Easy Tramming Tool

I was looking at the store bought one last week, but decided that I needed a Rotary table and dividing plates more urgently first. Eventually I will assemble one of my own from the dial indicators I already have on hand. I figure I can build one for about 50 bucks with all new parts or 20 if I use old Cial indicators from my shop... Yes I am a cheap so and so and don't understand why folks spend money when they could build it cheaper and better themselves.

Bob
 
Nice job Ray! I've got the DIs and metal waiting for me to put mine together.

Bob,
That's not cheap, it's frugal. Besides, making anything useful is worth the effort, not to mention satisfying.

Dave
 
Great idea! I trammed my mini-mill this morning and using only one dial indicator and swinging it from side to side and trying to figure out which way to move the column took me about 30-40 minutes of playing around to get it right. I am getting a pair of indicators tomorrow and will fix up one.
Thanks again. What a great forum site.
NodakGary
 
I checked with our local "nuts & bolts" shop to find out they are getting $30 apiece for the dti's. So being proud of my Scottish heritage, I made due with two 2" long 7/16" carriage bolts and one 2" long 3/8 bolt, and a 12" long 1/2" square stock. I drilled and tapped for a 7/16" bolt one inch in from each end of the square stock( at the 1 and 11 inch marks). Then I drilled and tapped for the 3/8" bolt in the center of the stock. I screwed on a lock nut and threaded in each 7/16" bolt leaving a precise 1" sticking out of the lower side of the stock. I screwed on a lock nut and threaded in the 3/8" bolt into the center hole and left 1 1/2" sticking up out of the square stock for inserting into the spindle ( I cut off the head of the bolt, of course). The waste bolt lengths were cut off. I made sure the mounting 3/8" bolt was 90 degrees to the square stock.
To use it, I insert it into the spindle and lower the spindle until I can see both the carriage bolts touch the table simultaneously. Inexpensive and it works.
I thought of mounting a battery and an led on each carriage bolt to light when they hit the table, but, then I would have to insulate the carriage bolt, tape the battery and led on somewhere, yech. I have been a K.I.S.S. fan way too long to make it more complicated than it need be.
 
This is an idea I've seen before and liked it then, nice to see you boys put into practice, I have not yet ..... this tool needs rotating in order to work.
What if you made a cross and had 4 indicators you would then not need to do the rotating.
I realise not many ppl have 4 indicators just lying around but in theory I think this would work.
I see the real advantage as you could face all the indicators to you for easy sight during the adjustment.
 
This is an idea I've seen before and liked it then, nice to see you boys put into practice, I have not yet ..... this tool needs rotating in order to work.
What if you made a cross and had 4 indicators you would then not need to do the rotating.
I realise not many ppl have 4 indicators just lying around but in theory I think this would work.
I see the real advantage as you could face all the indicators to you for easy sight during the adjustment.

Could you explain how that would work without rotation?

[Edit] I assume you mean no rotation after rotatiing the assembly to zero all four indicators at one spot?
 
Nice work, it's on my bucket list.

You just have to make sure you are square when boring for the shank, or have a setup to calibrate them square to the shank. If the shank is not square, when you calibrate it on a plate it will give a false reading when tramming.
 
I checked with our local "nuts & bolts" shop to find out they are getting $30 apiece for the dti's. So being proud of my Scottish heritage, I made due with two 2" long 7/16" carriage bolts and one 2" long 3/8 bolt, and a 12" long 1/2" square stock. I drilled and tapped for a 7/16" bolt one inch in from each end of the square stock( at the 1 and 11 inch marks). Then I drilled and tapped for the 3/8" bolt in the center of the stock. I screwed on a lock nut and threaded in each 7/16" bolt leaving a precise 1" sticking out of the lower side of the stock. I screwed on a lock nut and threaded in the 3/8" bolt into the center hole and left 1 1/2" sticking up out of the square stock for inserting into the spindle ( I cut off the head of the bolt, of course). The waste bolt lengths were cut off. I made sure the mounting 3/8" bolt was 90 degrees to the square stock.
To use it, I insert it into the spindle and lower the spindle until I can see both the carriage bolts touch the table simultaneously. Inexpensive and it works.
I thought of mounting a battery and an led on each carriage bolt to light when they hit the table...

Interesting idea. If I had a Bridgeport I might be tempted to build one using capacitive or inductive transducers. With the Avey, though, tramming is a matter of shimming the table and shouldn't need redoing.
 
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