How I mounted up my inexpensive IGaging DROs, to my lathe using 3M VHB mounting tape.

xalky

Registered
Registered
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
2,220
There are a lot of reasons for not wanting to drill screw and tap your cheap DROs to the lathe. My reasons were that I didn't want to drill and tap holes because moving the lathe away from the wall to get to the back side seemed like way too much work to install $70 worth of DROs that may not even pan out to be good enough. If I was installing a DRO that was pricier, I would do it "the right way". If these inexpensive DROs turn out to be quite impressive over the long haul then I'll endeavor to mount them up more permanently.
:allgood:

Here's some photos of how the IGaging DROs are mounted up to my lathe and the process I'm using. I'm using 3M VHB (very High Bond) Tape. You can get it on amazon or Ebay. I went on the 3M site for surface preparation and temperature recommendations. Ideal temps are 68-degrees Fahrenheit. The surface must be thoroughly cleaned and degreased. I first cleaned it with purple power, you can use some other spray cleaner. Then i followed that with automotive wax and grease remover. The final step is to wipe it with isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). I'm not sure, but I think you can use denatured alcohol too. I used isopropyl because thats what it said to use in the directions.

The tape is temperature and pressure sensitive. I only keep my shop heated to around 60 degrees, so its a little too cool. So what i did was warm up the area where the bonding is to take place with a heat gun. Don't use a torch or you can cause all kinds of tempering and burning issues. Even with the heat gun, you have to be careful not to overheat any of the areas. Especially don't overheat the painted areas, as you can burn and strip the paint. I am also clamping all the bonding surfaces and periodically heating up the areas around them to activate the adhesive and to give the adhesive a good chance to ooze into all the micro-pores. I didn't sand the the surfaces but, i read that it can be beneficial to do so. I also read somewhere that if the surface is powder coated that there is a special tape for that surface. Apparently this stuff doesn't like to stick to powder coat.

So far this thing has been clamped up for about 10 hrs overnight. I'm gonna give it a full 24 hrs because of the shop temperature, heating the areas periodically with the heat gun, just to be sure it's not gonna come apart.

I was able to use the existing brackets that came with the DROs by doing a little creative reworking of the brackets.

Every lathe is a little different, some of the older lathes don't have too many flat and square surfaces to mount things to, so if you have one of those, this tape method may not work at all. On my SB9 I 'd be able to mount on the back side, no problem. But the cross slide is a different story, I'd have to lay the scale flat next to the cross slide. No matter what lathe you're mounting to, you're going to have to get a little creative making or reworking the brackets.

Anther method that might work is to use an epoxy putty such as PC7 to mount them up.

20131105_090109_zpsfb46ddd8.jpg
This is a picture of the lathe with the clamps on it clamping down all the mounting points.

20131105_090123_zpsb3980d14.jpg

The cross slide clamped up.

20131105_090150_zps099c4f9a.jpg

The back side clamped up.

20131105_090221_zpsdf583213.jpg

A closeup of the back side mounted to the carriage.

Marcel

20131105_090109_zpsfb46ddd8.jpg

20131105_090123_zpsb3980d14.jpg

20131105_090150_zps099c4f9a.jpg

20131105_090221_zpsdf583213.jpg
 
I think this is an excellent idea and option. I'm just not a big fan of drilling and tapping into free-standing equipment. Maybe a mag-base drill to make the holes would be helpful but I have my doubts about how well that would work out...

I do not have DRO on my lathe but think it would be nice. I've always wondered if the sensors are too bulky and at least these iGaging things seem fairly slender. Been mulling-over getting a set for a long time -well aware that accurracy and precision is not as good as a real DRO. Also was thinking of gluing some tabs or fixtures to the lathe so the iGaging scales could be easily removed if the need arises.

Good ideas here Marcel -thanks for stoking up the ideas.


Ray
 
Exactly I epoxied mine. Older machines are kind of 'roundy' some mills like mine have no real space for a hand drill. So I contoured wood
to the shape and epoxied it. I only used lacquer thinner C clamped over nite. been there all last past summer & aint fell off yet. There isnt a lot of load on these I feel no reason to drill and tap if boats are epoxied with no screws, and thats stress.


whoops, I lost my ability to post pictures, which dont surprize me with this wonderful world of junk that last 2months. a new printer wow 3 weeks junk!
But my house phone installed in 1942, same one, works perfectly! how come?
 
Here's the completed setup. I bent up a piece of siding aluminum on my siding break for the chip guard on the cross feed- it's mounted with the VHB tape, simple. I also bent that piece of galvanized for the displays. The display mount is also mounted to the back wall with double sided tape, I used a cushier piece of tape for that to take up the pores in the block wall.

20131105_142013_zps3388b70b.jpg
20131105_142043_zps6bb712e8.jpg

Marcel

20131105_142013_zps3388b70b.jpg

20131105_142043_zps6bb712e8.jpg
 
I never even considered the super tape. great idea. I also mentioned somewhere that sugru cojld be used too, and it will accept a screw so it can be taken apart if necessary. it just seems great that in my lifetime I have witnessed so many helpful things come to be. . . . . . .
 
I screwed my iGaging in a way that if I remove the DRO I can build one taper attachment to same holes.
 
Well, I just ordered a set of these scales from the fellow here on this site. I'm sure they'll be fine for my purposes. When they arrive, I'll do my best to make simple brackets so they can be removed very easily. The long scale will probably be mounted in the front as not to interfere with the taper attachment. I have no expectation of precision much better than roughly 1-3 thou from these units and for the Z direction, will probably make a temporary fixture that attactes to the apron and possibly the frame of the bench. We'll see what I come up with when I cross that bridge...

Ray
 
Nice idea. Liked the concept

And you can always use rare earth magnets too.
 
would rare earth magnets affect the scale performance?



now that's an interesting question. . . . . . . I will try to find an answer but, the read heads have a couple magnets on their back sides and are packaged and shipped pretty close to the scales and read heads when I get them. so im thinking that it makes no difference. I have drilled the ends for fastening and also used a self tapping screw in the end of another with no affect.

I working on a "plug and play" larger battery attachment and its nearly figured out. trying to do it without soldering required.
 
Back
Top