DRO On the MILL

[Mr shiney]

I picked up a nice adore Westbury Mk2 mill recently with no markings on the scales on any of the axis. So I thought I would treat myself to a Sinpo 3 axis DRO unit.

A few pics of the installation. It's worked out beyond my best expectations. Totally transforms the mill in terms of useability and accuracy. It also adds some really cool functions like radial and line how drilling and can even mill curves.

It's accurate to .005mm and takes backlash error totally out of the equation.

 

[Wallace]

Did you import the kit or was it from a UK source?

 

[Digger6135]

I got the exact 3axis DRO from ebay, and fitted it to my Elliot universal omnimill, backlash on the scews does not matter any more, as you are measuring linear travel, it begs the question...why did I not get one before, brilliant piece of kit.

Digger6135

 

[antonio costa]

That seems a quality bit of kit! looks almost like the Easson that my machinist friend bought 1 year ago for his mill.
Are they cheaper than Easson?

 

[antonio costa]

BTW I couldn't help notice the hudmut tungsten grinder on the top left corner of the picture ;-)

 

[antonio costa]

BTW I couldn't help notice the hudmut tungsten grinder on the top left corner of the picture ;-)

 

[Mr shiney]

Did you import the kit or was it from a UK source?

I got it from a guy on eBay called Colin whose company is CBR Electronics. Absolutely lovely guy and a real pleasure to deal with. The whole lot cost me £320.

It is excellent quality and really accurate. Thinking of fitting the same setup in two axis onto the Myford.

 

[Mr shiney]

BTW I couldn't help notice the hudmut tungsten grinder on the top left corner of the picture ;-)

One of the best bits of kit I ever bought!

 

[antonio costa]

Me too, couldn't be happier with mine. Perfect tips on my tungstens every time.
The DRO was quite cheap for what it is! From what I remember my machinist friend paid near 500£ for his Easson that looks almost the same thing as yours

 

[Wallace]

How's the Sinpo kit working a year on? I'm tired of using the MkI eyeball on my POS mill and looking at scales again.

 

[ukracer]

I got the exact 3axis DRO from ebay, and fitted it to my Elliot universal omnimill, backlash on the scews does not matter any more, as you are measuring linear travel, it begs the question...why did I not get one before, brilliant piece of kit.

Digger6135

Because they have not always been that cheap and widely available from trustworthy sources..

 

[Mr shiney]

How's the Sinpo kit working a year on? I'm tired of using the MkI eyeball on my POS mill and looking at scales again.

Faultless. It's been used extensively and has transformed my use of the mill. Best investment I have ever made in workshop tools.

 

[Wedg1e]

Bargain! I used Amadeal digital scales (effectively digital calipers with the jaws cut off) and a 3-axis readout and that must have cost me £300, plus I had to modify the scales to work from a DC PSU rather than batteries AND I can't get them wet or they go haywire.

 

[Kram]

and can even mill curves.

How does that work on a manual machine?

 

[Mr shiney]

How does that work on a manual machine?

You can plot a curve on it. Bit complicated to explain but it does work.

 

[addjunkie]

It does work if you put in enough coordinates, quicker and easier to use a rotary table....and no smoothing off when finished like the coordinates method on a dro

 

[ronan]

Are you going to invest in a better vice Mr.Shiney ? I used a drill vice when i first got the Tom Senior, and found it simply wasn't good enough.

 

[Wallace]

One of my best EBay buys was a Vertex rotary table and tail stock for £50, such a useful addition to the mill.

 

[Mr shiney]

Are you going to invest in a better vice Mr.Shiney ? I used a drill vice when i first got the Tom Senior, and found it simply wasn't good enough.

lol, I have more vices than I can shake a stick at. That one was being used to drill something on the mill for a specific job. My milling vice is normally trammed to the head to a thou.

 

[Mr shiney]

One of my best EBay buys was a Vertex rotary table and tail stock for £50, such a useful addition to the mill.

Same here. Mine came with a full set of indexing plates as well.