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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Newcastle
    Posts
    124

    Default Round column Mill - position aligner

    As any owner of a round column Mill knows, one of the pitfalls is re-aligning the head to a previous position after making a height adjustment.

    I've thought long and hard on how to overcome the issue and after seeing a cheapish (as far as lasers go) laser on an online site I thought it might be a solution.



    Spent a few hours this afternoon turning a new adjuster nut for the mounting bracket I got with the laser.



    Next thing will to be design and make a new mounting bracket, so that I can better align and adjust the laser.




    Once that's sorted I'm thinking of using a small magnetic white board or large fridge magnet, with suitably sized centrelines to match the laser beam width, as a target for the laser.
    The target is still a work in progress at the moment, but its a start.
    Hafco AL320G Lathe
    Toolex RF31 Mill/Drill
    Saber Bandsaw

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
    Age
    59
    Posts
    6,540

    Default

    One thing I have heard done is using a mirror and bouncing the beam off that onto a mark/ target on the wall. You would have to make sure your mirror was parallel with the column but by bouncing that way onto a wall you would get much better accuracy. A thought.

    Michael

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Brisbane Australia
    Posts
    85

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Newcastle
    Posts
    124

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Somedayplumbing View Post

    Looks like I have Spare laser, .............. lol
    Hafco AL320G Lathe
    Toolex RF31 Mill/Drill
    Saber Bandsaw

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Somerset, England
    Posts
    8

    Default

    I fitted a small laser to my round column mill. Sourced it on Ebay, it was the type that clips to a small hand gun, so it is very small, not much more than an inchxinchxinch cube. Fitted it to the front of the belt guard with the laser sighting off to the right. Made a small vertical white board with bot a thick black vertical target line the width of the beam and also a double vertical target lines the distance apart of the beam. Works reasonably well the little I have tried it, could be improved, the beam is a bit fuzzy on the edges. Have thought of using a mirror to reflect it back at an angle to improve accuracy but not done it yet. Accuracy so far about 0.003", so OK for most stuff but could be better. Main problem is I keep forgetting to switch it off and it kills the little battery cells!

    This is my first post on here so not worked out how to add photos yet, the helpful newbie info post bit didn't work for me when I tried to see how to add pics, so can't show anyone the set-up yet.

    Chris

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Somerset, England
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Well, have managed the first bit, resizing and uploading a couple of photos, next I have to work out how to reposition them as the target is ahead of the laser. They seem small compared to other photos on here too. Anyway, the pics show the little laser mounted on the belt guard of the mill. Should have had the laser on really! There is a little bracket - which came with the laser - which is bolted to the guard. The target is attached (you can see the indentations of the two screws) to a clamp that secures it to a shelf as far from the laser as I can get in my small shed. Gives you all an idea anyway. Chris

    Mill Laser Target.jpg

    Mill Laser.jpg

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Somerset, England
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Just a quick question Oldhack, nothing to do with round column mills, but - how did you get your pictures so big on this thread?

    Chris - still learning

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Default

    Hi Chris,

    If the pictures are not too big to start with, the forum software will resize them for you.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Somerset, England
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Hi Baron J,

    How big is "not too big"?. I think my photos were about 1.9mb, would that be too big?

    Chris

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Default

    Hi Chris,

    Quote Originally Posted by Laurentic View Post
    Hi Baron J,

    How big is "not too big"?. I think my photos were about 1.9mb, would that be too big?

    Chris
    I meant in X - Y size. I forget exactly what mine are, about 1800 by 1400 pixels usually.

    Actually whilst looking through the camera menu, the actual picture size is determined by the focus distance which is automatic ! So a close up is smaller than if I'm three feet away. It doesn't actually give me an image size, like my SLR which gives me a choice of frame sizes.

    The forum software automatically resizes images that are bigger than it likes and refuses images which are too big.

    The forum gets very quiet at this time of the evening, they are all in bed
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Newcastle
    Posts
    124

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Laurentic View Post
    Just a quick question Oldhack, nothing to do with round column mills, but - how did you get your pictures so big on this thread?

    Chris - still learning

    All my pics are stored in a photo hosting site (photoimage.org) at 1024x724 or thereabouts, and linked at the same size.
    Hafco AL320G Lathe
    Toolex RF31 Mill/Drill
    Saber Bandsaw

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Somerset, England
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Baron J - my pics were about 4032 x 3024, so way bigger!

    Yes, about this time of the evening I guess things are quiet as they are all in bed Down Under, it'll get busy when we have all gone to bed back here in GoC, but we can live with that.

    Chris

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Default

    Hi Chris,

    Its just occurred to me, are you clicking on the picture that you have posted in order to view it !

    Some of mine when viewed that way are way bigger than seen in the post. I also right click and view pictures directly in a new window, which allows me to scroll them.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

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