DRO for Myford ML7

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Traction man,

                               I have just done a search to see what a “SDS6-V3” is. This seems to be a three axis display unit that would work with scales giving TTL level quadrature outputs.

I assume that as you have five scales and a three axis display that you have three scales on the mill and two on the lathe. I am assuming that you have built a switching unit to switch the display between the lathe and the mill. You do not say what scales you have or the nature of your problem. If you wanted a separate display for the lathe you could build a DRO350 and two QCC100’s to convert the quadrature input to connect to the DRO350.

The DRO350 and QCC100 kits are available from Here

 

Les.

[Traction manParticipant @tractionman]

Hi Les

 

 

I was told when I talked to the supplier that it was easy to move the readout head from one machine to another, so that was the plan. I asummed that the settings for one machine could be stored and just called up when the readout head was refitted to that machine (Wrong!) Each machine has its own mounting arm with the leads form the scales perminantly attached, but you have to go through the setup routeen each time the display is moved. also when I mounted the scales on the machines there was no instructions as to how acurate this had to be so they were setup using a ruler and feeler guages. having read the other posts this would seem to be totaly inadiquate.

My basic problem is that I don’t trust the readings being given as they do not agree with my phisical mesurments and I cannot get the other advertised functions to work at all.

Having spent a fare sum of my budget on this system, I am looking for any soution to salvage the situation. Thank’s for the link I will have a look at the item you sugested.

Cheers.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Well I’ve just fitted the SDS6-V3 to my mill, followed the pictures on the installation guide that came with the unit and clocked the scales with a dti as shown, took about 4hrs to do.

 

Initial use suggests its going to be a lot better than the calliper type scales I had before.

 

Not had a problem with the manual so far, this is what I tried it out on first, used the 1/2 function to centre the casting and the PCD to layout the holes, then bolted on this casting, holes lined up perfect having been done with Zuez tables using my old scales. Finally flipped the casting over, used 1/2 function again to centre which is a lot easier than working out with a calculator as before and then used the DRO to position the other six holes you can see the bosses for in this picture.

 

No problems with the system so far and it will get used all the time on the mill, just looking for a reason to use the other functions

 

If you are having a job understanding what some of the functions do have a look at teh videos on DRo Pros site, a few of the buttons may be different but it gives you an idea of how things should work

 

Jason

Edited By JasonB on 08/08/2010 19:14:50

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Traction man,

                               I have not used the DRO that you have so I can not comment on the problems you have swapping the scale inputs over. I have DRO350’s with the cheap option of Chinese scales. (Which are not as good as the glass scales that you have.)

I used a dial gauge to make sure the axis of the scales was parallel to the axis of the slides on both directions. For example for  the long scale on my lathe I mounted the dial gauge on the tool post so it was touching the top of the scale track. I then adjusted the scale up and down at one end so there was very little change in reading as the carriage was moved the length of the bed. I then repeated this with the dial gauge touching the back of the scale track and adjusted the spacing of one end of the scale from the bed to get it parallel in the horizontal plane. It was only after this alignment that I fixed the read head to the carriage.

 

Les.

[Traction manParticipant @tractionman]

Hi Jason

 

Well I am glad some one is finding the system works ok, It must be me that is duff.

 

I understood that the 1/2 function was only available in lathe mode ?

 

The only documentation that I have is the certificates for the scales and the bad operation manual for the display. Is there something missing?

 

I have down loaded the manual from the link in an previous posting and it is older than the one I have, it also has the same errors in it.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

The 1/2 function on the mill is not teh same as the one when using the lathe function.

 

On the lathe it will read dia or radius, so it will either tell you you have say 0.100″ to take off the dia or 0.050″ off the radius depending on what you prefer working with and what your handwheels are calibrated to.

 

On the mill its used to find the mid point between two other points. For the casting I showed above I used an electronic edge finder on one side, zeroed the Y axis then moved to the other face and when it touch it read something like 2.700″, then hit the 1/2 button and the Y will read 1.350″, feed back until it reads 0.000 and you will be central between the two edges or leave it where it is and you are 1.350″ from the centre.

 

PM me your e-mail and I’ll scan the installation pictures if you want them.

 

Jason

Edited By JasonB on 08/08/2010 19:44:06

[Traction manParticipant @tractionman]

Hi Les

 

The long scale on the back of the lathe bed is actualy fitted to the lathe at a single point on a substantial beam, this is because the lathe casting is very rough. The beam has jacking screws to adust it in both plains. I could not get my dial gauge to reach down to the beam so I fitted a bar to the back of the cross slide and adjusted the beam so there was the same gap by using feeler gauges. The scale was then mounted on the beam with its protective cover. The read head was fitted to its brackets with the plastic transport bits still attached, these were then removed and the clearence gap of the head checked along the travel of the scale.

I found a video on youtube about drilling patterns of holes using a SINO which made me realise that some times instead of moving to a value to get a location one moves to a zero display instead. I suspect that my lack of knowledge on this subject is considerable adding to my inability to get it to do what I think I want, if that makes sense

 

Cheers

[Traction manParticipant @tractionman]

Hi Jason

 

You are obviously way ahead of me on how to use these things, as I put in my posting to Les I think my lack of knowledge is considerably adding to my problems, so that I don’t know if its the system or me or there is another way of getting to the same end result.

 

I get the feeling that if some one like your self could write a book on a beginers guide to using a DRO for the Workshop Practice series it would be an absolute gold mine for people like me.

 

Still you have given me some hope and I will get the display out of its box and have another go.

 

 

Cheers

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Best put your name down for this then

 

One tip I got from KWIL is to put a fine felt tip pen in your mill chuck and have a practice with that. I did it before I committed to drilling the PCD holes as it was the first time i’d used the function.

 

Jason

Edited By JasonB on 08/08/2010 20:12:13

[Traction manParticipant @tractionman]

Hi Jason

 

 

I all ready have, I just wonder how long the wait will be as I was told that there was a new manual being written, but at the last midlands show was told that the person who was writting it had left so it was down the pan.

[BogstandardParticipant @bogstandard]

Having got two Sino 2 axis units on my lathe, and a 3 axis on my mill, and just about to order another 2 axis for my old surface grinder, I can assure you, even being disabled as I am, they are relatively easy to fit and the manuals are plenty good enough to set them up. But there are pitfalls.

 

It seems that people want to just open up the box and have them jump out and fit and program themselves automatically. EVERYTHING you require is in the manual, the only problem is that you have to read it.

 

You should find that using your engineering knowledge, most things are provided to mount things up in various ways, even onto very rough castings, but invariably, unless it is a very easy installation, you will have to manufacture all sorts of fittings and brackets to solve your particular mounting problems. They will need to be to thou accuracy or have facility for adjustment and you should do the same for setting the heads, because if you don’t, you can actually damage the read heads. If you can’t work to those tolerances, don’t even try. Pay someone to do it for you.

 

I have now been using them for two years, and during this time, they haven’t missed a beat. I don’t use the machine dials any more, everything is done using the readouts, they are far more accurate, unless of course you haven’t set them up perfectly true, and the supplier can’t be held responsible for that.

 

Here are a few links that shows how mine were fitted. The lathe came with the saddle and cross slide, and the mill with X & Y already done.

 

This is fitting the No1 z axis to the mill

 

Mill Z axis read head

 

Mounting a read head to tailstock

 

Tailstock DRO 

 

If you read those two bits, it shows that fitting DRO’s is not a thing to be taken lightly, and it must be done very accurately, and you must plan out everything very well.

Here  is a quickie about the compound.

 

Compound 

 

 

Bogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Traction manParticipant @tractionman]

Just for peoples information I have had conversation with your frends at M-DRO, and the new hand book for the SDS6 is being worked on and should be available soon.

 

 

 

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Well my two axis Sino lathe DRO has a tool memory for 200 tools.

Only problem is after 3 years I still can’t use it, I follow the destructions in the book but get different readings / menu’s to what they do so i can’t follow thru.

 

It’s now not that critical anyway as I have broken 199 of the tools.

 

John S.

[ianjParticipant @ians]

Posted by mgj on 03/01/2010 22:30:36:

 

 

To set up for accurate cutting depth, measure cuts against a micrometer measurement. If the lathe is taking too much, (ie you are consistently coming out a tad undersize) enter a +ve linear compensation and vice versa. I have got mine spot on (+/- .0001" – it is astonishingly accurate), but the final measurement bears little relation to the supplied accuracy chart.

 

 

Hi.

I have just fitted a Sino SDS6-2V DRO to the X axis ( cross slide) on my ML7RB, I'm trying to fine tune the linear travel. I can enter the linear correction setup but how do you enter either +ve or -Ve before the digits ie. + 0.03mm or –0.03mm.

Ian

Edited By ian j on 14/07/2017 22:52:26

[Author]

Posts