machine-dro kits

[Pixel_PorpoiseParticipant @pixel_porpoise]

Has anyone installed a machine-dro "machine dedicated" kit?

I'm thinking about getting an SX2.7 and wondering if the DRO kit is worth the little bit extra over the individual parts, if it saves making brackets etc myself. But i've not found any experiences of them out in the wild.

[Pixel_PorpoiseParticipant @pixel_porpoise]

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

I purchased at kit at the Midland Exb around 2018 and installed it without any problem on my Myford S7.

H

[David AmbroseParticipant @davidambrose86182]

I fitted a 3-axis to my Warco WM14 last year – no problems, and plenty of spare screws etc. I’m really pleased I went for the 3-axis. The kit is for the Chester equivalent, and fitted the Warco perfectly.

[DrDaveParticipant @drdave]

Hi Pixel.

I fitted Machine-dro’s 2-axis dro kit to my SX2.7 recently. The installation was not too difficult and all the mounting hardware is included, so I didn’t have to make anything extra. The kit includes comprehensive instrctions, which help the installation tremendously.

I think that getting the kit is worth the extra, just to avoid the phaff of designing & making the brackets.

Regards

Dave

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

I had the 3 axis for my Chester 16V mill and other than a slight calibration setting, which they told me what to do over the phone it's great and no problems.

David

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

I bought the bits and installed them myself because at the time I valued the experience and like problem solving. The installation was part of the hobby, i.e. "fun". These days I want to get on with using my machines rather than improving them and my learning skills. So now I'm much more inclined to pay a little extra for tools and kits that save me time.

Boils down to time really; the advantage of a kit is someone else has sorted out the details so it's a fitting rather than a thinking job. How difficult "the details" are depends on the layout of the machine. An SX2.7 looks relatively straightforward, but the mounting might have to deal with sloping base sides, and require special support at the back. Not rocket science, especially for man with a milling machine to help with the metalwork, but could be fiddly annoying getting the measurements right. Extra annoying if the mill is wanted urgently for real work and scale fitting turns into a chore.

On my mill I made a compromise I really ought to fix. I used the mechanical stop slot to hold the right-left scale on the table's front, so now I can't use mechanical stops. Irritating because they're often the quickest way to control table movement accurately. I should have mounted the scale on the back and left the front clear. Chances are a kit will come with instructions that discourage such bodges!!!

Dave

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

Not really answering the OP's question but I fitted a 3-axis system to my Warco 16B about 6 months ago. This machine is broadly similar to the SX2.7. Glass scales and an LCD readout. I'd deliberated for some time, mainly over cost / benefit for a hobby machine but finally bought off Ebay. The items arrived after about 3 days and were fitted in about 3 afternoons work. The supplied bracketry was very basic and of little use but there's lots of helpful ideas on the web and I found the job satisfying, I'm (so far) very pleased. Total cost was about £280 so a substantial saving on the mainstream prices.

[Oven ManParticipant @ovenman]

I fitted an M-DRO 3 axis kit to a Champion 20V mill. Some of the brackets appeared to be custom made for that mill making it an easy job to fit. Would recommend getting a kit if one is available for your machine.

Peter

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I fitted a Machine-DRO 3-axis set to my Myford VM-C vertical mill.

It was not easy mechanically because the machine was not designed to take any sort of DRO so is all sorts of odd curves and tapers, but I managed to assemble some rather complicated bracketry that also protects the instrument from swarf. The kit came with assorted brackets etc. A large angle-box on the table helped in setting the brackets parallel etc.

I used the shallow T-slot that had held the long travel stops. Some aver you don't need these with a DRO but I prefer to augment things, not merely replace them for a rather thin reason; so I am pondering how to make replacement stops. (Use the DRO to set the stops, then work to them.)

Other than that the system was straightforward to connect – I used a plastic feeler-Gauge (cut from an expired association membership card, measured to ensure thickness) to set the gap between magnet and strip.

The electronics box is on arm to the side of the machine head, and a loose sheet of Cellophane protects it from dirt and oily fingers.

Using it is straighfowards, although I have yet to explore its finer details like pitch-circle setting and radius-cutting.

Having bought and fitted it, I have not regretted it one bit! I still use the handwheel dials sometimes – it depends on what I am doing – but it was quite a revelation to make parts whose screw-holes and edges actually line up without needing to spot through or file them oval.

One practice of mine: the set remembers its previous settings but at the end of a session on uncompleted work, I still take the table back to (0, 0) before switching everything off.

Also, I still operate the table to minimise back-lash, including using the "wobbler" against an actual or temporary back-face so the handle is always wound one way for that setting.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I've installed MDRO glass scales on my Myford 254 using some of the die cast brackets supplied, and 2 glass and one magnetic on my Centec mill. The magnetic are far easier, you can see the gap. I can't remember if I bought a kit for the Myford, but the brackets were dead handy.

[Pixel_PorpoiseParticipant @pixel_porpoise]

Hello all, thank you for the helpful and informative replies!

I'm definitely on the same page as DrDave & SillyOldDuffer, much rather get on with using the machine and pay for someone else to have done the figuring out.

A question for those with modern style benchtop mills, do you use the z axis readout or mostly use the quill readout?

I've only used knee type mills and my little Taig mill so using the spindle for cutting depth seems a bit odd!

As we all like pictures, here's my little Taig, which does pretty well! But cranking the head every time i want to drill a hole really makes me miss having a quill.

Thanks,
Pixel

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I use the Z on mine to put on a cut etc as the less quill extension the more rigid the setup will be,

If you do want to do it that way then think long term and get a 3-axis readout so you can always add a Z scale at some point. I expect M-DRO will do the 2 axis kit of parts and swap out the readout for a bit extra

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

I fitted a 3 axis one to my VMB 2 years back. Quite easy to fit and has transformed my use of the mill. The mill does have a quill but has fine downfeed anyway. I use the quill for drilling only unless depth is critical when I'll use the z feed.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Another vote for getting a kit.

Back when I fitted DRO systems to my machines such things weren't around. Getting the various parts properly lined up and fitted in decent places was something of a pain. Fortunately my design skills and improvised bracket creativity to hold things in place whilst marking out and drilling fixing holes were up to the job.

Not perfect but decently useable despite recognising there were things I'd do differently next time.

Which might or might not have worked out better overall.

I find a lot of the "It would be better if …." refinements to a useable system end up an exercise in turning the benches round to satisfy the new foreman. Fixing the bit you are unhappy with just ends up shifting the unhappiness to another place. Seems to be a pretty universal rule for everything that 80% is happy, 20% not so much. Or thereabouts. The art being to make sure the things you normally do fall into the 80% happy region.

With a kit you can be pretty sure that all the normal things are in the 80% happy region and that the "Oh Sh*****.." gotcha that so often gets overlooked until nearly finished has been safely avoided.

When it comes to mounting onto irregular casting shapes I found the best way was to mock up the scale position using suitable angle with a layer of car body filler underneath it to make a true surface to bolt to. The universal bits n'bobs sets that came with the DRO set in question hand suitable length of angle. Wrapping it in cling film before pushing into the filler meant I could get it off again. In practice the mounting I had to use filer on went faster and easier than the ones where I just went ahead and wiggled the rackets et al into position.

Probably 'cos I thought it all through first and mocked up the reader position on the angle too. Much more room to make up transfer brackets and guides on the bench instead of working direct off the machine.

Clive

Edited By Clive Foster on 14/04/2023 08:44:15

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I bought my DRO display and two glass scales from ArcEurotrade when they were selling them at a discount price, and I made my own brackets, which I didn't find that difficult, and I wanted to mount my X axis one on the front and still be able to use the stops.

There are more photos DRO's for the Major

Regards Nick.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Another use for the quill on the VMB. To take a controlled skim off a surface I wind the Z feed down so the cutter is a mm or so off the work, use the quill to bring down the tool so I can feel it just touch the surface, lock the quill and zero the Z DRO. Then raise the head with the feed, move the table to clear the cutter, bring down the cutter so the desired cut is indicated, and lock the slide before taking the cut. May not be "good practice" but works well. Doesn't really affect rigidity because the quill extension is minimal.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

For drilling I use the quill against its own stop, but having set that with the aid of the DRO's vertical scale. The setting ensures a reasonable space between work and drill when the quill is raised.

The quill on my milling-machine is extremely stiff and I have not discovered why, nor how to overhaul it safely (clock-type quill springs are not to be taken lightly). Even so, it is still a lot more sensitive than using the knee to feed against a drill.

So I bring the drill into contact with the knee and quill both lowered enough for the rest of the moves to give hole depth plus clearance above the work, lock the down-stop, raise the quill fully then raise the table the desired amount.

.

I use a similar approach with milling depths, but keep the clearance low for minimum quill protrusion.

For straightforward milling right through the material depth (slots or edges) I don't usually use the vertical display, just the hand-wheel dial or even, if appropriate, the approximate angle of the handle.

Though sometimes I don't use the DRO at all, just the dials: it depends on the complexity and desired accuracy of the work. I'd certainly use it for something like a gear-frame, a pitch-line of holes, or locomotive frame-plates with oodles of holes and cut-outs, though!

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