I made some progress mounting the scale for the X axis on my lathe. I spent a bunch of time trying to figure out the best place to mount the scales, and after some debating with myself i decided to place it above the cross slide gib adjustment screws and with the reader towards the back of the saddle. With the cover on i shorten by tailstock travel by less than .5" so that's not terrible. Drilled, tapped, leveled and the scale mounted to the bracket. Here's what it looks like:
![PXL_20230107_204347192.jpg PXL_20230107_204347192.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/389/389956-a4ae0462558ee822d3fe9ba7f6bf767b.jpg)
I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to mount the read head with only one bolt and while it might have been OK i decided to make another part. Well truth be told i made a new part twice! In the layout i flipped the part around enough times that i ended up laying it out so that the leg was on the wrong side, Darn it!
![IMG_20230108_132714_02.jpg IMG_20230108_132714_02.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/389/389960-7d00eff53536238e3a60dcb4be993690.jpg)
Re-made the part with the leg on the correct side.
![PXL_20230109_000607376.jpg PXL_20230109_000607376.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/389/389957-6b73868fab1699c4db0a1947dbe53268.jpg)
Got as far as center punching the holes for the read head screws but no drilling or tapping.
![PXL_20230109_000614255.jpg PXL_20230109_000614255.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/389/389958-561b5a3ee7ad3142bdf69fe37ace0f94.jpg)
The pieces are aluminum and look way rougher than they feel. I'm an amateur at best so i'm pretty thrilled that i've hit my tolerances so far.
Don't know if i really had to remake this piece as it seemed affixed quite firmly but i didn't want to have to pull the lathe away from the wall, take off the splash guard and potentially replace the reader if it gets broken in the future. I did find out that after all of the comparisons on AliExpress i did end up with 5 Micron scales for both the X and Z. I had thought that the X axis was 1 Micron as it was a slim line model built for the cross slides but i attempted to purchase both scales from the same seller and clearly didn't pay enough attention when ordering.
Making progress, slowly but surely.
![PXL_20230107_204347192.jpg PXL_20230107_204347192.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/389/389956-a4ae0462558ee822d3fe9ba7f6bf767b.jpg)
I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to mount the read head with only one bolt and while it might have been OK i decided to make another part. Well truth be told i made a new part twice! In the layout i flipped the part around enough times that i ended up laying it out so that the leg was on the wrong side, Darn it!
![IMG_20230108_132714_02.jpg IMG_20230108_132714_02.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/389/389960-7d00eff53536238e3a60dcb4be993690.jpg)
Re-made the part with the leg on the correct side.
![PXL_20230109_000607376.jpg PXL_20230109_000607376.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/389/389957-6b73868fab1699c4db0a1947dbe53268.jpg)
Got as far as center punching the holes for the read head screws but no drilling or tapping.
![PXL_20230109_000614255.jpg PXL_20230109_000614255.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/389/389958-561b5a3ee7ad3142bdf69fe37ace0f94.jpg)
The pieces are aluminum and look way rougher than they feel. I'm an amateur at best so i'm pretty thrilled that i've hit my tolerances so far.
Don't know if i really had to remake this piece as it seemed affixed quite firmly but i didn't want to have to pull the lathe away from the wall, take off the splash guard and potentially replace the reader if it gets broken in the future. I did find out that after all of the comparisons on AliExpress i did end up with 5 Micron scales for both the X and Z. I had thought that the X axis was 1 Micron as it was a slim line model built for the cross slides but i attempted to purchase both scales from the same seller and clearly didn't pay enough attention when ordering.
Making progress, slowly but surely.