Cables, Handle Animations
Scales
18" scale, hardened SS. This style scale has
a good (enclosed) SPC plug receptacle (manual).
RF-25 Mill DRO X-axis Scale
Last updated on
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 11:59:37 AM
Mountain US Time Zone
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Scales,
Brackets,
Over-travel Switch,
Cables,
Handle Animations
Scales
18" scale, hardened SS.
This style scale has
a good
(enclosed) SPC
plug receptacle (manual).
Trimmed scale scrap with plastic cover removed.
Click on linked thumbnails
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2" x 2" aluminum L-channel cover mounted using front
dove-tail
slot.
Six, 1/4-20, flat-head screws hold the
L-channel for a very rigid configuration.
Machined steel
dovetail nuts for mounting.
Retained access to the
center oilier hole.
The L-channel serves as the scale
mount & protects it from impact, fluid & debris.
Brackets
OEM over-travel switch & bracket configuration.
Scale transducer mounted on back of
power-feed over-travel
switch bracket. Used
transfer screws
(M3-.5 threads)
for accurate alignment. Soldered a 100-mF
10v tantalum
capacitor across the battery leads on each of the scales.
New spacer bracket replaces original.
Over-travel Switch
This mount protects scale's front (which is not needed) &
places the SPC output on the bottom, back, right.
Only hardened SS scale surfaces are exposed.
Power feed end-of-travel mechanical stops mounted
on top/inside bracket surface.
These are the original
stops with the stepped end (fly) cut flat.
The 1/4-20
mounting bolt is flush with the top of the L-channel bracket.
The electrical stop turns the power feed motor off
about four full crank turns
(for this machine)
before reaching
the lead screw
mechanical end-of-travel;
just
enough distance to allow a
safe stop from full
speed.
This is a machine-dependent distance
that needs to be empirically determined.
This area was relieved (both sides)
to allow the scale's
lower
bracket edge
to clear the table locks.
A lock nut
will be used in the final installation.
The scale rests on pairs of self-aligning,
spherical washers.
Installed rubber washers
on all the scale mounts
to
allow a little
floating to reduce the strain on the transducers.
The
RF-25 mill's free-floating Z-axis design
works
so well that now all of my mill & lathe scales
are attached at only one end while the other end
remains captured but loosened
to allow floating.
This approach greatly reduces minor out of
alignment induced stress on the
transducer. This
design also helps to reduce DRO jitter as does a clean,
deburred transducer
with NR capacitors.
Cables
Drilled & tapped the front right carriage corner to
mount a
cable strain relief.
It is the cradle/nylon
tie type of fastener. All cable plugs are
held in place with a spot of hot glue.
Mounted a cable strain relief on the
front left corner of
the
Y-axis bracket to
hold the over-travel switch cable.
Handle Animations
Revolving, chrome plated
carbon
steel handle, animation.
Left: OEM plastic handle table locking
levers interfered with
DRO brackets.
Right: Replacement die-cast zinc
alloy/steel locking adjustable levers.
Animation of the replacement
locking levers for the table.
Kipp (USA) adjustable handle (ball style)
5/16-18 with a 1.97"
(50mm) long threaded stud.
Levers now more accessible, clamp much tighter,
clear the scale & are away from the
mechanical end of travel.
Metric Sizes
M4-12, M4-16, M4-20, M4-32,
M5-12, M5-16, M5-20, M5-25,
M6-12, M6-16,
M12-50 (2 pack)
Click on linked thumbnails
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Scales,
Brackets,
Over-travel Switch,
Cables,
Handle Animations
