Bocere1
Member
My first DRO addition
I've decided to add DRO's to my mini lathe, it's a 7x12 HF model, so after looking at everyone else's creative solutions I thought I would start with the carriage DRO since the consensus seemed to be that it was the easiest.
Now that I've done it I hope it wasn't the easiest because it WAS easy. So if there is someone on the fence thinking it may be a pain, the carriage DRO, at least for me wasn't.
I lucked out in the fact that I had all the parts I needed laying around the shop.
A piece of INCRA regular T track
2 rectangular nuts for the track (¼ - 20) and 2 capscrews
6 flat washers
2 capscrews m4x.7 (just something small)
Strip brush
and the 12" remote Igage DRO
Now, here's the reason I'm posting this, all this crap went together almost like it was meant to. ALMOST.
I took off the backsplash and the two tapped holes were almost 12" OC like the T track. Had to enlarge the screw holes in the track slightly and use a round file on one to slot it and bolted on the track. It was square and level to the way's.
3 flat washers (for now) on each side set the DRO out to just the right distance that a small scrap piece of bracket that I had (1/32") slide in between the back of the DRO and the saddle.
Used a DRO bracket as a guide to locate the screw holes on back of the 1/32 plate then attached the plate to the back of the DRO reader and slid it all the way to the headstock, moved the carriage all the way to the headstock marked some hole locations for the screws to attach to the saddle, drilled them, then located them on the saddle, drilled and tapped the saddle.
A set of strip brushes will cover the DRO.
On to the tailstock!!
I've decided to add DRO's to my mini lathe, it's a 7x12 HF model, so after looking at everyone else's creative solutions I thought I would start with the carriage DRO since the consensus seemed to be that it was the easiest.
Now that I've done it I hope it wasn't the easiest because it WAS easy. So if there is someone on the fence thinking it may be a pain, the carriage DRO, at least for me wasn't.
I lucked out in the fact that I had all the parts I needed laying around the shop.
A piece of INCRA regular T track
2 rectangular nuts for the track (¼ - 20) and 2 capscrews
6 flat washers
2 capscrews m4x.7 (just something small)
Strip brush
and the 12" remote Igage DRO
Now, here's the reason I'm posting this, all this crap went together almost like it was meant to. ALMOST.
I took off the backsplash and the two tapped holes were almost 12" OC like the T track. Had to enlarge the screw holes in the track slightly and use a round file on one to slot it and bolted on the track. It was square and level to the way's.
3 flat washers (for now) on each side set the DRO out to just the right distance that a small scrap piece of bracket that I had (1/32") slide in between the back of the DRO and the saddle.
Used a DRO bracket as a guide to locate the screw holes on back of the 1/32 plate then attached the plate to the back of the DRO reader and slid it all the way to the headstock, moved the carriage all the way to the headstock marked some hole locations for the screws to attach to the saddle, drilled them, then located them on the saddle, drilled and tapped the saddle.
A set of strip brushes will cover the DRO.
On to the tailstock!!
Mark, I wasn't pricking any balloons I truly needed to know what, you used it for. I studied your photo for awhile the, thought, I'll just ask him. Thanks for the reply and, have fun.:wink:
