Colchester Master 2500 DRO installation

[Susquatch]

I think so, we usually test out some of our new purchases pretty quickly after getting them AND Tom always tends to hand me the less expensive tools to use when I am unsupervised. I do know this is not the usual DTI Tom uses and doesn't typically let me use if he is not hovering over me.

He also handed me that case of carbide insert end mills to use to cut the slot.

OK you guys, what is so special about the dti holder? I can't tell from looking at the photo.

Could you please share a better description and photos?

Ps - mine will need a very short table extension too. Just enough to reach over the sensor mounted on the back side. My plan was to add the extension before milling the shallow slot for the mag strip so they could both be done at the same time.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

OK you guys, what is so special about the dti holder? I can't tell from looking at the photo.

Could you please share a better description and photos?

Ps - mine will need a very short table extension too. Just enough to reach over the sensor mounted on the back side. My plan was to add the extension before milling the shallow slot for the mag strip so they could both be done at the same time.

I'll have to get more photos tomorrow.

We just bought this DTI when we visited Gerrit recently.

 

[Xyphota]

You should do a quick test while you wait for parts. When I did my embedded cross slide tape, I sacrificed a 1in long piece of the tape and just stuck it on a flat piece of scrap I had lying around. I gently clamped it to put a bit of pressure on the adhesive for an hour or two and then I let is sit over night. Then you can measure the 'as-installed' height and cut your slot to match.

I'll add that there is a ~1mm gap between the reader head and the tape on my setup, and it seems to work fine so you probably don't need to go crazy about the install lol.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I know what I'll be doing on the weekend.

To my eye that doesn't look like 2 meters worth of tape, but I only need about 8 inches for the cross slide.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Spent some time in the shop farting around, and making the extension for the embedded magnetic scale.

The cross slide overhangs the rear by about two inches, so the extension does not need to be that long, but I milled it to add 3" to the cross slide. Tomorrow I'll drill the bolt holes and bolt it to the cross slide and then mill a 10mm wide slot 1.8mm deep or so

 

[TorontoBuilder]

The lathe defeated my standard drill and bits... so I was not going to risk taking hours to drill 4 holes and then find out I broke a tap off in one of the holes.

The solution was to use existing holes to mount two blocks to tap to mount the scales and then the cover. This will leave the backside of the scale open but I plan to get a strip of aluminum to inserts behind the scale and cover later.

Trammed in the scale using a dial indicator mounted on the carriage, the extrusion is as perfect as can be, but has a 4 thousandths of an inch bow in the middle.

Next up the bracket.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Spent some time in the shop farting around, and making the extension for the embedded magnetic scale.

The cross slide overhangs the rear by about two inches, so the extension does not need to be that long, but I milled it to add 3" to the cross slide. Tomorrow I'll drill the bolt holes and bolt it to the cross slide and then mill a 10mm wide slot 1.8mm deep or so

View attachment 33340

As I suspected the tang had to be trimmed down to just 1" to ensure that the cross slide does not contact the splash guard. No pics yet of this... I forgot my phone and have to rely on brother taking pics.

 

[Susquatch]

The lathe defeated my standard drill and bits...

Mounting the DRO on my mill required carbide drills. Standard HSS drills would not touch it.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Found a better mounting that does not require any rear overhang for the cross slide magnetic read head.

Good thing we didn't mill the slot in the other location. After dinner I'll mill the slot and reassemble and we're done.

 

[Susquatch]

Found a better mounting that does not require any rear overhang for the cross slide magnetic read head.

I had to redo the quill mount on my mill because I didn't leave enough room for the read-head and wiper on the scale. It looks like yours might be close....

Is that the taper attachment extension the read head is on? If so, it might be a reason to make a taper attachment for my lathe before I mount the DRO..... I really should combine their design.... On the other hand, I have not needed one in 10 years so... LOL!

Ummm, what is the bag of white powder all about?

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I had to redo the quill mount on my mill because I didn't leave enough room for the read-head and wiper on the scale. It looks like yours might be close....

Is that the taper attachment extension the read head is on? If so, it might be a reason to make a taper attachment for my lathe before I mount the DRO..... I really should combine their design.... On the other hand, I have not needed one in 10 years so... LOL!

Ummm, what is the bag of white powder all about?

That is called the "screw attachment" and it holds the end of the lead screw for the cross slide.




I had plenty of room, as you should be able to see below.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Done the DRO installation, except for the mounting of the computer portion.

Dont sure yet where it is going.

Mill the slot, add the magnetic strip, add the stainless steel strip, return the cross slide to the lathe.

Tested.

Perfect... time to crank out some projects.

 

[Susquatch]

That is called the "screw attachment" and it holds the end of the lead screw for the cross slide.

I don't have such a bracket on my lathe......

All my backlash is adjusted at the handle input side. Not the best place for it, but it works.

I had plenty of room, as you should be able to see below.

Actually, I see a cross-slide extension there! In the photo that drove my comment, there was no extension.

All is well!

And well done too!

Even with all your disabilities, you are still at least 10x faster than me.......

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I don't have such a bracket on my lathe......

All my backlash is adjusted at the handle input side. Not the best place for it, but it works.



Actually, I see a cross-slide extension there! In the photo that drove my comment, there was no extension.

All is well!

And well done too!

Even with all your disabilities, you are still at least 10x faster than me.......

The backlash on this lathe is adjusted at the middle of the screw, using two nuts,, taper wedges and grub screws. Very nice system.

Yeah, I could not eliminate the extension, but I made it much smaller, and I got to omit making one more bracket to mount that read head. I did have to install a 20 thou shim to compensate for the casting side wall that was not plumb though.

The speed of this project resulted in an extra measure of pain and stiffness today. But I promised to have this done within two weeks of the lathe move. At least Tom will be back machining again, and his GF is happy to see how much work got done towards getting the lathe ready to work and off the pallet and into its permanent position.

Today I'll finish up, mount the computer to the head, and start on programming the tool library and teach Tom the main functions. It is pretty intuitive, and I was able to make many changes to the setup last night without the manual.

Oh and I need to mount a magnet array and two hall sensors for the DRO and the machining computer. I'll at least measure everything for that today too.

 

[RobinHood]

I have to say that I like the overall concept of putting the cross slide scale on the underside of the casting: well protected, and does not change access to the side retaining slots for top mounted tooling… I’ll need to check if that concept works with the taper attachment on my Master 2500.

Very well done.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I have to say that I like the overall concept of putting the cross slide scale on the underside of the casting: well protected, and does not change access to the side retaining slots for top mounted tooling… I’ll need to check if that concept works with the taper attachment on my Master 2500.

Very well done.

I highly recommend it and hope you can implement similar on your lathe.

If you do not already have a DRO I can recommend a smaller read head than even the one I used.


Please correct me if I am wrong, but does the taper turning attachment's main bracket replace the screw bracket to which I have attached my read head? if so I think you can easily make this work. But I'd opt for a bare pcb based read head where the wire can be directly soldered to the board. The corresponding tape could be gotten from the developer and I think should work with a standard DRO.

 

[RobinHood]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but does the taper turning attachment's main bracket replace the screw bracket to which I have attached my read head?

Yes, that is correct. There does seem “a lot of space” in the area which you highlighted in your diagram.

When the time comes, I’ll probably make a wood mock-up of the read head to determine the best course of action…

 

[Susquatch]

I have to say that I like the overall concept of putting the cross slide scale on the underside of the casting: well protected, and does not change access to the side retaining slots for top mounted tooling… I’ll need to check if that concept works with the taper attachment on my Master 2500.

Very well done.

Plus it doesn't end up in the center of the main action theater on the chuck side nor eating up space or getting banged up on the tailstock side.

I'm pretty sure that the original idea to put a magnetic strip inside the cross slide came from @Xyphota. At least that's where I first saw it. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for that little stroke of genius! With what I know now, I can't imagine doing it any other way.

Still working on how to do it inside my compound......

 

[YYCHM]

Plus it doesn't end up in the center of the main action theater on the chuck side nor eating up space or getting banged up on the tailstock side.

I'm pretty sure that the original idea to put a magnetic strip inside the cross slide came from @Xyphota. At least that's where I first saw it. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for that little stroke of genius! With what I know now, I can't imagine doing it any other way.

Still working on how to do it inside my compound......

@Bofobo mounted an Igaging scale in his cross slide.

In the shop today

Yes it is some of my 4”od 4140 Just for interest sake... I just cut some of my 5" 4340 (the stuff with a hole in it) on my band saw and they took 12 minutes for a slice. I was happy with that. (Asian 7x12 saw). Your project looks like it will turn out well, it's almost as fun watching the...

canadianhobbymetalworkers.com

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Plus it doesn't end up in the center of the main action theater on the chuck side nor eating up space or getting banged up on the tailstock side.

I'm pretty sure that the original idea to put a magnetic strip inside the cross slide came from @Xyphota. At least that's where I first saw it. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for that little stroke of genius! With what I know now, I can't imagine doing it any other way.

Still working on how to do it inside my compound......

after I started looking I saw a few people had done the same as far back as 2018. But yes, I do believe it was @Xyphota who first did it on this forum and brought it to our attention.

My brother and I are very grateful for that post. You can't even tell my brother's lathe has DRO scales installed