Edge Technology Pro Tram

dlane

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so I got one to help make traming mill quicker / easier. I got the .0005 one and am having problems getting consistent readings , got both dials .0000 on nod adj ,turn spindle 360 and it's off .001 , .002 lower spindle another .100 and it's off .003-.004, same thing with the X
I calibrated it with the magnet and noticed that the magnet is not square end to end by .0005
Anyone else have problems with pro tram, I realize the indicators are prob Chinese could be the problem
It'll prob go back Monday if I can't get it working rite.
Thanks for your thoughts
 
so I got one to help make traming mill quicker / easier. I got the .0005 one and am having problems getting consistent readings , got both dials .0000 on nod adj ,turn spindle 360 and it's off .001 , .002 lower spindle another .100 and it's off .003-.004, same thing with the X
I calibrated it with the magnet and noticed that the magnet is not square end to end by .0005
Anyone else have problems with pro tram, I realize the indicators are prob Chinese could be the problem
It'll prob go back Monday if I can't get it working rite.
Thanks for your thoughts
Derrick, Are you rotating the tool in the spindle or rotating the tool and spindle? If you are rotating the entire assembly, tool + spindle, you should not see any variation. However, if you rotate the tool in the spindle, spindle runout will cause the type of change that you are seeing. As long as you zero the indicators on the exact same spot, you should be OK with your calibration. You can easily check the effect of the non square magnet by sweeping over its surface. There should be no change in the indicator reading at any point on the surface. I place a mark on my calibration surface to ensure that I use the same spot for both indicators.
 
Thanks RJ ,Both indicators are sloppy , the plungers move side to side in the indicator and the needle moves up to .002 . I calibrated it per instructions , drop one down .100 on the magnet lock quill zero dial rotate spindle 180 till other indicator is on magnet zero that dial. Then I rechecked the calibration to find that both indicators are off , sometimes more than others.
This thing is going back it is not consistent.
Any one have good luck with other brand traming indicators?.
It's a shame that edge says made in USA but use cheeseey Chinese indicators
 
Derrick, it sounds like it was a bad day in China!

I made my own using two HF dial indicators. I checked mine for issues like you were seeing and mine tracks well. No side play in the plungers and less than .0001" deviation.

The cost for mine was the two indicators; less than $30 from HF. Enco actually had indicators shortly afterward for less than $10 each. It took less than two hours to make the tool. I used a 3/4" stainles shaft for mine as I use the Tormach TTS system with a 3/4" collet. The bar is made from 3/4" x 1" aluminum and I have two offset positions for 5" and 6" separation.
Traminator .JPG
 
Thanks again RJ, looks like my next tool build , are those .001x1" indicators?
Probably should of built my own from the get go, I'll be fighting with edge tomorrow for a refund and find some decent matching indicators, I have the rest of the materials for it.
 
I used .001" x 1" indicators because the were what was available at HF. I would have preferred .0005" or better. I would have been happy with .050" travel as it decreases the required clearance. Enco has a number of choices in their April sale flyer beginning at $9. Realistically, tramming to better than a half division in six inches is probably better than need be and I should be able to see variations on the order of .0002" with .001" divisions.
 
.0005 indicators, chi but no side slopp, works much better

image.jpeg
Spare holes are 5-1/5" apart to tram vice
Thanks for the advice
 
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