Seeking Sieg X3 DRO info please

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This evening I will post a clutch mod I have made - I got the mod from Paula - can't remember more about her - but it is well written and work great and is easy to use.
Pete
 
I have attached 3 mods that make the X3 more user friendly.
None are difficult or time consuming but what a difference.
The Clutch resolves the problem of extra torque when using the hand wheel in the x-axis and the spindle lock gets rid of a wrench when changing collets. The stops make simple X-axis milling easier to setup.
Clutch and spindle lock are not my design but I am still very thankful for having Paula's design and input.

Pete

View attachment Clutch.zip

View attachment spindle lock.zip

View attachment Stop Block.zip
 
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGcqeq4gUys"]YouTube Link to Homemade Power feed with "simple" clutch.[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cy-zF6R6cI"]Another YouTube with better "simple" Clutch[/ame]

I still think there's better ways, suppose that's why I haven't settled on doing it just yet.
 
Hi Dickeybird
Have you seen the article by Alex Du Pre in the latest two issues of Model Engineers Workshop magazine.
He details his installation of a DRO to an X3 and in particular demonstates how he fitted the Y axis with a stationary readhead. I will be attempting something similar with my SX3
Ron
 
No I haven't Ron. Is that a magazine one has to purchase from a store or is it available online?
 
Well, I’m finally back to report on the mTech 3-axis DRO I bought from thedrostore.com. It took far longer than it should have but wow, am I glad to have it now! I’ve had the mill for over 8 years now and have made & bought a steady stream of tooling for it as money & time permitted. Knowing what I know now and if I had it to do over again, I would’ve got the DRO first then moved on to all the other stuff. There’s no telling how much time would’ve been saved over those 8 years not to mention the far fewer numbers of mistakes and scrapped parts. Did I mention how much I like this thing?

Anyway, here are a few pics of the items I had to deal with over & above the standard installation tips you gentlemen posted above. Thanks very much for all your help.

My X3 has a Grizz X-axis power feed installed (couple years ago) which makes the Y-axis reader bracket a little bit awkward. I just juggled the supplied kit brackets a bit and fitted it around the unit with it run fully to the right.

You can also see the aluminum scale mounting pads on the Y axis. That was one of the hardest things to get right since the X3 casting is angled in all directions & lumpy. I milled the inner face of the pads to match the angle, spot glued them to a straight bar to keep the outer faces aligned and juggled it around to fit & glued the pads on with super glue after cleaning & roughing up 2 spots on the side. The rear one fit pretty well but the side of the casting was twisted and the front one had a gap at the top. I filled the gap with epoxy filler & once that cured, drilled & tapped the mounting holes. I was able get the scale dialed in to less than a thou at full travels so I guess I did OK.





The electrical cable glands on the bottom of the case hit the scale body at full travel so I had to shift them over about an inch. You can see I took the lazy way out & cut connecting slots between the holes so the wires could be slid across without unplugging everything. I told myself it increased the cooling airflow as well.







I scratched my head a bit on the Z-axis reader bracket and ended up using stuff I had lying around to get it mounted. It’s slotted in all needed directions and once tightened up was very rigid and I was able to dial it in almost perfectly.



I’ve done a few jobs with it now and am still grinning ear to ear! I’m still figuring out the various onboard functions and I’m sure there are a multitude of time-saving tricks to learn as time goes by.

Cheers!
 

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