Yesterday I decided to finish off the DRO install, which had been put on hold due to other projects/commitments. I got the Z axis scale lined up and finished off the bracket for the read head.
As I had to make the x axis read head movable, I needed to make a cable guide to prevent fouling when retracting the cross slide. Additionally, when the feed gears go back on, the cable needs to be kept clear of them. I took a 1/2" elbow with a decent radius and then cut it in half and smoothed out inside with a die grinder. I brazed this to a bracket and I'm pleased with the result. A loop added to the worm gear cradle finished this off nicely.
I ran the carriage all the way to the rear of the bed (that took some cranking!) and then pinned the cables near the headstock and then routed them behind the pedestal and up the front. Whilst I have an excess of cable on the z axis, I'm short on the x axis. My plan is to shorten the z axis and use the excess cable to extend the x axis. I guess my lathe wasn't the one in mind when they designed these things.
Final shot of the readout in position.
Sorry for the quality of these pics - I forgot to take my camera with me, so these are off my phone.
As I had to make the x axis read head movable, I needed to make a cable guide to prevent fouling when retracting the cross slide. Additionally, when the feed gears go back on, the cable needs to be kept clear of them. I took a 1/2" elbow with a decent radius and then cut it in half and smoothed out inside with a die grinder. I brazed this to a bracket and I'm pleased with the result. A loop added to the worm gear cradle finished this off nicely.
I ran the carriage all the way to the rear of the bed (that took some cranking!) and then pinned the cables near the headstock and then routed them behind the pedestal and up the front. Whilst I have an excess of cable on the z axis, I'm short on the x axis. My plan is to shorten the z axis and use the excess cable to extend the x axis. I guess my lathe wasn't the one in mind when they designed these things.
Final shot of the readout in position.
Sorry for the quality of these pics - I forgot to take my camera with me, so these are off my phone.
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