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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,438

    Default Mill Quill DRO !

    Hi Guys,

    My BF20LB mill has a digital readout on the quill, since I fitted the three axis DRO I've discovered that the quill readout sticks and the readings change in jumps ! I had never noticed before but it annoys me now. The slide is moved when ever the quill is raised or lowered by a rather poor long piece of plastic bar screwed between the slide and the quill.

    Mill-25-05-2021.jpg

    I've circled the bit that pulls the sliding bar up and down. Please excuse the rather wobbly red brush lines .

    On close examination I've found that the bar that runs through the readout head is twisted by the plastic bar and it also pushes the bar to one side making the slide stick in the guides. I've come to the conclusion that this is not good for either the readout or its repeatability.

    So in order to rectify this problem and also to provide an attachment point for another gauge I intend to make a replacement as per the drawing below.

    Mill Quill DRO.png

    This is a simple clamp made from 10 mm thick hard aluminium plate, clamped directly onto the quill with a single M4 cap screw at the back. The long wide piece at the front will be used to move the quill DRO slide. Hopefully it won't have any flex worth bothering about and can also be used to carry a clock gauge or other instrument.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Age
    56
    Posts
    1,416

    Default

    Mine never came with one, so for the DRO I made a steel collar, welded to a shaped plate with a triangular support then to a 20x20mm vertical post that holds the reader head. It was a bugger to get it to totally run accurate to the quill, but has worked fine all these years since around 2009.

    The multipurpose dial indicator arms connected to the triangular support thread, makes traming the vice and jobs easy and quick as it's there ready to go.

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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,438

    Default

    Hi Dave, Guys,

    I suspect that you might be a little ahead of me there ! I've already started to make the clamp plate ! I will post some pictures later on.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Age
    56
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BaronJ View Post
    Hi Dave, Guys,

    I suspect that you might be a little ahead of me there ! I've already started to make the clamp plate ! I will post some pictures later on.
    I'll take a picture of it tomorrow for you

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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
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    Default

    I've actually been thinking lately to have an enclosed cover to make it look like it was enclosed and part of the mill head like your type of mill, but with a Bridgeport style downfeed stop.
    I originally had a aluminium cover on it.

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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Riddells Creek, Vic.
    Posts
    831

    Default

    This is how I did it on a Beaver Milling Machine, it is not very elegant but certainly is handy to use.

    Quill DRO.JPG

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
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    56
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    Default

    I only just remembered about a picture of mine when taking pictures of my electric drawbar build progress for Bollie this afternoon sorry.

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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
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    Default

    Another

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