routercnc]

Hi Rob,

Cheers for that. Yes, I looked at different ways to mount the cross slide read head because I didn't want to lose tail-stock travel, plus was worried about it smashing into the DRO. I tried to fit it as yours is to get more travel but it wouldn't fit. I can't remember if it hit the gib lock screws, or it didn't allow enough cross-slide travel. Maybe I'll look again in the future now I have the extra 150mm version.

I also looked at adding a hard bump stop strip behind the DRO (to do the same job as your 'bent' screw) but it was all getting complicated. At the moment it will hit the plate that the read head sits on, which will probably put it out of alignment if it is hit hard enough.

Some lathes have the gib screws on the head stock side, which would make this installation much more compact/safe.

I'm thinking of leaving it for now, getting it set up and levelled, then having another go in the future once I've tried it all and looked at what tailstock travel I have / need . . . watch it be like this for years!

[routercnc]

Lathe is bolted to bench, cleaned, ways oiled, QCTP fitted etc. and I've made my first part!


Made an adapter to connect DTI to adjustable holder:


Question on DROs - my X axis reads in radius which is less convenient as I always think of round parts in diameters.



The instructions that come with it suggest it can switch between R and D by pressing X and then 1/2 button. A symbol should appear in the display |`/. However, symbol does not appear and it remains in radius mode and just halves the readout value.

The instructions also say "When the DRO is set as a lathe meter . . ." - not sure how to do this. Is this the problem? It also says applies to D60-2L and D60-3L models. Pretty sure mine has an M at the end not L (it only briefly appears on the screen on startup, and the rest of the display is branded as Warco, no model number).

I'm hoping this function is possible - I'd be disappointed if Warco supplied this 2 line read out display (which can only be for lathes can't it?) and it does not have this function.

Any one help with this? I'll give Warco a call this week.


Second question is about the QCTP. I've adjust the tool to the centre height of the work but every time the cam is operated the thumb wheel can easily turn, altering the height. Should it come with a locknut under the thumb wheel or I am using it wrong?

[Journeyman]

Deleted question already answered.

[routercnc]

Well I've had this lathe for just over a year and couldn't be happier with it. DROs have been faultless and were well worth fitting.

Only thing bothering me on the lathe is that the carriage has a very slow oil leak. After a year of ownership it stopped dripping about 2 months ago, and the oil sight glass showed it was empty. I bought some more oil at a recent show and have finally got around to trying to fix it.

First problem was that access to the oil plug was quite tight - not enough space for a hex key. Thought about grinding one down, then decided to make a tool. I had a round aluminium bar with a hex shape on it (from another job) and machined a small hex on the top:



Then held the larger end with an adjustable spanner:


And into the oil grub screw:


Last bit of oil came out . . . .


Along with some free grit presumably from the casting . . .


Cleaned it up, put around 5 rounds of PTFE tape on and tightened it up.


Filled up with fresh oil and . . . . .
. . . it still drips (slowly)!

I might not get on this again until next week end but anyone else had this problem? More PTFE or am I missing something?

[Neale]

I would normally expect to see a head with a machined seating which bears on a matching machined flat on the bottom of the carriage, plus fibre washer. Clearly here they seem to expect the threads to seal. If PTFE does not do the job, then it might be worth trying Loctite 55. I've had a lot of success with that on household plumbing - typically the screwed fittings that go into the bottom of radiators that also rely on the threads sealing. I've had first-time success with every one of those, where using PTFE has been less reliable. Might be my technique, but I'm sold on the stuff. Can't see that it says anywhere that it's good for oil - just potable water and LPG - but I would probably give it a go.

Out of curiosity, what oil are you using?