Homemade DRO...maybe...sort of...

[deere_x475guy]

I agree with Kermit, and if all else fails, form a committe to study the problem. More than once the committe has been made up of Me, Myself and I to sit around and drink coffee and study the problem.

JimN

Very well said Jim....hang in there Zee... ;D

 

[Majorstrain]

I agree with Kermit, and if all else fails, form a committe to study the problem. More than once the committe has been made up of Me, Myself and I to sit around and drink coffee and study the problem.

JimN

Too true. I fully agree.
and if the meeting extends to after 5pm (or something to do with the sun and the yard arm ;D) you can move the meeting to the smoking room and partake of some fine cognac and cigars.
Then there is no stopping the flow of plausible solutions :big:.
:noidea:
Cheers Zee,
Phil

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks all. 90% of my problems are about confidence. You all help a lot. The other 10% is lack of knowledge. ;D hm...you all help a lot there too!

 

[zeeprogrammer]

a little proggy in Marv's collection...by calculating how much extra depth you should add to take into account for the angled drill bit tip.

It is called DALLOW.ZIP. Which I used regularly until I recently converted over to a 64 bit machine, and now it refuses to run.

Just to add some clarification...or perhaps confusion...

I suspect the program was written in a 16-bit world. The 64-bit machines will run 32-bit programs, but not 16-bit programs. This is a real bummer as I haven't been able to run the original DOOM on my laptop. ;D

Marv provides the source file as well. For grins I took a run at recompiling the file using Visual Studio 2005 for a console app. It appears the program uses a function that I'm not familiar. The function is used to input parameters for use by the program. For this program it would be easy enough to use command line parameters...but that's a bit more work than I want right now.

I thought I'd read about some one converting these programs...or maybe it was some one who was developing a similar tool set?

Hm...drat...now it's got me thinking...

 

[zeeprogrammer]

I investigated the twist/rotation of the tailstock quill.

There is sufficient backlash to give an error on the order of +/-.0003" Not an issue in my mind. Particularly since all force will be directed towards one end and the caliper should show any change.

More important was the point that this rotation could cause undue stress on the caliper and/or tailstock. However, the springy bit in the holder that applies pressure to the side of the scale seems to give much more than that. In other words, it should take up any change. I can't imagine that any change in accuracy would be noticeable by me.

I think I've worked out how to mount the caliper to the tailstock. It should just be a matter of a little dremel work to make two slots on the caliper and then two tapped holes in the tailstock.

Mounting the scale to the quill will be based on using a collar. Many thanks to Max for his picture. I would've simply used a set screw but his method avoids the possibility of damaging the quill.

Geesh...this is like typing an email to someone...I almost ended with 'Best Regards'.

 

[Foozer]

I think I've worked out how to mount the caliper to the tailstock. It should just be a matter of a little dremel work to make two slots on the caliper and then two tapped holes in the tailstock.

Following, too cold outside for much else. Drilling holes in yer machine? That's the one task I always cringe at. Never fails that after the deed is done a better method pops up.

Just a waiting to see how it turns out.

Robert

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Robert! I was just wondering about you last night.

Drilling holes in yer machine? That's the one task I always cringe at. Never fails that after the deed is done a better method pops up.

Exactly the worry. Well...that and ruining the job in the first place.

 

[fdew]

I am another of the many using these inexpensive calipers for a DRO
A couple of notes.
I thought long and hard about two common problems. The caliper I can afford is not long enough. How do I connect both ends in a stress free way.
I solved these by connecting just one end. That way I can use a caliper with a range as long as most of my projects but not as long as the travel of my machine. Also when I don't need it, it is not moving.
I connect the other end, by pushing on it with my thumb.
http://lbpinc.com/x.jpg

I have learned that if you let it fill up with chips they will get inside and it will stop working. The good news is that they are easy to take apart, and the head from a cheep 6 in can be fitted to the more expensive 12 in. that you let chips into.

Making the assembly easy to remove, means that when you are just making chips and don't need it (roughing out a one piece crank shaft) you will remove it. Removing it is the easiest way to keep it clean.

Frank

 

[Foozer]

Robert! I was just wondering about you last night.

Exactly the worry. Well...that and ruining the job in the first place.

I'm a still breathing, too chilly out for nut and bolt work so the reading of Plato and chasing the bride around the house keeps me busy.

You've got the hookup from caliper to read out down to which I'll be waiting for the final solution. Only query that nags me is what happens if the tail stock ram is over extended? Only know my own boat anchor lathe and the over extension frees the ram allowing it to spin. Would sure make a pretzel of the caliper in a hurry.

But then, yours probably has a positive stop to prevent such an occurrence and this old worry wart is a fretting over nothing.

That motor of yours sure turned out nice. A beam engine I see coming up

Robert

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Frank. Thanks for the post. I've wondered that myself. And I need to think about making the caliper easy to remove...your point is good that the less time there doing nothing...then the longer it should last.

Robert...yeah I need to do a beam engine some time. Absolutely.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Went by Home Depot today and got some cut-off wheels for the Dremel. It's now obvious that the wheel I was using was a grinding stone. Still haven't found it in the literature that came with the tool...but no matter...we continue.

I am bothered a little by the fact that the cut-off wheels came 20 in a container. That kind of tells me that I'll be going through them too.

Did I mention that this was the first time I've done this kind of thing? That I used a full face-shield? That I tried to blow off the dust but ended up fogging the entire thing?

The scary part was that the face shield wasn't any more uncomfortable than my glasses. At one point I thought I was wearing it...but I wasn't.

Got most of the electronics today. Realized I had ordered just 16 and 20 pin sockets cause I can put 8 pin parts in 16 pin sockets and so on. Works fine for perfboard...but since I'm getting the PCBs...oops. Well I can cut them...hm....cut...cutoff...wheels...hm.

 

[shred]

Yeah, the little dremel cutoff wheels do like to break, so stay off the plane of the cut as much as possible. They really don't like bending at all.

 

[Twmaster]

Zee looking at how you work I don't think 20 is enough.... Hope Lowe's or Home Despot isn't far away!

 

[ozzie46]

Zee, If you got the black cutoff wheels they are fragile and won't last long. They make reinforced cutoff wheels for the dremel that are very good. I use them all the time for cutting music wire and shorting screws and the like. They are reinforced with fiberglass I think and I have never shattered one. I have read they last longer if you use a coolant never tried it as they seem to last fairly well, for me at least, without it.

I use them instead off a hacksaw for cutting drill rod and round stock up to about 1/2.

Ron

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Zee looking at how you work I don't think 20 is enough.... Hope Lowe's or Home Despot isn't far away!

Ow! Ow ow. Ow.

It has occurred to me that it might be cheaper if I simply moved next door to one. :big:

Ron...these are brown...well...dark brown. I think the hobby shop has a better selection of Dremel stuff. I'll check there. I checked the Dremel site (something I should have already done) and I see what you're talking about. Thanks.

 

[mklotz]

Marv provides the source file as well. For grins I took a run at recompiling the file using Visual Studio 2005 for a console app. It appears the program uses a function that I'm not familiar. The function is used to input parameters for use by the program. For this program it would be easy enough to use command line parameters...but that's a bit more work than I want right now.

The input function (vin) was written by me and is included in the code via my personal library. Folks who are interested in porting the programs can obtain the source for that function and others from me.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

The input function (vin) was written by me and is included in the code via my personal library.

Ah! I was wondering about that the other night. You had mentioned a library before.

I had searched for non-standard headers but missed the reference to MWK.LIB.

Do you know if anyone has actually ported your programs?

It sounds like both the LIB and the source for it is only available directly from you...not your site. Correct?

Hadn't seen you for a few days...I hope the holidays have been good for you and your family.

 

[mklotz]

I've been gone a while. My wife dragged me off to Palm Springs for a few days. Picture a town composed of golf courses with streets named "Bob Hope Drive" and "Gerald Ford Avenue". Very high silliness level but the desert weather was fantastic. Stopped in Indio (self-described date capital of the country) and had date milk shakes. I asked about date wine but the yokel behind the counter just looked confused.

I've had literally scores of folks request permission to convert my programs to whatever the current brain-damaged GUI is (real men use a command line) and, despite my provision of whatever source code they need, not one has ever got beyond converting one or two programs. No one has ever started a web site offering all the converted programs as they've promised. I guess that once they appreciate the amount of time involved in converting and then proofing that much code plus the fact that it's almost all math they quickly find more interesting things to do.

Yes, you're right. None of the library source is on the site. If you want it, you can obtain it from me. My guess was that anyone doing a port would have no need for the utility routines and would write their own to fit their GUI interface.

 

[bentprop]

Zee,the Dremel cut-off wheels will last a little longer if you coat them with thin superglue BEFORE use.Just run it over the whole surface,both sides,and let dry.They will still break if you twist them,but quite often,I have to replace a wheel because it's got too small to cut anything!I coat 3 or4 at a time,so there's always one ready to go.
If you're like me,and get the cheap superglue,you'll find it's usually a bit thicker.Just ball up a piece of paper,and spread glue over the surface of the wheel.Let dry,then do the other side.
It takes a lot less time to do,than to describe it :big:
Happy New Year to one and all.

 

[Blogwitch]

Marv,

I have been using your little proggies for ages now, and they have made my life a lot simpler.

I used to do some programming many moons ago, but only when it was on 8 bit machines, and as you know, I am a nuts and bolts man, and all the relearning would be very difficult for me as the grey matter is starting to flag a little.

If I had known I would be losing so many of my resources by moving over to 64 bit, not just your programs, I wouldn't have bothered. But like everything else, you only look for the benefits to be gained when spending fairly large amounts of cash on an upgrade, and I am a little loathe to spend even more getting a 32 bit notebook to go into my shop (no room for a desktop machine) at this time.

Most of the work can be done with paper and pencil, but your little programs took all the hard work out of it.

Many thanks for times I have been able to use them to good effect.

You don't realise how useful something is, until your don't have the use of it any more.


Carl, just a bit of advice.

Go for the simplest method you can think of to do a job, and still have it being reliable. What isn't there can't go wrong.

Don't worry over drilling holes in hard stuff, make a clamp out of soft stuff and join onto that. See C-o-C.
If you can't get it clamped tight enough, just assemble the whole lot with a touch of superglue or Loctite, I will guarantee that they won't come apart.
You should even be able to join onto what you have left of your digivern.


Blogs