Easson 12B install details on a PM1340GT (long post)

I can assure you that the 12B is a Mill DRO as well. I have one on my new mill and I have the one which is the subject of this thread on a my new lathe. While I've had neither of them very long, the 12B can be set up as a two axis DRO for a lathe or a three axis DRO for a mill. It could also be set up as a two axis for the mill or a three axis for the lathe. It is all in the setup parameters and how many scales you have.

Sorry if the DRO Pros stuff is misleading.
 
Hi Alan H
Further Q's on ES12B if I may.
When used on the lathe, when you switch from radius to diameter for x axis is there any indication on the display as to which mode is actually engaged?
Also the display seems to have a series of soft buttons with space along the bottom of the display for info to appear depending on operation selected. Could you post a couple of photos that show how this works.
Thanks in advance
Ron
 
Does anyone know if an electronic copy of the Easson ES12B manual is available online?
Ron
 
Ron,
The display changes when you switch from radius to diameter mode. The color of the display for the X value changes as well as the legend for the X. The X legend includes a subscript to indicate diameter when in diameter mode. (sorry, no photo of DRO with display at hand at the moment)

The soft keys are programmable and are there to save data for different tools you may be using. Example - if you swap to a threading tool but want to save the setup for the turning tool that is in the holder, these keys allow you to save and retrieve it when you put the turning tool back in.

Regarding an electronic manual, I would suggest you contact whomever you would buy your 12B from and ask them for one. I have not found one online.

Here's what the DRO will help with you with though. I used the above functions/description to make this yesterday.

Just pull the trigger and get you one! You will like it.

IMG_20170312_211531.jpg
 
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Hi Alan
I really like the quality of the work you show. your work is a credit to you. It's nice to have quality equipment and know how to use it. I still have a bit to learn.
Thanks for the heads up on the programable keys on the ES12B. I am not sure I fully understand all the capabilities but will investigate further.

My problem is which readout to buy.
My lathe came with a basic chinese readout ( DELOS/ Ditron) which I really hate. It is not lathe specific and learning /remembering how to perform a function is so complicated its a pita!
I have installed an Easson ES12 ( original model) on my Mill and really like the way it operates. Easy to use and easy to remember. Why then not just buy another ES12 for the lathe?
Not so simple . The ES-12 is a multi use readout and while it is great for the mill most of its functions are for a Mill and it just seems like the lathe functions are an add on and are swamped by the mill functions.
I had just about decided to buy an Electronica EL 400 from DrosPros as this is a Lathe specific Readout.
Unfortunately the ES12B then came on the scene to complicate the matter. Decisions decisions.
I don't have to make a decision immediately so will do some more homework hence the request for a Manual.
Thanks for taking the time to assist
Cheers
Ron
 
When you look at the newer Easson 12B and 12C, almost all the machine specific type functions are now soft keys. Most of the hard key functions are ones you would use in either machine mode. You get a very large numerical display, that I find to be very easy on the eyes and you get a 3rd axis that can be used for the compound slide or the tailstock with axis summation. I personally prefer the 12B model which has a vertical footprint and would take up less space in width. I have the older ES-12 (and an EL700) and never found the additional "mill function keys" to be an issue. The EL400 is nice, but you do not have a 3rd axis, and many of the function lights are very small as well as the buttons and they are not sealed. Keyboard wise the lathe specific EL400 is much more busy then the ES-12B/C, and you are looking at spending quite a bit more if you get it with the magnetic scales. Bang for the buck, I think the ES-12B offers much more and is very intuitive to use. On a lathe, you tend to only use a few functions, all of which are easily there on the ES-12B/C.
ES-12B.jpg
 
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Alan, what a beautiful, surgically clean installation!

I have a very similar (older gen) Taiwan lathe & wrestled with where to install my (happens to be Newall) cross bed encoder tube/guard. Mounting on left side utilizes the existing threaded holes in casting for intended for bolting travelling steady. Since I rarely use mine & its un-doable, I repurposed holes for my DRO mount hardware. This also maintained access to my existing cross slide lock knob located on the RHS where gib strip is. But it also positions the encoder adjacent to chuck & swarf etc. Putting encoder on RHS of cross slide like you did is basically opposite of all the above, at least on my lathe. So I flipped heads.

So I'm curious now, how DO you lock your carriage in traverse direction or any other mods in this regard?
 
Thanks for the compliments. I got lots of help in terms of support and ideas from my friends here on the forum - a great place for sure.

Yeap, that's what that little brass screw is for that I posted as an example a couple of posts up.

Many of the PM1340GT owners crowd install friction locks on the cross feed using the steady mounting holes. There are numerous posts here on the forum of this solution. Our friend Mark posted his solution almost a couple of years ago and mine will be a variant of his. I think several of us have used Mark's lead to solve this problem. Mark was an early adopter of the PM1340GT and plowed lots of ground for the rest of us, including the control system he developed.

Here's Mark's post from 2015: mksj's solution

BTW, if the steady is needed you pull the screws and swap the lock out for the steady.
 
Aha! Thanks for the link & that explains the brass screw now. I'm going to have to lurk around PM sub forum more often.

At the risk of diluting your nice post, here is how I did mine. Coincidentally I came up with a low profile 1/2-turn wrench idea not too unlike the MKSJ solution you linked, but still on RHS using existing stud. It only stood a chance of working because the Newall encoder tubes are small OD & stand off from the cross slide body allowing room. But it was a fiddly assembly so put on do-it-later list. Mostly I'm just chicken sh*t of reaching in on the chuck side to clamp. Maybe some permanent solution could be suggested to the LatheLand factory one day. Anyway thanks for your input, learned something new.

IMG_5717_edited-1.jpg


IMG_5715_edited-1.jpg
 
Ron,
The display changes when you switch from radius to diameter mode. The color of the display for the X value changes as well as the legend for the X. The X legend includes a subscript to indicate diameter when in diameter mode. (sorry, no photo of DRO with display at hand at the moment)

The soft keys are programmable and are there to save data for different tools you may be using. Example - if you swap to a threading tool but want to save the setup for the turning tool that is in the holder, these keys allow you to save and retrieve it when you put the turning tool back in.

Regarding an electronic manual, I would suggest you contact whomever you would buy your 12B from and ask them for one. I have not found one online.

Here's what the DRO will help with you with though. I used the above functions/description to make this yesterday.

Just pull the trigger and get you one! You will like it.

View attachment 228548


Hi Allan
Took your advice and ordered a Easson ES12B from Siton Tecnology ( AliExpress)
IMG_4153.JPG
Wilson Huang was very helpful and the price was good.
Anyway I am very happy with the ES12b and it solves most of the problems I had with the Delos readout that was supplied with the lathe.
Still has a few too many non lathe buttons for my liking but I will get used to it
Cheers Ron
 
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