Mill DRO – How many axis?

[HillclimberParticipant @hillclimber]

Or, thinking about it, could you reuse the magnetic strip of the original readout, combining it with an appropriate decoder?

[Roy GardenParticipant @roygarden83469]

You may be able to retain the original strip, but my understanding is that the strip and the display are calibrated to each other (I absolutely don't _know_ that, but it's an assumption I was working on)

Was easy enough to put the new strip on and have the right gap.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You might be able to simply stick the new magnetic tape onto the existing strip but not hard to make up a new one from flat bar or sheet and stick it to that.

[OxymoronParticipant @oxymoron]

Colin, still using the mill and can't imagine using it without the 'remote' DRO. Much more readable than the small readout the Quill came with.

Just checked and looks like I used aluminium bar and made a new base for magnetic strip that came with the reader head. Then added the clamp used for attaching to quill from old magnetic strip. But remember I only did this so I could use the old DRO and scale on something else. But it's still in a drawer!!

Dave

Edited By Oxymoron on 25/05/2023 17:15:54

[HillclimberParticipant @hillclimber]

Thanks to all for comments and suggestions. I overcame my shyness yesterday and took it apart to see for myself. It looks easy, now.

There are three elements to the original system. The moving channel, with magnetic strip A milled aluminium base, normally concealed behind the gauge. And the plastic box housing the encoder and gauge display.

The solution looks like, swap out the magnetic strip on the existing channel for an M-DRO item. Retain the aluminium base, as it is machined to contain the channel anyway. And simply replace the electronics case with an aluminium block, providing location and fixing for the encoder, and held by the same six small screws holding the plastic case at present. Simples.

Which also leaves the potential, if I need it, to add a z-axis encoder, connected by a summing adaptor. And is reversible too.

Wish me luck, I'll be calling the Allendale chaps next week. And, again, many thanks for those insights.

Cheers, Colin

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