Installing a digital readout (DRO) on the X axis of a mini lathe
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- čas přidán 2. 07. 2024
- In this video, I show the details of how I have installed a digital readout (or DRO) on the X axis of my mini lathe.
If you want a complete 3D model of the lathe, the tool and the DRO installed, please visit my Grabcad page here: grabcad.com/library/mini-lath...
Thanks!
![$200 Mill DRO 3 axis Digital Readout from banggood [Unboxing Instalation Review]](/img/n.gif)
I've been researching into mini-lathe DRO's and just came across this video. I'm literally astonished by this and the SolidWorks CAD of the lathe. It's frankly amazing work and I appreciate you sharing the CAD model.
Wow! Nice job!
Hi Mat another useful video , could i suggest you se button head allen screws to fit the end plates , also replace the allen head bolts holding the controls handles with button head screws. its saves your knuckles
I might do that. thanks for the tip!
Great if you never use the tailstock. For the limited cross slide travel of these small lathes, a digital dial indicator setup would be easier and would not interfere with the tailstock or the chuck.
Hello Terry! Thanks for watching! Indeed, a dial indicator is a good alternative and pretty easy to integrate. However, as you mentionned these machines are very small. So small indeed that the chuck of the tailstock itself is longer than the whole DRO scale is wide. So in the majority of cases, even with the tailstock fully retracted, as soon as you set any sort of drillbit in the chuck, the length of the chuck and the drill bit forces the tailstock to stay relatively far away and allow for clearance. I do have to bring the crossslide relatively close to the chuck when using the tailstock. In this case, i simply remove que quick change toolpost and it is generally fine. I have not yet faced a case where I had contact with the scale for an operation. And in this eventuality, i can remove the scale with just a few screws. One of the reason to use these scales is also for their easy connectivity. I am currently working on integrating the use of TouchDRO, which can easily connect with these scales and allow for a good, wide display on a tablet. The small display of both the scales and any type of digital plunger is also an inconvenient. TouchDRO will resolve this. Thanks again for you comment! Have a nice day!
Wow, nicest DRI install I have seen for the mini-lathe. Is there anyway you would share the detailed drawings for the installation in pdf form?
Thanks Tony
Hi Tony! Already done. my 3d model is avalaible for download on grabcad under user name mat if you search for minilathe. My original model is here.: grabcad.com/library/mini-lathe-cx704-1
and somebody converted it to .stp here
grabcad.com/library/minilathe-2
@@matsworkshop566 Matt, Thank you for the reply. I had already found and downloaded the cad files. I did use the data as a good starting point but changed up the mounting brackets a bit. I also mounted the the cross slide scale toward the chuck side of the slide. I also modified a 4"digital caliper and designed a bracket allowing me to install it on the tail stock. it works great. thanks for sharing.photo are posted here.
facebook.com/search/top/?q=mini-lathe%20dro
It is quite easy to take that top slide off of the lathe.
Hello Mat, Thanks for the video! Inspired me to add this to my lathe. I did download all the files from GrabCAD but did not see the measured drawings of the mounting parts for the DRO. Did I miss something? I took your suggestion in another post and looked in the file "Mini Lathe Assy (CX704) - With DRO and ball turner" but did not see the drawings there.
Hi Kenny, and thanks for viewing. I hope i didn't misslead you. On GrabCad, I have shared my models for both the minilathe and the minimill, but I have the 3D models only. I have no 2D drawings with all dimensions. I did not do any of those, which would have taken an eternity :) But if you take measurements on the 3D model, you should be pretty good. However, I would suggest you to double check the dimensions before commiting to making parts. Holes positions and other features may very likely vary slightly for the different models and brand. Thanks!
Hi Mat, when parting off, cross slide can lift up in the near side of DRO scale for two reasons - either if there is an imperfection (or discontinuity or a metal shaving is caught between work and tool) in workpiece or if the cross slide gibs are not fully adjusted - in this case, the L angle kind of bracket fixed to the sensor element will be strained and twist against the ruler scale - either one or both may possibly get damaged - any suggestion how to handle this situation
Hi Raman! Yes, parting off on these minilathe can be a challenge, and i am not always successful. There is a fundamental lack of rigidity on these machines. You must adjust your crosslide gibs pretty tightly, to the point where its a bit annoying to spin the handle since you will have some resistance. you dont want to overtighten it either. you have to lock all other axis. i also saw people using a reverse gear setup where they cut with the tool upside down. this is not the safest way to do it for the machine, since you then pull up on your cutting tool instead of pushing down. The machine is not designed for that. however it can physically more stable. i did not try it yet, but i want to test it out later.
Nice video. Just a small problem: the counter stock is almost useless now. You cannot work with long bars properly...
Perhaps if you mount the Y axis on the other side, under the chuck diameter with a plate protection...
Yes. You are right. An it can be installed on the other side as well
Online..
On a lathe the Xaxis is carriage movemwnt from left to right and the Y movement is front to back. There is no Z axis on a lathe oy on a piller drill or a milling machine (for head height).....Dave
Perhaps you are right, but every single picture I find when I look for "lathe" and "axis" and all i cand find in writting proposes the conventional lathe has 2 axis, Z being the spining axis (negative toward the chuck, positive toward the tailstock) and the X axis is the axis of the cross slide (positive being towards the operator, as the diameter grows, negative being the opposite). I have never heard of anybody refering to the Y axis on a lathe. Even standard 2 axis lathe DROs are labeled X and Z. Y would actually be the milling head axis on these weird lathe+milling 3 axis combo machines. I am sorry, but i believe my letters are ok. Thanks for whatching though ;-)
Hello Mat, great work!, I have problems with my mini lathe, could share your desings DRO X and Z? Thank yuo so much!, I enjoy your videos!
Hello Andres, thanks for your comment. You can actually get a complete 3D model (Solidworks version) on GrabCAD at the following link: grabcad.com/library/mini-lathe-cx704-1.
The initial version had only the lathe model, but I have added another version for you. Look for the .ZIP file named "Mini Lathe Assy (CX704) - With DRO and ball turner". You should find what you need.
I couldn't convert the file to generic STEP format. I don't know why. You will have to get solidworks to open it, or ask to someone who can open it to try to convert it.
I hope this helps anyway. I will add the link to the video description.
Thanks again!
@@matsworkshop566 wow! Amazing work friend. Thank you!
Alhamdulillah education my brother.
Can you please add the 1/1 scale 2d drawing that you used, you had to get that from somewhere.
Hi Paul! Nope...didnt get it anywhere. I disassembled the hole machine, use a caliper, mesured everything, modeled each part individually and recreated everything to scale...why?...because i enjoy it! And because i am a bit crazy! you can find the 3d model on grabcad if you search for minilathe. user name mat....for your own enjoyment! I modeled my minimill as well. Thanks for watching!
Hi Mat, Are you getting full travel on the cross slide with that set up.?
Good point. I wonder that too. I gess the scale needs to be longer (abecause the lenght of the display block)
Hi, thanks for the comment! Yes, I still have full travel of the cross slide. The original lead screw is the limitation.
@@matsworkshop566 Not sure I understand my cross slide will go all the way back to the chip gard I can't see how yours will do that the way you have the brackets fitted.??
How is your Z axis working? any lost ste[s especially when reversing direction. I bought the SS beam model and had to loosen one end to improve the function of this thing but still have to work as though I am dealing with backlash. say for example I go .007" too far then in order to reverse I need to go back say .05" and then bring it to zero. I still lose about .002" per inch and that is pretty much pathetic. You have similar problems?
Hi Joe! I admit the z axis is very poorly designed on these machines, especially the fine adjust wheel, which is terrible to use. The dro solves a big part of the issue, but it must be well aligned. also, i added a gaz spring instead of the rotary coil spring to support the spindle head. quiet some work to do, but this makes a world of difference. much more fun to work with. and i always lock the slide when my height is set, which is an absolute must. Thanks for watching!
@@matsworkshop566 sorry I hit the Z instead of the X. I am talking lathe here.
@@joeshmoe5935 ok i see...well yes backlash can be pretty significant on these machines. And this is true of pretty much any conventional milling machine or lathe. having to compensate for backlash is totally normal and is inherent to any thing that works with conventional square or acme threaded rods to create motion. You do have some ways to adjust the nut in which this leadscrew engages but there is only so much you can do. Not being able to come back to the same position when you redial your wheel to the same value is something else. This might be due to a loose screw somewhere in what holds either the drive nut or the drive wheel itself. My advice would be to take it appart and make sure everything is properly cleaned. Then grease up you leadscrew properly and reassemble everything tightly. Also, you problem might very well be with your dial wheel. The part with all the divisions that you can redial to zero. It is not uncommon for this little wheel to have some friction with the static part behind it and make you loose its position, especially since the leadscrew on these machine have some play back and forth when you move your axis. whenever you switchh direction, you dial wheel might have some more friction with other parts. i have seen people who actually modify this dial to add a locking screw to fix it in position whenever the need a fine adjustment for a finishing pass for example. Also, you dial wheel is held in position with a tiny flat spring (small slighly bent piece of springy metal) I remember when i got the machine that this spring was not putting enough force to hold the dial in place strong enough. its very easy to take it appart and bend this spring a little more and reinstall it. your dial will feel a little harder to adjust, but should keep its position more reliably. Another thing to check is your compound axis. Whenever you want to be precise on your x axis, you should make sure to adjust your compound gibs screw to make them tight. Ideally, lock it in place. Your precision loss could be coming from there as well. Whenever you dont need your compound for specific angle machining, lock it. Finally, if you are struggling whit this, dont let it discourage you. You have simply discovered one of the 2 main reasons why people use DRO on conventional machines. #1 is to avoid constantly having to count your number of wheel turns and calculate your pass depth by counting dial wheel subdivision, which make it very easy to make mistake. This is even worse with a milling machine. #2 DRO instantly (almost) get rid of all of these issues by giving you a true reading of your axis positions with high precision, repeatability and ease of reading, as long as they are well installed and as long as you understand their limitations. Honestly, they multiply the fun factor by 10 ;-) . I might eventually make a video showing the various improvements i did on this machine to reduce play, vibration, improve adjustment etc. But the DROs are definitely the best thing you can use to enjoy working with this machine. I hope this helps, and i hope to find some time to post new vids soon, so subscribe, and keep asking around if you need help!
hi there the size of the DRO and where you got them. i have a lathe almost like yours and i like to make that upgrade to.
Hi Carsten,
I believe I had a 12 inch DRO for the Z axis and a 6 inch one for the X axis. You could also buy a 24 inch for the Z axis for a bit more travel. You can cut them to length as desired. For the brand I used, you can look for "Igaging DRO". They are fairly cheap and have a resolution of about 0.001inches, which is decent for the price. I bought mine from Busebee.com, since I am in Canada
(www.busybeetools.com/products/digital-remote-readout-0-24in-in-metric.html)
but you can find them on amazon
(www.amazon.com/Igaging-Digital-Readout-Magnetic-display/dp/B01HW3GDEO/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1531360121&sr=8-18&keywords=igaging+dro)
or ebay (www.ebay.com/itm/Set-6-8-12-Igaging-Digital-Readout-DRO-AC-Pwr-Articulating-Remote-Display/142765295179?hash=item213d79864b:g:hZAAAOSw0-Ba2riT)
You can also find various other brands and models, for various prices. Normally, the resolution gets better with price, but...this is no exact science.
You can get them in 6, 12, 24, 36 inches long, as desired. Just don't by them longer than you need...they get more expensive. Thanks!
Thanks alot and keep up your good work
Thanks for the video, however, I'm not sure it would work for, because my tail stock needs more access.
Still enjoyed the video though.
Nice, but seems you lost about 2" on the X axis if you need to use tailstock, steady rest,.... no?
Hi Kaieteur, fellow canadian! yes indeed, i loose some travel, but this is a compromise i am willing to accept for the vastly increased working speed and simplicity of using dro. i can also remove the scale by removing 2 screws whenever i want. and my design is reversible. i can also install it on the other side of the carriage if needed. Thanks for whatching!
Nice project, but why are all your machines so wobbly?
Hi Andrei! my machines are wobbly because they are mounted on fairly small and light workbench, which is never the greatest option, but i need to move them frequently since i have very little space. I am working on a new workshop and y want to improve this by using a heavier, more sturdy workbench. Thanks for watching!
@@matsworkshop566 Good luck with getting a larger space. I have a small shop, myself and wish I had more room. I like your CAD work. Very nicely done!
But that reads double as it’s x axis
sorry I am a beginner because you always work with the turret tilted and not at 90 degree
Hi...no special reason. I move it quiet often actually. It is mostly to have the adjustment knob in a comfortable position. this machine is pretty compact and the knobs are pretty close. i also use this setup to make chamfers quickly. it can also be used when you want a little more precision. when you move at an angle, you need to more turn of this knob to move in the i axis. but then you have to use some trigonometry if you want to use the increments. Thanks for watching!
God on a mini lathe you lost like 2" or so of travel for both the Z axis and for drilling. And I was looking for ideas not to loose like 1" on a 1200 lbs chipmaster.