spindle alignment

Monk

Monk

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H-M Supporter Gold Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2012
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125
Every time I change the spindle head height it rotates on the horizontal plane. The G1007 doesn't have a graduated scale to bring you back to zero, or a way to lock you at zero (like a radial saw). Is there an easy way, or even an uneasy way to get back to zero? I saw a utube video that used a laser and a mark on the opposite wall, but that seems a bit involved. Short of scribing a mark on the appropriate parts, is there quick and easy way to find zero?
 
After reading a couple of the other posts on the list, it looks like this is just one of the quirks of the round column mill/drills and something I'll have to learn to live with. If anyone has come up with a solution,though, please let me know. Thanks,
Monk
 
I have a ZX-25 round column. I try to plan the job so that I get the head height right for all of the various tools I'll be using. That includes the height needed to change tools. If you have to change head height in mid-job, it's almost impossible to get it back to 0.

I hadn't heard about the laser trick. Having the witness mark across the room would make it hundreds of times more accurate.
 
Thanks Hawkeye:

I've got a DRO, so I'm thinking I could make a jig for the 5 inch vise jaws that would have a 3/8s hole centered in it. When I raise or lower the head, as long as I center it first with the DRO, I could always put a 3/8s collet in it (just loose enough for a bit to slide up and down) and align it with the hole in the jig in the vise. That should get me close enough. Does that make sense, or am I missing something?
 
If you're raising or lowering the head with no work in the vise, exact precision isn't necessary. If I'm just changing the position of the head, before I tighten the locks, I just eyeball the centre of the spindle against the centre of the column and the Y-axis handwheel - close enough. You only run into trouble if you need to change the height in the middle of an operation that requires it to stay on centre.
 
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