Getting a New PM-1054 Going

[erikmannie]

So I see that nobody is using a .0001” DTI for this task. Two years ago, I had a Shars .0005” DTI, but I mistakenly turned on the PM-25MV which quickly (and violently) tore off the plunger on that DTI. This is why I can’t have nice things LOL. I replaced that .0005” DTI with the .0001” DTI that I was using yesterday. The .0001” is so fine that it is jerky at best. I have always wanted a quality .0005” DTI, specifically a Brown and Sharpe BesTest which are expensive; I hesitate to buy any used DI or DTI on eBay because I have done so a few times, only to end up with a sticky plunger.

Would you believe that I *forgot* the idea of using a 1-2-3 block for the task of tramming a head? The idea of raising and lowering the table immediately introduces the possibility of .0002” error, even with a DRO.

That NOGA centering indicator holder is much nicer than the super cheap unit that I have now.

I was also measuring against the table rather than the vise. I can see that the vise makes more sense, at least for work held in the vise.

As an experiment (and while I await my Edge Technology product), I will try again with the .0001” DTI using 1-2-3 blocks on the vise, but I anticipate jerkiness in the DTI, a less than rigid setup with the cheap centering indicator holder and maybe even a sticky plunger on the cheap DTI.

 

[erikmannie]

Here is my setup with the .0001” DTI. I adjusted the centering indicator so that I have a serviceable angle, and I can take measurements on either ends of the vise.

 

[Just for fun]

Looks like that should work if your DTI is working and you are able to rotate it without hitting the vice.

 

[xr650rRider]

I think you'd be well served in watching some tramming (not trammeling) videos on youtube. I'd tram the table with properly adjusted gibs, without the vise. Unless you know that everything thing you'll ever mill will be in the vise. I often have to fixture to the table without the vise. You need to check running table it's full length and not just in 1 spot. Again unless you only mill in that 1 spot forever. As your setup now, going to be more difficult to do the Y direction. After table is perfect, then check you vise and hopefully a Kurt is perfect dimensionally.

I've got the edge technology but actually prefer to use this one. You can make so it matches your setup.

 

[erikmannie]

Note:
All values listed below do not take into account cosine error. I am regarding the DTI measuring arm as a vertical plunger.

Having just trammed the tilt inside the vise, I am sure that is setup was good to within .0004” over 7”. I got a little lucky at one point, and I was able to get *this measurement* to within .0004” over 8”.

What I did to not perturb either the DTI or centering indicator was:

(1) Drop the quill initially, and I *turned the spindle directly with my fingers* (not touching the measuring instruments) for the sweep (which served to change measuring positions 180°). Obviously, the mill is in neutral.

(2) Using the DRO, I lowered & then raised back the knee (about .020”) in between measurements. My DRO reads to the nearest .0002”.

 

[erikmannie]

Although I am going to do the nod now with this .0001” DTI, I would never use a tenths indicator for this again. An example of things that caused the needle to jump a carefully measured .0001” is *taking your hand off of the z-axis handle* after bringing the knee up to my zero.

A related but separate side factoid is locking the quill causes the DTI to read a .0004” variation. Taking your hand off of the quill feed handwheel does *not* move the DTI.

 

[erikmannie]

Here is the nod trammeling setup. My initial nod was out .0048” over 7”.

Right after I tram the head, I am going to face mill a 9 1/2” square plate to test everything.

 

[erikmannie]

Right when I was almost about to start crying from frustration, I got even more lucky than last time, and I was able to get it to .0003” over 7”. I see that this took me 45 minutes.

The frustrating part was that I kept rotating the adjustment knob the wrong way and making it worse! Of course, I followed that up by overcorrecting. And on and on it went like that, all compounded by the granularity of a tenths indicator.

 

[erikmannie]

Looking at the pass going down the *horizontal middle* of the photos below (one photo taken with flash, one photo taken without flash), I am happy for now with the surface finish. It is 1200 RPM, 14 IPM, .035” DOC, no oil. The facing mill and inserts are the same as described earlier in this thread.

 

[erikmannie]

This whole side is a .020” DOC, 22 IPM feed, 1200 RPM and no oil.

I used the x-power feed for this facing op.