# DRO install on a LC-30A mill (RF-30 clone)



## David_R8 (Mar 22, 2020)

Thought folks here might want to see how I'm progressing on my DRO install.
One of the things I mused over was whether to put the X-axis scale on the fron or back of the table.
Front mean I keep all my Y-axis travel and it's easier to mount but I lose my table stops and a powerfeed auto-stop becomes a real challenge.
Rear means I lose about .45" of travel and have to pull the table to do the install. But it's out of harms way.

Any way, I decided to go with the rear mount as you'll see.
Some pics
Y-Axis first
Bracket 1




Bracket 2 and scale




Scale all in




Reader head









Y-axis all done!





On to the X-axis!
I didn't want to block access to the oil port so I decided to mount the scale high. This also reduces the amount of travel lost because the column slopes away from the table at the top.









X-Axis scale in place. I had to cut the scale as I mistakenly bought the wrong length. I just put it in the bandsaw and it cut fine, glass and all. Piece of cake. 





Then I pulled the table and cross slide so I could mark, drill and tap for the reader head.




X-axis reader head in place.





Next up is the Y-axis. I'm going to mount it at the rear of the spindle with the scale going up inside the hollow spot in the head.


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## YotaBota (Mar 23, 2020)

Where did you get the DRO? I see the 3 axis online for about $320 but I wonder about the quality. So far your install looks pretty straight forward and no issues, fingers crossed that I haven't jinxed anything for you.


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## David_R8 (Mar 23, 2020)

@YotaBota this is the DRO I bought.
The big factor for me is the LCD screen because it has a more intuitive display compared to others I've seen.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1000006632582.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.258d4c4dTXRUUs


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## YYCHM (Mar 23, 2020)

That's the same unit I put on my mini-mill.  You're going to love it.


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## David_R8 (Mar 23, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> That's the same unit I put on my mini-mill.  You're going to love it.


Thanks Craig, question for you:
Did you have to provide some kind of support on the rear of the display so that it resists the pressure of pressing the buttons?


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## YYCHM (Mar 23, 2020)

David_R8 said:


> Thanks Craig, question for you:
> Did you have to provide some kind of support on the rear of the display so that it resists the pressure of pressing the buttons?



I hold the display with my fingers and use my thumb to press buttons. Can do most things with one hand that way.  The mount is not the greatest thing that's for sure.  Also, the mounting arm on mine is attached to the electric box which isn't all that robust.

That aliexpress ad is a little confusing.  Did you get the VM600-3?

You cut a scale down?  I can't picture how you did that?

Craig


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## Tom Kitta (Mar 23, 2020)

That is the same one I am considering for my small lathe. I just have to figure out how to mount the Y axis scale - I am tempted to say from the front.


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## David_R8 (Mar 23, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> I hold the display with my fingers and use my thumb to press buttons. Can do most things with one hand that way.  The mount is not the greatest thing that's for sure.  Also, the mounting arm on mine is attached to the electric box which isn't all that robust.
> 
> That aliexpress ad is a little confusing.  Did you get the VM600-3?
> 
> ...


No I got the YH800 with the LCD display.
I cut the scale with my 4x6 bandsaw. Piece of cake really.
Here's a pic of the cut-off piece. The glass is broken because I was experimenting how to trim the glass back so I could re-install the end-cap. The glass is like a stale cookie and just crumbles.





@Tom Kitta I'm going to put the Y-axis up into the empty space behind the quill.


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## YotaBota (Mar 23, 2020)

I'm trying to find a video of a scale being shortened where the guy used a glass scriber and then the glass just snaps at the scribe line.


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## David_R8 (Mar 23, 2020)

YotaBota said:


> I'm trying to find a video of a scale being shortened where the guy used a glass scriber and then the glass just snaps at the scribe line.


I thought about it but I wasn't confident that I could get the scale out without breaking it. I watched a couple of vids of people just cutting them. My scale was 6" too long so I had some length to experiment with. I'm happy with how it turned out. The hardest part was drilling the four holes to reattach the end cap. I used the cap as a guide and it turned pretty good.


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## YotaBota (Mar 23, 2020)

Craig - if you search " shorten dro glass scale" there are a few video that show the procedure.


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## YYCHM (Mar 23, 2020)

David_R8 said:


> No I got the VM800 with the LCD display.



I don't see a VM800?  That's the exact same vendor I got mine from.


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## David_R8 (Mar 23, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> I don't see a VM800?  That's the exact same vendor I got mine from.


Sorry... I have VM on the brain today as I'm dealing with Virtual Machine issues for work 
I have the YH800 unit. Doh!


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## YYCHM (Mar 23, 2020)

David_R8 said:


> Sorry... I have VM on the brain today as I'm dealing with Virtual Machine issues for work
> I have the YH800 unit. Doh!



Huuu..... another IT type dabbling in metal working.  There are probably 4 or 5 of us here in Calgary.


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## Tom Kitta (Mar 23, 2020)

I am a programmer - I make stuff so IT can have fun


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## David_R8 (Mar 23, 2020)

Tom Kitta said:


> I am a programmer - I make stuff so IT can have fun


Hey Tom I saw your name scroll by on Abom's livecast the other day.  Was cool to see someone I 'know'


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## Tom Kitta (Mar 23, 2020)

Yes I said hi. After I scolded him few days ago for not wearing protection when welding - he had his whole forearms exposed. He did not like the comment - even through I tried to simply get him to let others know via text on video that he simply forgot his gear.


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## David_R8 (Mar 27, 2020)

Well after a long work week I took some time to progress the DRO install. 
Got the table back on, reinstalled the Y-axis scale and reader and attached the X-axis reader. 
Mounted the display unit. 
Checked the display against the dials and it’s dead on which makes me happy. 
Acid test will be with a DTI though. 

All that’s left is the Y-axis. 


















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## YYCHM (Mar 27, 2020)

I like the golf ball knob, did it come that way?

What are the two large screws behind the DRO display?


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## Marc Moreau (Mar 28, 2020)

Vaccuum ose ?  DRO nice job.


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## David_R8 (Mar 28, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> I like the golf ball knob, did it come that way?
> 
> What are the two large screws behind the DRO display?



Yes it came with the golf ball handles. I only use one of them. 
[mention]Marc Moreau [/mention] is correct, it’s a shop vac hose. 


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## PeterT (Mar 28, 2020)

Just some points I discovered along the way installing my DRO.

A simple & useful feature to include on DRO mounting plates is for example 4 tapped holes on each corner of the plate.  You install a set screw or cap screw into each hole & this allows you to micro-tweak the in/out/planar alignment, which in turn brings can bring the mounted encoder head into alignment once you have the indicator set up & just tightening things up. This pays off especially if you have irregular casting surface. Some guys grind the paint off the machine so its metal to metal but you can make that decision for yourself. Maybe a drop of blue Loctite on the threads so they stay put under vibration but are re-settable if in the future necessary. 

Another aspect is to ensure you have it running with no bow or flex to the scale. Sometimes its possible to have 'alignment' but with some small amount of tension on the encoder/scale. Most DRO systems don't like that much especially on shorter scale lengths & can show up as problems over time.


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## David_R8 (Mar 28, 2020)

Thanks [mention]PeterT [/mention] appreciate the insights!


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## David_R8 (Apr 10, 2020)

Took some time today and got the Z-axis scale installed. 

(Edited to correct my brain stall when I said Y-axis originally.)

Drilled and tapped the spindle yoke and made a mounting block. 







Discovered that when I put the reader head and end cap back on the scale hit the casting on the inside when the spindle was fully retracted. 






I thought about taking the cover off and grinding back the casting but decided to add another block. 






Made some brackets to hold the reader head. Used one of the holes for the sheet metal cover to attach it to the casting. 






All that’s left is to tidy up the cables. 
I’m really pleased at how it came together. 


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## YYCHM (Apr 10, 2020)

Y-axis?


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## David_R8 (Apr 10, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> Y-axis?



Yup. The spindle up and down. 


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## YYCHM (Apr 10, 2020)

David_R8 said:


> Yup. The spindle up and down.



Does your DRO think up/down is the Y-axis?  Mine figures up/down is the Z-axis.


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## David_R8 (Apr 10, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> Does your DRO think up/down is the Y-axis? Mine figures up/down is the Z-axis.



Doh!
My mistake. Yes the Z axis. 
(I corrected my post to save further embarrassment!)


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## YYCHM (Apr 10, 2020)

Make sure all of your scale readers are attached with two screws and Loctite them.  I attached my "Z-AXIS" reader with one screw due to a lack of bracket material and recently it has been flickering readings +-0.001".  I'm fabricating a bracket and fixing that as we speak.


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## David_R8 (Apr 10, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> Make sure all of your scale readers are attached with two screws and Loctite them. I attached my "Z-AXIS" reader with one screw due to a lack of bracket material and recently it has been flickering readings +-0.001". I'm fabricating a bracket and fixing that as we speak.



Shoot some pics!


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## YYCHM (Apr 10, 2020)

David_R8 said:


> Shoot some pics!



Here you go, nothing to write home about.






I added that bracket.  The reader was originally mounted with the top screw only.  Even with the bracket I register 0.0002" by pinching the scale and reader together.  Flex in the scale as far as I can tell.  Try that on your setup if you can.

Craig


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## Bofobo (Apr 11, 2020)

Craig if you get repeatable tenth of a thou accuracy from your mini mill then the debate on accuracy of a mini mill will be put to rest. I don’t think you will need to measure a fairy fart anytime soon unless you are building something aerospace we are not aware of.


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## YYCHM (Apr 11, 2020)

Bofobo said:


> Craig if you get repeatable tenth of a thou accuracy from your mini mill then the debate on accuracy of a mini mill will be put to rest. I don’t think you will need to measure a fairy fart anytime soon unless you are building something aerospace we are not aware of.



Oh I hear you on that.  Just setting the axis locks causes that last digit to bounce around.  The z-axis is the worst.  If I had the choice I'd turn off displaying the last digit but my DRO doesn't support that option.

Craig


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## YYCHM (Aug 1, 2020)

Ha, the more I study your y-axis scale install the more differences I spot between our machines  I think I'm going to have to take a different approach.


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## David_R8 (Aug 1, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> Ha, the more I study your y-axis scale install the more differences I spot between our machines I think I'm going to have to take a different approach.
> 
> View attachment 10449



Definitely not as much thickness on your Y axis table. 
I can measure mine if you want. 


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## YYCHM (Aug 1, 2020)

David_R8 said:


> Definitely not as much thickness on your Y axis table.
> I can measure mine if you want.



That and your base/column are different.  Where are your column mounting bolts?  Are the recessed?  You have 4 x-axis screw cap mounting bolts, I only have two.  Look at the steps in my base compared to yours.


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## David_R8 (Aug 1, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> That and your base/column are different. Where are your column mounting bolts? Are the recessed? You have 4 x-axis screw cap mounting bolts, I only have two. Look at the steps in my base compared to yours.






















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## YYCHM (Aug 1, 2020)

Ya, different.  Look at my saddle compared to yours.  Different again, it's recessed.


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## YYCHM (Aug 1, 2020)

How did you reattach your y-axis swarf cover after the x-axis scale was installed?


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## David_R8 (Aug 1, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> How did you reattach your y-axis swarf cover after the x-axis scale was installed?


I don't have a cover like that. I have a series of interlocking sheet metal plates that cover the opening. They move with the table.


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