DRO Pros magnetic DRO kit for my PM12x36T

[COMachinist]

Hi All
Just got order shipped conformation, on the EL 400 lathe specific magnetic DRO Kit for my lathe. Should be here 12/30/20. I went with the 1um cross slide scale, to keep mistakes to a minimum, I‘m old and can’t see worth a darn. We are in the deep freeze today real feel 8 degrees F. Looks like we will have a great Christmas Day though. Mid 50’s. Any way Moma Santa was good to me this year. She always has been good to me, for the last 50 years. She is cooking pies and cookies today. I think this install as been done to death, so I want bore you all to death a bunch of rerun pixs. I’ll just post a few when it is done. Thanks all for your recommendations on the kit to buy.
Merry Christmas all and a Happy Prosperous New Year.
CH

 

[Scott-ak]

It's a decent kit. I had a couple issues. One was power related. The subpanel I was getting power from needs a better ground. I'll drive another ground rod come spring time. Until then I have an extension cord run across the shop. The other is kind dro & lathe design. I wanted access tot he cross slide gib lock screw. Of course pm puts it right where the dro scale goes. I filled the scale and milled a slot in it so I could get to the gib screw. This meant running the read head cable to the front rather than the back. It drapes over the carriage. Unfortunately dropros doesn't offer a read head with the cable coming out the other end.

 

[wrmiller]

I have had the EL 400 and magnetic scales on my 1340GT since I bought it (5 years ago?) and have had zero issues. I think you'll like it.

 

[COMachinist]

It's a decent kit. I had a couple issues. One was power related. The subpanel I was getting power from needs a better ground. I'll drive another ground rod come spring time. Until then I have an extension cord run across the shop. The other is kind dro & lathe design. I wanted access tot he cross slide gib lock screw. Of course pm puts it right where the dro scale goes. I filled the scale and milled a slot in it so I could get to the gib screw. This meant running the read head cable to the front rather than the back. It drapes over the carriage. Unfortunately dropros doesn't offer a read head with the cable coming out the other end.

When you say you filled and milled a slot in the scale? How does that affect the the readings? I rewired the shop and put in a new ground rod at the corner close to the main panel. I have 200 amp service to the shop and house. My power is pretty good. Had every thing Professionally up graded with larger cable from pole to the panels a couple years ago. I have not seen any problems with DROPros on the mill I have in the shop. Hopefully I won’t have any with the lathe DRO.
CH

 

[Scott-ak]

the magnet portion of the scale is toward one edge leaving 1/4" or more on the other edge. The guys at dropros said I could cut away as much as I need as long as I don't hit the magnet. So I milled a deep half moon into one edge

 

[COMachinist]

the magnet portion of the scale is toward one edge leaving 1/4" or more on the other edge. The guys at dropros said I could cut away as much as I need as long as I don't hit the magnet. So I milled a deep half moon into one edge

Kind of sounds scary. On a scale that cost several hundred dollars. I think I’ll look for some other way to lock cross slide.
CH

 

[mksj]

You hadve an issue with almost every scale mounted to the cross slide covering the gib lock. There are a number of different approaches, I was always fumbling for Allen keys for locking things down on the lathe, pretty much replaced them all with a lever/handle. I mount the cross slide lock on the head-stock side, others mount the scale on a spacer so they can use a wrench, on one lathe we mounted the scale horizontal instead vertical to have access to the lock. One could also mount the magnetic strip directly to the cross slide, Jim did that under his cross slide.
I would search the forum: cross slide lock

ERL-1340 Cross Slide Lock for DRO Equipped Lathes

Often when doing tight tolerance work one needs to lock the cross slide to get consistent diameters along the length of the cut. My ERL-1340 was fairly tight when new, but over time I did noticed slight shifts in the cross slide position from my original setting. I am using glass scales, and I...

www.hobby-machinist.com

Pm1340gt Cross Slide Lock Mod For Dro Machines

One of the issues when adding a DRO scale to the cross slide is that it often blocks the ability to use the lock. On the PM1340GT, they use a 6mm Allen screw on the right side of the cross slide which is completely inaccessible with the mounted DRO scale. I considered various options, but I...

www.hobby-machinist.com

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thr...ll-carriage-scale-mounting.52444/#post-437976

 

[wrmiller]

I don't take very heavy cuts, but I have never had to lock the cross slide. Just lucky I guess.

 

[Scott-ak]

Milling the scale housing is a piece of cake. I called before starting and the guy that makes the dropro videos (paul I think) said go for it and he said if I fubar it he will replace it no charge! That customer service attitude sold me on them for any future purchases.

 

[Scott-ak]

You hadve an issue with almost every scale mounted to the cross slide covering the gib lock. There are a number of different approaches, I was always fumbling for Allen keys for locking things down on the lathe, pretty much replaced them all with a lever/handle. I mount the cross slide lock on the head-stock side, others mount the scale on a spacer so they can use a wrench, on one lathe we mounted the scale horizontal instead vertical to have access to the lock. One could also mount the magnetic strip directly to the cross slide, Jim did that under his cross slide.
I would search the forum: cross slide lock

ERL-1340 Cross Slide Lock for DRO Equipped Lathes

Often when doing tight tolerance work one needs to lock the cross slide to get consistent diameters along the length of the cut. My ERL-1340 was fairly tight when new, but over time I did noticed slight shifts in the cross slide position from my original setting. I am using glass scales, and I...

www.hobby-machinist.com

Pm1340gt Cross Slide Lock Mod For Dro Machines

One of the issues when adding a DRO scale to the cross slide is that it often blocks the ability to use the lock. On the PM1340GT, they use a 6mm Allen screw on the right side of the cross slide which is completely inaccessible with the mounted DRO scale. I considered various options, but I...

www.hobby-machinist.com

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thr...ll-carriage-scale-mounting.52444/#post-437976

IMO the lock shud be on the head stock side. Putting a spacer between the scale and cross slide on the tail stock eats up more real estate