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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Cairns, Qld.
    Posts
    70

    Default DRO Install HF-46 Mill

    Nothing unusual about this addition I guess. Done recently in March & April. Not an install that you can rush however, a fair bit of thinking required before drilling holes in important parts of the machine & cutting/bending metal.
    The X axis was the (easy?) first one done as the two adjacent surfaces are hopefully square & parallel, though access was a bit problematic for drilling & tapping several 4mm mounting holes. Had to re-drill the oil hole access for the rear ways as it was covered over by the scale.
    The Y axis scale required two 7 degree wedges made to adjust for the draft angle on the main base casting, whilst 2 aluminium brackets were fabricated to mount the reader head & allow the l/h end casting of the table to full travel inwards. Very fiddly with much measuring & triple-checking before drilling, tapping & bending.
    The display unit mount bracket was bolted to the main vertical column, but you need to be mindful of the supplied flat attach bracket (made of a crappy aluminium casting) being bolted to the double-curved rear face of the column. Could easily snap said bracket if spacers not fitted.
    I left the Z axis fitment for a couple of weeks whilst playing with the 2-axis features & checking & adjusting alignments.
    The display unit has a couple of features added within the software that were not mentioned in the supplied poor 'Chinglish' instructions. This caused a bit of grief for a day or two until sorted out.
    Last week I added the Z axis kit. It took a couple of iterations before I got the means of moving the reader head sorted-out satisfactorily & in reasonable alignment.
    I did not use any of the other supplied aluminium mount brackets & plates of the 'mill install kit' as they were totally unsuited to this install. However, there was plenty of general hardware, shims & p-clips for the job. I only broke the very tip off one 4mm taper tap & that was just at the entry to a drilled hole, so that was extracted easily.. I had to use a right-angle drive adaptor on the battery drill to enable access for the X axis mount holes in the rear of the table & saddle, even with it wound fully forward. Steady hands needed there. Perhaps a more compact drill would have been easier?

    Pictures below...

    Y axis @ 30%.jpgZ axis @ 30%.jpgX axis @ 30%.jpgRear view @ 30%.jpg

    Now to put it to good use.
    H614
    Note It is an HM-46 mill. Can't change the title.
    Last edited by Halifax614; 27th Apr 2022 at 01:40 PM. Reason: Tidy up

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Southern Flinders Ranges
    Posts
    1,536

    Default

    Very similar to how I mounted mine up on my 45 size mill
    Attached Images Attached Images

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Revesby - Sydney Australia
    Age
    56
    Posts
    1,183

    Default

    Nice brackets on the Y-axis!

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