My digital readout tailstock is finally done

[Buckshot]

................I've been wanting this for the pact 5 - 6 years!! :-) The first thing I made was a bar with a dovetail on top. It was actually an experiment and exercise to see if I could even create a 3/8" dovetail. I'd never spun a dovetail cutter before and they look so fragile.

http://www.fototime.com/9723CC0338DD8A9/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/1A8B27319E0BE63/standard.jpg

This was about the first time I'd used cold rolled. Didn't realize it, or remember, when it was clamped in the mill vise it seemed fine but when I took it out it assumed a several thousandths bow due to the cold forming stresses. No big deal as it was screwed down at both ends, which took the bow out.

http://www.fototime.com/73FC5A81D17966B/standard.jpg

The digital readout (got on E-Bay) and above it is the deal I made to clamp to the quill of the tailstock. Original idea was to have a DI on a magnetic base stuck to the tailstock with the spindle of the DI pressing against the clamp deal that would be on the quill.

http://www.fototime.com/1ECADBD36D58D76/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/08531D006CCA9FF/standard.jpg

LEFT: Here's the whole deal on the tailstock. RIGHT: The quill of the tailstock extended so you can see the clamp deal (modified for the linear digital readout) dealiebob.

http://www.fototime.com/5E2F33248E5372C/standard.jpg http://www.fototime.com/D7CB976BA5DDFC4/standard.jpg

LEFT: Looking forward from the back of the tailstock. The male dovetail runs the length of the tailstock which is unnecessarily long. I used a piece of 5/8 x 1.5" aluminum for the base the DI readout unit attaches to. It had a mating female dovetail cut, was flipped over and a 20º angle was flycut onto it. RIGHT: A Front view of the mounting block for the digital readout. THanks good ness I remembered to mill out a piece so I could get to the tailstock quill oiler!

http://www.fototime.com/E91D5D71D557249/standard.jpg

And here it is looking from the front to the rear. Works like a champ and a great addition. Only took 3-4 years to have it all come together :-)

.............Buckshot

[rbertalotto]

I'm confused......why do you need to slide the body of the indicator on the tailstock?

I bought the Grizzly unit here:
http://cdn0.grizzly.com/pics/jpeg500/t/t23012.jpg

http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Digital-Scale-with-Remote-Readout-Inch-Metric-Fraction/T23012

$35

BTW, nice work on the ring for the spindle!

[wool1]

Love it!

I'm still using the flat tail stock bar I made at gunsmithing school and a dial gage indicator. Might confuse myself if I went digital. Lol

[Buckshot]

[QUOTE=rbertalotto;2046772]I'm confused......why do you need to slide the body of the indicator on the tailstock?

.............If you mean why is the dovetailed bar attached to the tailstock so long, it's because when I made it I had no idea how or what I was going to use. I thought I might use a DI with a 2" length, or then again maybe a 1" DI, or who knew what? It IS too long, or rather longer then it needs to be but it's there now and no reason to change it. The reader for the digital readout also has no need for such a long dovetail atop the tailstock, as the reder is at the front and doesn't move so the back 3" of the dovetail is superfluous to need, but it isn't in the way. It's there and no reason to shorten it.

.............Buckshot

[theperfessor]

Neat project! Sometimes those 1 day projects take four or five years. But a great end result. I need to make one of those for my lathe, maybe have it done by 2018...

[Dutchman]

I decided to take the road more traveled...

http://images56.fotki.com/v124/photos/4/28344/9895637/DSCF0944bw-vi.jpg

http://images20.fotki.com/v1589/photos/4/28344/9895637/DSCF0946bw-vi.jpg

[ph4570]

Buckshot,
That is pretty slick.

Anyone have pics of one for carriage cross slide. I have an old Atlas 12x36 that has been lusting for a digital cross slide enhancement.

[rbertalotto]

Look up "Shooting Star Digital Read Outs"

Very nice system

[ph4570]

Look up "Shooting Star Digital Read Outs"

Very nice system

Thanks. Looks nice but way out of my price range.

[Buckshot]

..............Dutch that's handy having a flat on top of the tailstock. Or HAVING a square tailstock :-) I took mine off the lathe, set it up on the mill and created a flat on top of my cylindrical tailstock.

.............Perfessor, yup have a few more like this. I carved out a mojo steady rest body to use with 4"+ stock, and so far that's as far as it's gotten. Still have to mill some off the base to centralize it with the spindle axis, and then make a base to attach it to, and attach THAT to the lathe's bed:-) So yeah, maybe 2018 it'll all come together!

It kinda is nice having a backlog of projects. One of my worries is that one day I'll wake up and will have nothing to do except sit in front of the tube and watch sports, cooking, or some other worthless dribble.

............Buckshot

[M-Tecs]

Nice set up!

[Willbird]

I decided to take the road more traveled...

http://images56.fotki.com/v124/photos/4/28344/9895637/DSCF0944bw-vi.jpg

http://images20.fotki.com/v1589/photos/4/28344/9895637/DSCF0946bw-vi.jpg

I guess I don't understand the need when you have a graduated handwheel (I see yours does in the picture, my Grizzly does too, it is quite accurate actually)??

[rbertalotto]

I don't understand the need when you have a graduated handwheel

You don't need to deal with backlash......What you see is what you got!

[Willbird]

You don't need to deal with backlash......What you see is what you got! The tailstock only has one working direction (into the work) so backlash is not entering into it ??

Bill

[W.R.Buchanan]

The indicator is "direct reading" IE: It gives you the actual movement of the quill.

The handwheel is indirect reading IE: it is reading movement of the screw which is translated to movement of the quill. Backlash is a factor as is wear and pressure on the quill. Also if you are winding a reamer in and out of a hole many times where depth is absolutely critical, is your indirect reading going to repeat?

All conspire to ruin your day.

The indicator is the simple way to control this operation.

I have a 5" travel Starrett indicator that I use to setup the tailstock of my hand screw machine.

Randy

[Willbird]

The indicator is "direct reading" IE: It gives you the actual movement of the quill.

The handwheel is indirect reading IE: it is reading movement of the screw which is translated to movement of the quill. Backlash is a factor as is wear and pressure on the quill. Also if you are winding a reamer in and out of a hole many times where depth is absolutely critical, is your indirect reading going to repeat?

All conspire to ruin your day.

The indicator is the simple way to control this operation.

I have a 5" travel Starrett indicator that I use to setup the tailstock of my hand screw machine.

Randy

When it does really count it is nice to have the indicator somewhere other than the tailstock, so you can withdraw the whole tailstock then move it back (such as pulling a chambering reamer out to clean chips, then re insert). For that I use a test indicator on the carriage of the lathe, and move the carriage as the reamer goes deeper, the indicator reads the end of the tailstock quill. But on my Grizzly .01 on the handwheel is .01 on the quill. They use .100 marks on the quil tho which takes a few times to get used to :-). On the older SB9 with no tailstock graduations some sort of indicator MIGHT be of use, but again I would stick a mag base on the carriage and measure the quill advancement :-).