Dial read outs for your lathe or mill/drill

[js2112au]

Thanks for the brilliant idea Metal Butcher!! This is exactly the kind of useful info and ideas I came here for.

I'm a little tired of checking my jobs with calipers ever few minutes because I know the graduations on my dials aren't accurate, and I'm still at that "crawling" stage with my lathe - learning how not to break parting tools and such, so I'm not sure I want to go the whole hog and get a digital readout kit just yet.

The fitting on my lathe - a Sieg C2 was a little trickier than your's looked - it's smaller and not as well constructed and I had to do some drilling and tapping on the slides. The end result - a pretty basic construction, worked like a charm. I also took the issue you've faced with having the dial on the business side of things, and mounted it on the other side.

Here's a pic of what I ended up with:

 

[DaveH]

This is really a question for MB or anyone has used his mill/dial gauge modification.

I have noticed that the machine when running causes the needle to vibrate (slightly).

So how is yours standing up ( the dial gauge that is)?

I’d hate the needle to fall off after a couple of weeks – a couple of years won’t bother me.

Dave

 

[Metal Butcher]

This is really a question for MB or anyone has used his mill/dial gauge modification.

I have noticed that the machine when running causes the needle to vibrate (slightly).

So how is yours standing up ( the dial gauge that is)?

I’d hate the needle to fall off after a couple of weeks – a couple of years won’t bother me.

Dave

Dave, I don't have any quiver of the dial indicator needles on the lathe.

On the mill (milling) I zero out on the work, offset the cutter and lower the end mill the appropriate amount, lock the quill and start the machine and make my cut. The needle does quiver a bit, so I just ignore it.

Drilling to a specific depth the needle quivers quite a bit, usually plus/minus a few thousands, Since I'm usually drilling holes to be tapped the depth is not too critical, and a few thousands more or less dosn't really matter.

I'm still using the same indicators I installed several years ago. They are battle scared and have been through several wars and still work well. The ones I use cost about $6 to $7 and still produce repeatable results.

Ignore the quiver, It won't cause any harm.

-MB

 

[DaveH]

MB

Thanks - just the answer I was hoping for. ;D

The vibration doesn't bother me from a reading point of view.

I was just a little concerned about the dial gauge falling to pieces.

I have nearly finished the mod. I will post a couple of photos - day or so.(As a credit to you)

I think it is a really really clever idea. :bow:

Just can't understand why I didn't think of it! Rof}

Dave

 

[Metal Butcher]

Thanks for the brilliant idea Metal Butcher!! This is exactly the kind of useful info and ideas I came here for.

I'm a little tired of checking my jobs with calipers ever few minutes because I know the graduations on my dials aren't accurate, and I'm still at that "crawling" stage with my lathe - learning how not to break parting tools and such, so I'm not sure I want to go the whole hog and get a digital readout kit just yet.

The fitting on my lathe - a Sieg C2 was a little trickier than your's looked - it's smaller and not as well constructed and I had to do some drilling and tapping on the slides. The end result - a pretty basic construction, worked like a charm. I also took the issue you've faced with having the dial on the business side of things, and mounted it on the other side.

Sorry, I missed your post. Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad that I could help out, and that your benefiting from my ideas.

With a small amount of practice the set up works so well that I have no need to even think about using anything else.

-MB

 

[Foozer]

I have noticed that the machine when running causes the needle to vibrate (slightly).

I get that at times, needle just does a +/- .001 dance at a certain machine speed. So I just don't use that speed, Lord to early in the Am and not enough coffee yet. If the slide adj starts to loosen up then the needle will dance, that's just part of an old hunk of iron in use. Done a lot of interrupted cutting that just sends the needle on its own little acid trip.

Haven't had a needle fall off yet and I just use the chepo Shars DI's. Only failure I have had is jamming the plunger into the body purely my fault for not watching the travel.

I may be ANAL but I personally prefer the dial to be mounted on the tailstock side of the slide. I like my body parts, dum de dum, had enough chips and such thrown into my face over the years that keeping body parts as far from rotating objects as possible has become the standard.

Needle buzzing, picking up a vibration, nail it down as to whats loose. Motor caused, can be, and for me its a project to remount the motor separate from the lathe bench so only the link belt connects the two. If you take a glass of water and set it on the lathe bench the surface will show vibrations that you cant feel. The nice centered, steady pond ripple is Ok, the double ripple set is, AH, well a sign that something is out of wack.


Its a good little Mod to do, gets you close to target without having to start and stop just to measure. Well worth the time to do. It is what it is and even tho the only failure of a DI was my error I still consider them to be disposable tooling. I try to keep em functional but at this stage of my learning curve Im not going fret to much if/when I hose one up.

Robert

 

[DaveH]

Robert,

And on the mill?

Dave

 

[Foozer]

Robert,

And on the mill?

Dave

Last chunk of change for a mill went for a 24volt 200watt solar panel, another hobby

Robert

 

[Metal Butcher]

Hi Robert. Each machine will be slightly different and will dictate a proper and safe mounting placement for the rods and dial indicators. Any one contemplating this modification should use good judgment based on safety above all.

On my 9 x 20 the left side of the top slide turned out to be safe and appropriate. If you take a close look at my #2 picture you can see that the brass locking screws are in front and on top of the slide just above the carriage hand wheel. To make an adjustment I take hold of the transfer block just above the hand wheel, loosen the lock screw on top of the top slide, make the adjustment and tighten the screw. I never touch the dial indicator to make adjustments. Its all done by manipulating the transfer block on the end of the traveling rod. I am in no more danger, or any closer to the chuck than I would normally be, in the normal course of operating my lathe hand wheel.

In picture #3 below the indicator (just below the plunger) you can see an extra hole in the mounting block. The mounting block can be reversed with the addition of a small spacer between it and the indicator, to bring the indicator out even further and way out in front of the carriage. I only used this reversing option once for extra clearance when I used my 6"- 4-jaw chuck with a very larger work piece.

-MB

 

[Foozer]

Hi Robert. Each machine will be slightly different and will dictate a proper and safe mounting placement for the rods and dial indicators. Any one contemplating this modification should use good judgement based on safety above all.

-MB

I agree, your setup looks heck of a lot better than what I cobbled up. As I said,I tend to get Anal about some things. Many ways to get to the goal line, doing so without injury is the trick. I'm locked into the box of "To the Right To the Right" when it comes to the lathe. silly perhaps.

Your safety clarification point is taken as well thought out Other than my bull headed "To the Right" mindset I wanted to keep the chips as far away as possible. The other DI for the lead screw is nothing but battle scared

Stay safe out there

Robert

 

[Metal Butcher]

I look at it this way Robert.

If being concerned about safety is "anal", then we should all be Very, Very Anal!

"To the right" Is dictated by your machine and good judgment'

You are right, to go to the right.

And I know I'm right.

Right! Rof}

-MB

 

[DaveH]

Well here's mine The MB mill dial gauge mod. ;D

Full credit to MB for a great idea. :bow:

Thanks MB

Dave