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Digital Readout For Tail Stock
- Thread starter kentuckyjim
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2013
- Messages
- 837
Most of the calipers I've drilled holes through the jaws of had been hardened, a carbide drill bit made the job much easier.
If you have a DRO on your lathe then why not just use this. Here's how :
Zero your tailstock as per normal, in other words get to your starting point.
Now move your lathe carriage so that the tool post kisses up against the drill chuck in the tailstock. I use the scroll teeth on the chuck for this.
Now zero your x axis and you have your starting point.
Now if you are planning to drill 2" deep then move your carriage till the DRO shows 2" and lock down your carriage.
Now drill as per normal with your tailstock until the chuck kisses the tool post again. Bonus is that the tool post acts as a stop too.
What I like about my method is that you can move the entire tailstock and not loose your zero position. (good for peck drilling deep holes longer than your tailstock travel).
On small lathe line the mini lathe leave your carriage unlocked and against the drill chuck and you can have the tailstock move the carriage for you and watch the DRO.
Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk
Zero your tailstock as per normal, in other words get to your starting point.
Now move your lathe carriage so that the tool post kisses up against the drill chuck in the tailstock. I use the scroll teeth on the chuck for this.
Now zero your x axis and you have your starting point.
Now if you are planning to drill 2" deep then move your carriage till the DRO shows 2" and lock down your carriage.
Now drill as per normal with your tailstock until the chuck kisses the tool post again. Bonus is that the tool post acts as a stop too.
What I like about my method is that you can move the entire tailstock and not loose your zero position. (good for peck drilling deep holes longer than your tailstock travel).
On small lathe line the mini lathe leave your carriage unlocked and against the drill chuck and you can have the tailstock move the carriage for you and watch the DRO.
Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk
That works for rough drilling but not for precise work. I have a barrel chucked up and chambered close but I'm worried about over shooting my measurement. I will be making something for this weekend but will end up with an igaging unit.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
I bought a Shooting Star (Canadian) three axis readout for a mill many years ago. Put it on the lathe. The third (z) axis went on the tailstock. The advantage to SS was that it used a rack and pinion drive, not glass scales. Easy to shorten, easy to custom mount. Used phone connectors to the heads. 3.5 digit readout (XXX and 0 or 5) plenty good enough. Big LED readout. If you don't have X & Y readouts, get a DRO made for a mill, not a lathe- the third axis is cheap and the DRO really makes life easier. Glass scales may be easier to adapt now, don't know- but make sure whatever you get can be mounted/shortened if needed, and think hard about LED vs LCD displays vis-a-vis readability in your shop lighting.
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2014
- Messages
- 51
You bring up some very good points. Thanks
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Are you referring to my method of using the carriage? I don't see how you can overshoot as the tool post acts as a physical stop against the drill chuck. It is not possible to drill deeper without the tailstock chuck physically moving the carriage, which the DRO will point out.
Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk
Yes I was referring to your post I didn't see the first line on my phone you having a DRO. I was thinking of making a bracket for a dial indacator on the tool post pointing toward the tail stock ? I want to finish chambering this weekend projects are piling up .
