readout scale

I know of model engineers that have done that. Just got to keep any coolant and hot chips off them.
Most prefer to have them on the Z axis , as on most model lathes you are strapped for room on the X axis.
 
Craig Fales said:
Do those have the same repeatability?? I'd bet not...
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It states that their resolution is .0005 and their repeatability is .0005 but it doesn't state their precision. It could be .010 or .030 off for that matter but actually that is not their main drawback. Their main drawback is finding someplace to mount them out of the way and still be easily seen to be read. With a DRO the scales are mounted but you read the readings on a screen in plain view. On these you must get up close and personal to be able to see the readings.

Dick
 
IMO, they make a very viable solution to the high cost of DROs. DROs are hard to justify on a lathe unless that machine is making you a ton of money. These scales will give you the accuracy without the cost. If both the resolution & repeatability are within 1/2 a thou., I'd say they are pretty accurate.
 
KJ Cues said:
IMO, they make a very viable solution to the high cost of DROs. DROs are hard to justify on a lathe unless that machine is making you a ton of money. These scales will give you the accuracy without the cost. If both the resolution & repeatability are within 1/2 a thou., I'd say they are pretty accurate.
Click to expand...

KJ, repeatability has nothing to do with accuracy. If you use a mike and measure something, it will always read the same, Thing is, it could be .030 off of true reading if the mike is out of calibration. I have a set of Mitutoyo digital calipers that have a resolution of .0005, repeatability of .0005 but accuracy of +/- .008. that means they can be off up to .016. That's not very accurate. The real downfall on these are mounting them where they can be read easily. I have thought about putting one my mill for the Z axis for a couple of years now as the readout would be directly in front of me but I never get around to it. I guess a short, spring loaded one may work on a mini-mill set up for cutting deco-rings OK.

Dick
 
Hi Dick,
I'm not promoting or supporting one product or method over another.

However, your comparison to mic's is almost apples/oranges. How these scales differ is that you can 'zero-set' anywhere along the scale at any time. With mic's, you can't. As with your example (mic's), if you're off .008 at the beginning, you'll still be off .008 anywhere along it's capacity. Dial cals are a little different in that you can rotate the dial to zero before you start, should they be off slightly. However, with dial cals, if at any time during their life they start reading anything but zero at the home position, it's a pretty good indication that they have aquired a little too much tolerance btwn. the rack and pinion to be considered DNP accurate.

Anyway, back to the scales. I would think that 'ISO' stds. for tolerance apply here. Since these are manufactured and marketed as a precision measuring instrument for machines, one could conclude that they have met certain ISO standards. I may be a bit naive here but until someone who has actually used them makes the statement that they are inaccurate, I'd have to believe that they are usable. These have been around for a while and if they were crap, I think we'd have heard about their shortcomings.

Another neat feature of these is that they have a 'data out' port. Meaning, these could be used as a 'starter' set of DROs and add the monitor at a later date. Problem is, if they ARE inaccurate, you'd just be informed of this on a larger screen.

Your application of using these on the 'Z' axis of your mill falls right in line with one of the models offered. 40-50-60 bucks I believe. Sure beats wearing out your arm cranking the knee. Just dial-in the quill.
 
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i have ordered 2 scales off ebay with another seller with a 1 year warranty, i intend to use these on a cuesmith deluxe and i will let you know how it goes
 
I had a pair of these on my Unique Cuemaker lathe and ended up removing them.
I replaced the one on the "Y" axis with a dial indicator and it works trouble free.
Removed the one on the "X" axis because it kept sticking and sawdust would jam the buttons.
 
 
 
I agree, very clever. It's clean and gets the job done. If chips start collecting on the scales you might consider some specialty bellows mtrl. to cover them.

But now for the BIG question. How do YOU like them?
 
i have not had a chance to use the lathe since i installed these, relatives over from ireland at the moment, what is this bellows thing ?
 
Greetings Sir,
Isn't Ireland spelled with a capital 'I'? Might be a family issue.
Anyway, no real concern here, I'm Scottish. 2nd generation since being in this country. Wouldn't want to live there though, I hate the cold. My goal is to live somewhere where I can ride my M/C 11 months a year. The 12th month is for modifications and repairs.

Anyway, bellows mtrl. Beautiful stuff only hard to come by at a decent price. I just did a quick Google and found a site that has pictures and as we all know, a picture is worth a 1000 words. It's a convoluted flexible mtrl. that expands & contracts while covering your scales (or machine tool ways). Attach one end to the end of the scales and the other end to your sliding read-out. As the read-out moves away, the attached end of the bellows mtrl. moves with it expanding as it goes and keeps your scales covered. As the read-out returns, the mtrl. folds-up into a tidy little pkg. Check out the link. Hope it gives you some ideas.

http://www.motionsystemdesign.com/Issue/Article/24771/Covers_and_bellows_keep_contaminants_out.aspx
 
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