# Lathe dro install



## LRSbm146 (Jan 16, 2022)

Spent the last couple nights installing a dro on my lathe. The x axis went on the chuck side because it was straight forward fit up. The tailstock side would have interfered with carriage and cross slide locks. Z axis went on easy and the drag chain keeps everything neat. Just have to mount the guards.


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## MrHermit (Jan 16, 2022)

Could you share some information about what you ordered and from where? This is on my list of potential projects.
Thanks


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## LRSbm146 (Jan 16, 2022)

Here’s a screenshot from Amazon but the vendor is fasttobuy. Think I would have saved a couple dollars if I ordered directly. To my door in the Edmonton area total cost was $546 plus another $25 for the drag chain and used the aluminum I already had. 
This is my first experience with dro’s and scales.... the display seems good so far but haven’t had a chance to try it yet, just verify that everything was working. Glass scales seem ok as well maybe a little bit cheap feeling. The end caps where all the mounting takes place kind of feel like the chrome plated parts in a plastic model kit. Definitely don’t over torque on those. The included hardware looked like a random handful from the metric screw bin. I still have to install a couple cable hold downs and the guards. The guards that came with the kit will work with a little trimming.


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## PeterT (Jan 16, 2022)

DRO install is looking good! 

On a completely different note, @Dabbler was just talking about tailstock lever clamp direction &I forgot to snap a pic. He is from the 'pull back to clamp' team. I always assumed the peg in the casting was the resting point to slide, so I've been in the 'push forward to clamp' team. Maximum clamp occurs at 12:00 pos +/- setup on this particular lathe so guess it matters not.


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## Dabbler (Jan 16, 2022)

I think you need to losen your nut about 1/2 turn.  Then try to clamp by moving backward, and see if the lever goes to horizontal,  It should help engage the clamp nearer top dead centre.  Yes, I know - make it tighter by losening the nut, yousay!


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## LRSbm146 (Jan 17, 2022)

Guards trimmed and installed


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## neer724 (Jan 17, 2022)

Nice clean install!

Question - I assume you got the ToAuto DRO from fasttobuy.  When you configure the DRO to Lathe-2 mode, does your calculator work?  I could not get mine to work, I emailed to and they said their "Engineers" said to set it to Mill-2 Axis and change the x-axis resolution to 10 microns from 5 so I get the diameter readings.  Not the best solution as you lose 1 decimal accuracy.


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## Darren (Jan 17, 2022)

Very nice!


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## LRSbm146 (Jan 17, 2022)

Thanks @neer724 
Not sure if I will be able to help... 
So far I’ve only had the display on a couple of times and it was just to see that it was reading the scales. 
I copied and pasted the link fasttobuy sent me to the digital manual. There’s no mention of machine type and rad/dia mode is toggled on/off in a pop up menu... 
seems kind of strange that changing the machine type and resolution is the fix for no calculator. 









						LCD DRO manual.pdf
					

1 file sent via WeTransfer, the simplest way to send your files around the world




					we.tl


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## neer724 (Jan 18, 2022)

Thanks for the manual.  I have the older model (i.e. none LCD version).  It looks like they fixed this in the new version...


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## Susquatch (Jan 18, 2022)

LRSbm146 said:


> Thanks @neer724
> Not sure if I will be able to help...
> So far I’ve only had the display on a couple of times and it was just to see that it was reading the scales.
> I copied and pasted the link fasttobuy sent me to the digital manual. There’s no mention of machine type and rad/dia mode is toggled on/off in a pop up menu...
> ...



I would LOVE to read that manual. Sooooo many questions. Could you please share the actual PDF? My security system will not allow a download from that site as it has been identified with security breaches in the past. Dropbox works if you have an account. I don't know if the forum supports zip files or pdfs directly. But maybe PM's do.

Perhaps @Janger can tell us how to do it best.


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## Susquatch (Jan 18, 2022)

LRSbm146 said:


> Guards trimmed and installed



I am very impressed by your install. Very clean & well protected. My lathe will be getting a DRO at some point in the future but I want to do my mill first. Both are high on my priority list but I have not pulled the trigger yet. I almost ordered from ALI but they jacked me around too much and I lost confidence. Still looking for something comparable in features and pricing. 

Wondering why you didn't put a scale on your compound?


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## Hacker (Jan 18, 2022)

Nice looking install.


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## LRSbm146 (Jan 18, 2022)

@Susquatch I’ll have to see if I can post another link to the manual.. might be easier for me to email to someone that has more experience than I do. Hahaha 

Definitely plan on including the compound eventually. I don’t have a milling machine so the compound comes off occasionally for some basic milling on the lathe. 
Before I started all of this I watched pretty much all of the dropros videos... this display is really meant for a mill but it has a couple of lathe functions added like dia/rad mode and really that’s it but the milling features look pretty solid as fas as hole patterns, arcs, slopes... all looks pretty easy to use. 
Reading the translated manual, I think you can mix the compound but it looks pretty confusing compared to dropros displays. 
Long story short...
If and when I get a mill this display will go there and will be looking for a new display and installing a compound scale.


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## YYCHM (Jan 18, 2022)

LRSbm146 said:


> @Susquatch I’ll have to see if I can post another link to the manual.. might be easier for me to email to someone that has more experience than I do. Hahaha
> 
> Definitely plan on including the compound eventually. I don’t have a milling machine so the compound comes off occasionally for some basic milling on the lathe.
> Before I started all of this I watched pretty much all of the dropros videos... this display is really meant for a mill but it has a couple of lathe functions added like dia/rad mode and really that’s it but the milling features look pretty solid as fas as hole patterns, arcs, slopes... all looks pretty easy to use.
> ...



If you have the PDF, you can post it here.  Use Attach files.


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## PeterT (Jan 18, 2022)

I had DRO on my compound. Over the years I found it to be more of a nice to have vs. need to have. But everyone's jobs are different & for the price these days, why not. The real estate starts to get a bit busier, but not insurmountable. I've been wondering out loud, whenever I make a solid toolpost, how often the compound itself will even reside on the lathe. Such are the deep issues that vex us LOL.

What do you mean 'mix the compound'?


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## LRSbm146 (Jan 18, 2022)

@PeterT The dropros video shows the compound as “x prime” and has a streamlined menu/screen that allows you to set the compound angle. it “mixes” the x-prime value into the x/y readout. 
If that makes sense


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## YYCHM (Jan 18, 2022)

@Susquatch The  LCD DRO manual


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## Susquatch (Jan 18, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> @Susquatch The  LCD DRO manual



Holy Crap @YYCHM . You broke the pdf up to make it FIT! That was a LOT OF WORK! I'm very impressed and very grateful! 

Thank you!


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## LRSbm146 (Jan 31, 2022)

Last weekend’s project, and the first one using the digital readout. Was more milling than turning but it all happened on the lathe.


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## YYCHM (Jan 31, 2022)

LRSbm146 said:


> Last weekend’s project, and the first one using the digital readout. Was more milling than turning but it all happened on the lathe.



You made that on your lathe?


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## LRSbm146 (Jan 31, 2022)

@YYCHM yes all on the lathe. The biggest challenge was the keyway. I’m currently looking for a mill but it needs to be the right one.


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## Darren (Jan 31, 2022)

Very nice work! post more


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## LRSbm146 (Jan 31, 2022)

Thanks @dfloen my last couple projects were airguns. My kids and I like shooting but it’s getting harder to get out with the actual firearms. We can shoot airguns up the road at my buddies place. 
This started as a crosman 2240 and not quite sure what it is now. I didn’t make the receiver but I started to copy it. 
We were hitting pencils at 30yrds in the shop.


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## Darren (Jan 31, 2022)

Nice . My 8 year old son just got into airguns last summer. He's quite the sniper too.


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## 140mower (Jan 31, 2022)

LRSbm146 said:


> @YYCHM yes all on the lathe. The biggest challenge was the keyway. I’m currently looking for a mill but it needs to be the right one.


Very nicely done. I wimped out and bought my micrometer stop, looking at yours, I really wish I hadn't. That is the wonderful thing about the lathe, it's the one tool in the shop that can do it all.... Just takes a little more planning.


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## LRSbm146 (Jan 31, 2022)

@dfloen couple more airguns... these are a couple of late 90’s paintball guns. Picked up on Kijiji in “not working” condition. Did a little research on them and I guess the original versions were made by a guy named Bud Orr in his home machine shop. Sounds it was a big deal for the game... I don’t really even paintball but it was a cool project


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## 6.5 Fan (Feb 1, 2022)

Very nice adjustable stop.


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## LRSbm146 (Feb 1, 2022)

Thanks @140mower & @6.5 Fan. There’s a lot of experience around here so it’s nice to get a “good job” from everyone. It’s probably just the paint. Hahaha 

Side question about knurling... I haven’t done much and I only have one set of wheels for my knurler... I just kind of go for it. 
Should a guy be knurling on the lead screw or on the feed bar?
I used the lead screw this time but usually use the feed. It’s a pretty aggressive process and seems like it might be better to do on the feed bar because it has a clutch on it?


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## Susquatch (Feb 1, 2022)

LRSbm146 said:


> Last weekend’s project, and the first one using the digital readout. Was more milling than turning but it all happened on the lathe.



Beautiful....... Just plain beautiful. Much nicer than others I see around. Might be one quite similar in my future. 

I'm thinking I would build a defeatable stop switch into whatever I make so it could also serve as a crash avoidance mechanism.


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## Susquatch (Feb 1, 2022)

LRSbm146 said:


> Thanks @140mower & @6.5 Fan. There’s a lot of experience around here so it’s nice to get a “good job” from everyone. It’s probably just the paint. Hahaha
> 
> Side question about knurling... I haven’t done much and I only have one set of wheels for my knurler... I just kind of go for it.
> Should a guy be knurling on the lead screw or on the feed bar?
> I used the lead screw this time but usually use the feed. It’s a pretty aggressive process and seems like it might be better to do on the feed bar because it has a clutch on it?



I've only ever done it by hand not using feed at all. I'm not sure it makes any difference. If the existence of a clutch matters (I don't have one on either screw), then I think you should back off the pressure a bit.


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## LRSbm146 (Feb 1, 2022)

@Susquatch I would normally go pretty easy, maybe make a test piece.  I made the mistake of watching YouTube first. seemed like most were putting a lot more pressure than I would do or have done, one guy was doing it similar to threading.
the carriage stop...
There are some plans for something similar on a site called Tomstechniques (I think). I don’t usually use plans and went off this picture instead.  I used a 1/2-20 thread which works out the same as the one in the picture 0.05” per rev. It probably won’t ever get used as a measuring tool so did bother with much for markings on the dial. Not sure if you noticed the 5 drill marks on the back of the dial I made? With the ball and spring it gives you a “click” every 0.01”.


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## Susquatch (Feb 1, 2022)

LRSbm146 said:


> @Susquatch I would normally go pretty easy, maybe make a test piece.  I made the mistake of watching YouTube first. seemed like most were putting a lot more pressure than I would do or have done, one guy was doing it similar to threading.
> the carriage stop...
> There are some plans for something similar on a site called Tomstechniques (I think). I don’t usually use plans and went off this picture instead.  I used a 1/2-20 thread which works out the same as the one in the picture 0.05” per rev. It probably won’t ever get used as a measuring tool so did bother with much for markings on the dial. Not sure if you noticed the 5 drill marks on the back of the dial I made? With the ball and spring it gives you a “click” every 0.01”.



Yes, I noticed. 

I would never use it for measuring either. But it is nice to be able to adjust the stop point with some precision. I have a purchased reamer stop that works the same way. It is Fg awesome! 

The idea behind an electric shutoff is to be able to thread closer to a shoulder. Maybe that's playing with fire but it's got to be better than my old reflexes and rotten vision.


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## PeterT (Feb 1, 2022)

LRSbm146 said:


> Side question about knurling... I haven’t done much and I only have one set of wheels for my knurler... I just kind of go for it.
> Should a guy be knurling on the lead screw or on the feed bar?
> I used the lead screw this time but usually use the feed. It’s a pretty aggressive process and seems like it might be better to do on the feed bar because it has a clutch on it?



If you do a search here you'll find some hits on knurling. Another one of those multi-faceted topics. I'm no expert but I've become a believer that size matters for good results, meaning the ideal starting OD is related to the knurl pitch. I made a spreadsheet based on workflow from this site.




__





						General Knurling Information
					

General Knurling Information




					accu-trak.com
				




I knurl on power feed. Actually I cant think of a good reason if PF vs threading screw offers advantages. Flip a coin what part of your lathe you want to wear more, the worm gear or the threading clam shells LOL. I've seen people reverse on the work & increase depth progressively but staying in gear is common to both modes. What can spoil a good knurl is eating the chips. So cleaning & lubrication is a good thing. Ultimately its a forming process so once the depth is set & tracking, I think its just ploughing axially along the work.

I hold a view that bump knurlers are unnecessarily hard on everything - the part, the work holder, chucks, centers, bearings. The scissor style knurls are much kinder to the entire setup. Beware there are some bad ones out there where the arms flex too much or misaligned & the wheels are garbage.

on my project list


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## Susquatch (Feb 2, 2022)

PeterT said:


> I hold a view that bump knurlers are unnecessarily hard on everything - the part, the work holder, chucks, centers, bearings. The scissor style knurls are much kinder to the entire setup.



I like the knurler in that video. Keep in mind that I am not a fan of YouTube videos in general so that's not an endorsement of the video - just the knurler. 

Seems like I'll be making more than one tool holder in the years to come......


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## YotaBota (Feb 2, 2022)

LRSbm146 said:


> There are some plans for something similar on a site called Tomstechniques (I think).


The carriage stop drawings for Tomstechniques and Cogwheel are in the "plans" section here on the site.
Nice job on your carriage stop.


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## Susquatch (Feb 2, 2022)

YotaBota said:


> The carriage stop drawings for Tomstechniques and Cogwheel are in the "plans" section here on the site.
> Nice job on your carriage stop.



Huh? Plans section?

Edit - Found it! 

Thread 'Carriage Stop' https://canadianhobbymetalworkers.com/threads/carriage-stop.4133/

Didn't know that section existed. THANK YOU!


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