Two or three axis DRO

[Clay JonesParticipant @clayjones22389]

Hi all

Apologies if this has been answered before but I’m awaiting the new Mill from Warco and I’ve been told that my DRO is on back order. My question is that I was advised the 2 axis will be fine due to a readout on the quill. Just watching a video from Ades workshop and he has fitted a three axis to his mill. Still time to change my order at this stage if I have made a mistake and would be keen to hear the benefits or not as the case may be.

Many thanks

clay

[Clay JonesParticipant @clayjones22389]

[Anonymous]

I've got a 2-axis DRO on my Bridgeport, but nothing on the knee or quill. I find 2-axis fine; I've never missed a 3rd DRO axis.

Andrew

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

The mill probably comes with a dro on the quill, in which case a 2-axis dro is all that's needed. But it's convenient to have all three displays in the same place if money is no object. Being a cheapskate I've not bothered!

Dave

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

On the Tom Senior which has a movable knee i have the 3 axis.

Would not be without it. I think its a case of if you only have 2 then you make do with it. Today i have been milling mild steel & was moving the knee up in 0.5mm increments. If i was fitting a new setup it would be a definate.

However as said above if your knee is fixed then. It wouldn't matter as much. Especially if there is one on the Quill as standard.

Steve.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I suppose a lot depends on how much the height of what you are working on varies and whether you might need to raise the head yo change tooling. Also whether you want the loss of rigidity as the quill is extended. There are also a few functions on a DRO that won't work with just two axis but they are unlikely to be used that much.

Myself I started with a 3-axis display and just scales on X&Y but soon added the Z scale and would not want to go back.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

I’ve have 4 dro readouts on one of my mills. The normal 3 axis (in one unit) is probably better (cheaper/ axis) than a separate third one, as a later add-on.

4 on mine because it has a quill and knee. I usually use the knee, not the quill, if possible (apart from multiple drillings to depth). The quill readout is a stand-alone reader, so separate to the main unit.

All that said, nearly all the ‘extras’ from a comprehensive dro are for the horizontal plane – bolt circles etc. I most certainly don’t use my dro to its full capacity – by a huge amount. Some may know if they use the z axis for any complex cutting, but I don’t.

The other mill has a cheaper 3 axis readout (It does not have a quill). Not as precise as the other unit but does all I really need most of the time (the readings can ’wander’ by 0.02mm on occasions).

I have a Warco 2 axis readout on my lathe. This one (single axis one shown?):

**LINK**

Perfectly adequate for my use and very stable readings, but only to two decimal places (and less absolute accuracy, of course). I prefer the full readout, with all the bells and whistles, for the mill.

Your choice. £20 quid extra for that third axis on the readout is likely cheaper than adding a third later (all asuming the new stock is the same price🙂 ).

I believe there are now some readouts that can combine two different scales on the same axis (quill + knee on a mill or long travel + tailstock for a lathe) – but not from Warco.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

You can certainly get away with only two, but I'd go for all three if I had my time over again.

I bought my Warco WM18 with a 2 axis (saving about £180 over the 3-axis) but I felt the need for a Z axis DRO at a later date, for most of the reasons mentioned by Jason.

This meant I faced a choice between buying an additional glass scale and a new display [rendering the 2-axis display redundant] at a cost of nearly £300 or just buying a standalone DRO with remote display for around £50.

I chose the latter, but the labour involved in upending the garage to fit the Z axis scale meant I really should have just gone for the 3 axis originally.

There is, however, one slight advantage in choosing the type of DRO I've got on my Z axis: it holds an absolute reading even when powered off, unlike the DRO supplied with the mill.This can be an advantage if you move the head when everything is powered off but want to get back to a previous position infallibly.

Edited By Bill Phinn on 25/02/2021 20:33:34

[Roger BestParticipant @rogerbest89007]

I bought the 3-axis DRO for mine, anticipating that I would fit a Z at some time.

The quill is a short throw device and if you ever move the head in the middle of a set-up you have lost the accuracy, especially if you are an amateur who does not own fag papers.

I see that they can also do rotary encoders, so I may be able to get my turntable fixed up on the DRO. That would be a project and a half.

[Clay JonesParticipant @clayjones22389]

Super helpful many thanks all, think I’ll future proof and get a three just in case.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Like Jason I started with a 3 axis display but only x & y scales. then when a bit more money became available I bought the Z scale. Wouldn't go back, but you haven't told us which model mill you are buying. If it is a round column one then the picture changes.

[Stuart BridgerParticipant @stuartbridger82290]

I started with a 2 axis console and X and Y scales on my Warco VMC. I did miss the ability to set depth. When the console failed I replaced it with a 3 axis unit. Eventually i fitted the z scale on the knee. This made a lot of difference. Ideally I I would like to put a scale on the quill with a summing unit to complete the setup.

[Clay JonesParticipant @clayjones22389]

Hi Duncan, it’s a WM16B

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

I also started with a 3 axis display on the mill but only scales on the X and Y, but soon added the Z when the opportuntity arose, and wouldn't be without it.

I believe at one time Warco said one couldn't fit a scale on their round column mills, but I managed to fit one on mine – where there's a will there's a way!!

CHris

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Well I'd go for 3 axes, then if you move the head up and down you have readout of that as well

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

+1 for Duncans advice to go for three axes on the x-y-z slide ways to use in conjunction with the separate quiil readout.

That's what I have on my Bridgeport. 3 glass scales on X-y-z and a BW Electronics pull wire sensor on the quiil. It's great.

Do verify that the DRO box stores its last position on power down and that it has a decent supply of offset memory positions. Mine stores up to 99 which is a bit excessive but creative use of the positon storage can save a lot of head scratching and potential errors during set up and machining. My no 1 memory is permanently set to zero at the mid traverse positions. I'd have saved a metric boatload of effort over the 15 or so years I've had my Sino DRO box if I'd made a serious effort to explore the ways in which the position storage could be used to make life easier.

Clive

Edited By Clive Foster on 25/02/2021 22:45:32

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Mine is supposed to have something like the feature that Clive refers to, but I can't understand the Chinglish instructions, so I finish up writing positions down on a sketch

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I would say that you will never regret getting it but you may regret not getting it

[herbert punterParticipant @herbertpunter99795]

I have fitted three axis glass scale dros to my Warco WM18,

Thw Z axis is a bit trickier than the other two and I’m not sure that Warco offer that option on this mill

I didn’t like the quill dro that was factory fitted, I’m sure many people get on alright with it so maybe it’s me.

Bert

[Paul MParticipant @paulm98238]

Had a Warco WM16 mll for a while with X and Y DRO fitted. Never really found any problems with Z axis settings as there is a basic quill DRO factory fitted. I assume any DRO fitted will not be on the fine feed of the mill if it is a WM14/16 etc. I have rigged up a DTI a few times where I needed to ensure accuracy but found the quill DRO was as good. I suppose the answer is – if you can afford it you may as well have the extra DRO on the Z axis. It is probably fitted to the headstock so settings will be from the Z axis hand wheel and not the fine feed on the quill.

Maybe Herbert can answer how he gets on with the Z axis DRO.

[Gary WoodingParticipant @garywooding25363]

My Centec has a knee and a VH with a quill. When I decided to fit a DRO I initially opted on a 2-axis system 'cos the 3-axis was too expensive. Friends at the ME club were adamant that I should pay the extra for the 3rd axis. They were right. The Z-axis on the knee gets used much more than I expected – certainly not as much as X and Y, but a great deal nonetheless. I've also fitted a stand-alone DRO on the quill, which I use when drilling or tapping to a depth.

[William ChithamParticipant @williamchitham75949]

From my limited experience with a Chester 626 definitely 3 axis with 4 scales – X,Y and quill and table combined through a summing interface for Z.

William.

[Stuart Smith 5Participant @stuartsmith5]

I initially fitted 2 fairly cheap individual DROs from Arceurotrade to the x and y axes on my WM16. **LINK**

I found that the display on the quill DRO fitted as standard to the WM16 a bit small, so I bought another , made an interface box with an Arduino and Bluetooth module and use the TouchDRO app on a cheap Android tablet as the display. https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/albums/member_photo.asp?a=50081&p=859167

I would suggest you at least buy the 3 axis display even if you only start with 2 encoders. Then you can upgrade to the 3rd axis if you find the standard quill DRO difficult to read.

Stuart
 

Edited By Stuart Smith 5 on 26/02/2021 14:18:04

[Phil H1Participant @philh196021]

I have a Chester 16V and I was not really convinced about DROs. Anyway, in a moment of madness, I bought a M-DRO magnetic kit for X, Y & Z axes and it is impressive – I've seen the light, I'm converted.

I also have a cheap DRO available (not sure where I bought it) and I will be fitting it to the quill.

Phil H

[Clay JonesParticipant @clayjones22389]

Many thanks again for all your comments. After reading them I’ve just contacted Steve at Warco and changed the order for a 3 axis and scale.

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