Dabbler
ersatz engineer
Oh no!!!....and the magic smoke just came out of my motor
DavidR8's shop shenanigans
- Thread starter DavidR8
- Start date
So go get magnetic scales.
Or get an I-gauging unit. They work with touch dro too.
So let me put it this way to you David. There is no way on God's green earth that I would ever put a scale under my chuck or where my tailstock could hit it when I can put it inside where it is safe. If I already had scales for the other locations, I'd sell them at a loss, buy new ones, and get on with putting the scale inside. Yes, the other locations work, but they are a compromise at best. Inside is just hands down better.
In fact, if I already had scales on the front or back, I'd take them off and replace them with inside scales. That's how strongly I feel about it.
Headstock side
Pros
It works
Easy to install
Cons
Buried in swarf
Easily damaged by parts
Limits carriage travel
Tailstock Side
Pros
It works
Easily installed
Cons
Easily damaged by tailstock
Limits tailstock travel
Limits drilling depth
Inside Cross-Slide
Pros
It works
Fully Protected
No travel limitations
No swarf issues
Cons
Install is complicated
Good to have strong opinions I suppose.
my only concern with the iGaging scales is in my experience they are prone to interference. I had them on my mill, when I use the AC head lift motor the iGaging display would reset. No issue using glass scales. The iGaging cables are only vaguely shielded, using cheap USB cables. I did go to better quality heavier USB cables, which reduces some of the reset problems, but did not eliminate them.
Here's my IGaging scale on the tailstock side of the cross slide on my little lathe. I loose maybe 1/2" of tailstock travel up to the carriage but that could not matter less as I can get so close to spindle anyhow.
Damaging the scale has also been zero concern as I have a simple angle over the scale that protects it from falling objects.
I do have some sort of occasional interference with the carriage scale and have for a long time. I have to just power on/off the Igaging display to reset and it never looses its
position. A bit annoying but not enough to replace it. I suspect cable interference issues.
How do you adjust your cross slide gibs?
TorontoBuilder
Ultra Member
Oh ya, hee hee
I forgot about that wee little problem. I was able to get access to 3 out 4 gib screws but the fourth one I have to remove the scale. Hasn't really been much of a problem really.
TorontoBuilder
Ultra Member
In that case you use a cross slide extension that is longer than the one I have.
@Larry_C9 you would need to add an extension like @Xyphota did here in post 10 so that you have coverage for the full travel. @TorontoBuilder 's machine barely uncovers the head so only a short extension is needed.
D
Had I known then what I do now I might have fabbed a tape scale for my mill X axis rather than buying a full size glass because they didn't offer a thin line glass that long. I'd have used a length of 3/4 x 1/2 aluminum (or maybe stainless to match the table TCE) and cut a groove in it for the tape. Would save about 1/2" of Y travel.
Next time, LOL!
D
Larry I just clued in to what I think you meant.....here's the backside of the crosslide. I made a small extension to hold the scale and it just nicely clears the backsplash when fully extended.@Larry_C9 you would need to add an extension like @Xyphota did here in post 10 so that you have coverage for the full travel. @TorontoBuilder 's machine barely uncovers the head so only a short extension is needed.
D
Yes , but mainly when it is all the way forward. Did your lathe come with the metal cover over the cross slide screw cavity ? Mine is exposed when the cross slide is back like that.
Oh yes that metal cover was standard issue with the lathe. Here's a close up of it.
What lathe do you have?
I meant when they put the scale inside the cross slide.
Mine is mounted something like yours but with the Magna Slim scale I used it barely comes above the cross slide and still leaves clearance above the gibbs screws along the back of the cross slide.