I just finished installing a DRO on my lathe. It was a bit of a headscratcher & the usual tradeoff's with positioning & mounting, but overall I'm happy with how it came together.
One thing I'm noticing now via the DRO display is how much the cross slide can move simply by tightening down (locking the slide) for final cuts. It can displace several thou, generally in same direction, but not always. The set mechanism is basically a M4? bolt end that contacts the gib strip, The bolt end just has a simple chamfer, makes total sense how it can impart an unwanted push by torquing motion.
What can I do about this? Insert a ball bearing between bolt & gib strip? I re-adjusted the gibs themselves when I had it apart, they are not loose, if anything just a smidge stiff.
One thing I'm noticing now via the DRO display is how much the cross slide can move simply by tightening down (locking the slide) for final cuts. It can displace several thou, generally in same direction, but not always. The set mechanism is basically a M4? bolt end that contacts the gib strip, The bolt end just has a simple chamfer, makes total sense how it can impart an unwanted push by torquing motion.
What can I do about this? Insert a ball bearing between bolt & gib strip? I re-adjusted the gibs themselves when I had it apart, they are not loose, if anything just a smidge stiff.
petertha, proud to be a member of MetalworkingFun since Sep 2012.