BW Electronics DROs

Hello Michael,
I have just, successfully, fitted a (second hand) BW DRO to 2 axis of my Machine Mart Mini Lathe. I had previously fitted the DRO kit available for the Mini Lathe to the cross slide and the Compound Slide. I was looking to fit a DRO, of some sort, to the Saddle when this BW kit was offered to me. It was very easy to fit the DRO to the saddle and this has proved very useful. The spare sensor, I decided, might be useful to fit to the cross slide (as well as the existing DRO that I had fitted previously). The fitting of this proved a bit more problematic because of the restricted space, but I drew up a scheme that I felt would work and now have it all functioning. The advantage of the BW DRO is that it can be set to indicate diameter on the cross slide. It now is easy to take an initial cut, measure the work with a micrometer, set up the DRO display to this value, then turn down to the wanted diameter as indicated on the BW DRO display – “Magic”! This fitting to the cross slide has proved even more useful than the saddle.
What sort of lathe have you got?
If you are still interested, I have the Cross Slide fitting drawn up – 3D – on TurboCAD and you are welcome to details.
Regards
John Kirby

Edited By mgj on 19/11/2011 22:46:36

On a lathe cross-slide its probably best to run the pull wire round a pulley for a double run giving direct cut on diameter read-out and retaining the nominal sensor accuracy. Of course this assuming the pulley is round and runs true.

Edited By Clive Foster on 19/11/2011 23:09:11

Mgj, from the remark about being 'a bit casual' I suppose you use such a magnetic system?

Can you - or anybody - tell me if that system is (electrically and connector-wise) compatible with glass scales? I once bought a display unit for Easson glass scales (mainly because I got it for a good price), but never managed to find a good way to mount such scales on my mill. This problem would be much more manageable with these magnetic scales.

I have a BW unit on the cross-slide, but never had a problem with reading movement instead of diameter.

Greetings, Hansrudolf