Newall DRO to POS Colchester Triumph

[Hood]

Decided to treat myself to a new DRO with the combination of some birthday money, funds from some items I sold and mostly my own cash

I have had a Chinese Top Ten DRO on the lathe ever since I got it at least 10 years ago. The DRO was originally bought in about 2004 I think and was fitted to a Bridgeport mill I had at the time. I got rid of the Bridgeport and so the DRO was fitted to the Triumph. It is really a mill DRO but it worked fine for the lathe with the exception of the longest scale was only 30" travel and the lathe is 50" so I had to fit a hard stop to limit the travel and if I ever needed to machine anything longer than 30" I had to disconnect the reader head which was a pain.

The DRO arrived last week.

Then a day or so later I looked at the X scale, travel 175mm, the Triumph has 230mm.

Got in contact with M-DRO and they said it will work if the single ended kit is used, didn't think I had that but later found it, this is what it comprises of

As can be seen it needs to fit at this height but the Triumph has a 90 degree vee so was going to be a real pin to attach it so I decided to start with the reader head and see how I could attach that.
I spent about 2 hours trying all permutations of the brackets supplied for the reader head and just couldn't get anything to work out so in the end I made up a plate from 3mm stainless and fixed that to the saddle and then the reader head to that.

Next I used another bit of 3mm stainless and fitted that to the cross slide and then had to machine 1.7mm from the single ended fitting bracket so that it was in alignment.

I was then able to fit the cover, that was straightforward enough, just had to sculp a bit out to clear the compound.

I then fitted the bracket for the DRO but not sure if I like it, it is a bit high for my liking so I will probably make a new bracket up.

So next job was to start clearing out the lathe, must admit is has been overdue
Took off the tailstock and wound the saddle to the end.

3 sacks cleared out and another to go but I have had enough for the day so the finishing clearing and fitting of the Z Scale will be tomorrows job.

 

[Agroshield]

Just an observation: if you do a lot of long stuff, it might get old having to walk the length of the lathe to press the buttons on the console (let alone needing a telescope to read it in your dotage).

Possibly consider locating it at the halfway mark or even on the back of the carriage. Its best ergonomic location is within finger poking distance of your average part.

 

[Hood]

Most of my work is shortish stuff

 

[bletchmonster]

It's good to see a working mans machine, I feel intimidated by pictures of pristine kit that looks better than the day it was made.

 

[Hood]

It's good to see a working mans machine, I feel intimidated by pictures of pristine kit that looks better than the day it was made.

I am just an untidy person, I thrive in mess

 

[chrisg3103]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003OJOGA4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_XB03YPPD7V14ZGDWF63S

I recently got one of these after tracking too much swarf into the house, simple but so handy! Handy for hoovering up the chips and curls on the floor but even more so for diving into a big pile of chips like that on the machine. Quite satisfying pulling the handle over the bin and seeing it all drop off

 

[Hood]

No use for me I am afraid, unless they have made big improvements in recent years. Most of my work is stainless and aluminium.

 

[chrisg3103]

Ha, fair do. Just sprinkle in some steel so it has something to grab onto

 

[Hood]

Would be better just cleaning it out more often

 

[Munkul]

Am slightly jealous since I'm supposed to be getting the same kit :/ at least I can see how you're supposed to fit it to yours first

 

[pressbrake1]

Just an observation: if you do a lot of long stuff, it might get old having to walk the length of the lathe to press the buttons on the console (let alone needing a telescope to read it in your dotage).

Possibly consider locating it at the halfway mark or even on the back of the carriage. Its best ergonomic location is within finger poking distance of your average part.

It’s only a short lathe so not to bad
I was using a 120” mastif with headstock mounted reader head. That was a total pita as I couldn’t read it ten feet away and a total nightmare when cutting groves and needing read depth as I was feeding in!

 

[Hood]

Todays progress.

The brackets for the Z reader head were actually suitable all I had to do was chop about 10mm off the back of one so that it wouldn't foul the lathes casting.

A view from the side of the 3 brackets and the reader head.

And it fitted in place.

You may notice that the casting is at an angle from the saddle, that meant when I made brackets up for the old DRO I had to have it angled to suit as the glass scale was not perpendicular when bolted to the face. With the Newall however it was simple, the way the brackets are you have 3 way adjustment, in/out, Up/Down and rotation left/right.

The tailstock end mount.

The chuck end mount.

A view of the whole lot.

I then fitted the aluminium cover.

The hose for the coolant was too close and it was rock solid so no way of bending so I decided to replace it with a new bit hose. That meant I had to gain access to the pump so I pulled out the swarf tray, there was 10 years of mess under it

Got the hose changed and then did some tidying of the cables.

Back on with the compound, tailstock and drill holder I made up last week.

 

[Hood]

Now that I have the possibility of full travel I really need to relocate the drills so will likely have to rearrange things here by moving the drawers with the taps onto the top of the grey cabinet and the drills will fit on top of the smaller drawer unit that I keep the inserts in.

Also made up a wee bracket for the chuck key seeing as I now have an empty swarf tray and putting it in there means it is a long way down now that it is cleaned out

Next thing to do will be to set up the tools, there are 50 memory slots for them so that will be good as it will be more like the CNC, just put a tool on the post and call up the tool number and the coordinates should be correct. That will have to wait for another day as I have had enough for today.

 

[graffian]

Lovely looking read out.
Not at all jealous...

 

[fizzy]

I think you have a love hate relationship with that lathe!
You are always calling it names - I bet it has more than earned it's keep

 

[mtt.tr]

I am just an untidy person, I thrive in mess

i seem to aswell, must be the Scottish genes i inherited

 

[minimutly]

I think you have a love hate relationship with that lathe!
You are always calling it names - I bet it has more than earned it's keep

And then I have an old worn out round top Triumph, and I love it.

 

[Johnnybravo]

Waiting on a price for a Dro for the 120” Mastiff....butt cheeks firmly clenched and Vaseline at the ready. Sure it’s still going to hurt as they rip me a new one.....

 

[Hood]

I think you have a love hate relationship with that lathe!
You are always calling it names - I bet it has more than earned it's keep

Yes it has, many times over. It has knackered headstock gears which is quite common with the later 2000's and I had to bypass them by fitting a direct drive servo motor, you are much better off with the roundheads. It is a better lathe than some of its class but there are a lot better out there as well, if I had room I would have had a longer bed manual version of my CNC lathe that came up for sale a few years back.

 

[Hood]

Here is a vid of the spindle noise. First I use with the headstock gears disengaged, I then engage them.