Using New DRO on Mill Drill

[GKman]

Starting to find out how handy new DRO is. Needed to match drill 5 holes from a worm gear casting to an adaptor plate but neither side was flat to match drill. Have an Ah-Ha, use a few of the DRO's 200 memory functions. With a pointed pin in the chuck, I located each hole and stored it's X-Y position.


Punched the first hole position on the adaptor plate where I wanted it, switched to a wiggler and located the plate with position 1 on DRO.


Switched to a drill and drilled the 5 holes at the memory positions. Thanks somebody for the tip about using scrap Lexan under the workpiece. Will try to get a bright color from the dumpster next time so it's easier to see the punch through.


If you say nice things, I might show the final product - a windshield wiper motor cranking that mill head up and down. LIFE IS GOOD!

[garagemark]

I'll say nice things, but I won't talk dirty to you... Reserved for the ladies.

Anyway, I'd like to see the finished result, as I too want to build a similar unit for my M/D.

[KiloBravo]

Wish I had my DRO installed on my Sq. column mill. I could have used that trick last week. I am building one too, but using an Asong X-axis power feed. Some one on the mill/drill yahoo group had plans. By the plate, it looks to be similar to yours.

Of course I had to put up a pulley system and hang 150 lb weight to counter balance some of the head weight on it.

I think those things are useless without a z power feed on the head.

[MinnesotaHSM]

"I think those things are useless without a z power feed on the head."

Can you explain your statement in more detail? I have a square column mill and I simply lock the z axis everytime, which is easy enough.

- T

[KiloBravo]

Can you explain your statement in more detail? I have a square column mill and I simply lock the z axis everytime, which is easy enough. - T

Maybe it's my bum shoulder, but the effort required to crank that head up and down is prohibitive. That's what I was referring too. The machine itself is quite capable.

I would have got this one had I known.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/9-x-32-Gear-Head-Mill-Drill-with-Stand/G0484

[GKman]

Of course I had to put up a pulley system and hang 150 lb weight to counter balance some of the head weight on it.

I think I better counterweight this one. Draws 7 amps @ 12v going up, only 3 amps going down. Don't know the rating of the motor/ gearbox. Not worried about motor but all of the force is transfered through a small nylon worm gear in the output. Nice design on the gears though. The steel worm has the thinnest possible teeth so the worm gear just has narrow slashes across it's od to make the teeth.

[KiloBravo]

I think I better counterweight this one. Draws 7 amps @ 12v going up, only 3 amps going down. Don't know the rating of the motor/ gearbox. Not worried about motor but all of the force is transfered through a small nylon worm gear in the output. Nice design on the gears though. The steel worm has the thinnest possible teeth so the worm gear just has narrow slashes across it's od to make the teeth.

Lots of good designs on the Yahoo Mill/Drill group in the photo section.
Some with weights and pulleys, others with gas shocks.
The gas shocks mounted on the side to a bar attached to the head was the neatest. However, they only have a 12 inch stroke so he gave up some z axis range as a trade off.