A new feature for my old 10EE

Since the day I got my 1943 10 EE into service four or five years ago, I've wanted a small tray to hold the things I might use during my running of it. I wanted the tray to reside just above the headstock cover, but have the ability to swing out of the way for easy access to the oil fill port and to get at the left side cover latch.

I've had a dro for a couple years, but never installed it as I didn't have scales long enough to cover the whole travel of Z. But it gave me ideas of how I wanted to mount the display and the tray. A while back I did some work that earned me the funds to purchase a new dro just for this old lady. One bonus was the display mounting was just like I had been thinking for the last few years.

So with the dro completely installed and working, I ordered a thick chunk of polypropylene to make my tray out of. It was bigger than my mill travels allowed, so I machined it in two positions turning a lot of it into chips. It was a hefty hunk when it came, but weighs under 2 lbs now. There's a hole to slip it over the post mount for the Newall display and I used a shaft collar to hold it in place.

I'm so happy to have it done and installed, I waited a long time for it. I actually think I'm happier to have the tray than I am to have the dro. Even though the dro is a real nice addition. The polypropylene warped quite a lot during the pocketing, but it's very functional. I always hated balancing my mic's anywhere on the lathe and I don't have a bench behind me when I'm operating the lathe like most shops I've visited. I don't have to keep the little things in the covers over the TA any more either.



Bob

I like it! I did something similar for both ends of mine. I gotta figure out how to post images.

Thanks for posting yours.

Lee (the saw guy)

I was asked for some pictures of the dro install on the old gal, so here's a few. It's a Newall in kit form to fit a Hardinge in the same travels as the 10EE. I had to fab one bracket, but the rest were included in the kit. First is the scale for the cross travel. Mounts at one end only, so I had to only drill 3 holes for it. Second is the cable coming from it. Then looking from the TS end towards the carriage, then the mount to the carriage and the one bracket I had to make. That far scale mount looks crooked in the pic, but it's not that way in reality. All the holes were free handed though, so none are perfect. Last one is the cables exiting under my back chip guard. Yep, that Gorilla tape lining the sharp edge of the cutout. More in the next post.

Bob

Here's the remaining pics, taken from the HS end. First the mass of cables coming up the back of the lathe. Then the display from behind and finally the display from the front. Forgot I had to make a post adapter to mount the post the display mounts to. I added it under the existing light mount. Very solid. The post gave me the place to mount my small tool tray. Can't say which I like the most, the new dro or the new tray.

Bob

Bob, thanks for the info and pictures. My Newall finally arrived over 2 months late due to factory delay. One question I have: Did you have to buy any extra mounting parts, not counting the one you made?
My kit came with no scale mounting hardware, just the reader hardware. The reader kit does include one single end mount, but nothing else. None of these were included: http://www.newall.com/upload/content/file/600-65320%20-%20Kit%20Contents%20-%20Microsyn%20Scale%20Bracket%20Kit%20-%20023-81900-0.pdf

I see the end mounts on your longitudinal scale; my kit came with none!

Bob49 said:

Why are my pics so small? I didn't reduce them from the over 2mb in size there are. Loading attachments didn't use to do that.

Click to expand...

After you upload your images double click on them, you can select the image size you want.

Thanks for the help, never knew that.

Bob, the PDF I posted is actually what I think they left out. I got all of the other brackets, covers and mounts. Just none of the end holders that clamp the ends of the longer traverse scale. It’s that end holder in your second pic.
My kit is the same part number as yours.

Ahh, got it. Odd you didn't get those pieces. Yeah, you'll need two sets of the pieces in pic #2, one for each end of the long Z scale. Did see those in that pdf.

Thanks Bob!
I emailed the supplier, and Newall direct and hope to get the missing parts. It was crazy how backlogged Newall was, but it happens. Overall I’m excited to connect everything!
I’m so impatient, I bought those missing parts from an eBay seller in the meantime last night. We will see which set shows up first.

I still have never had a DRO on any of my lathes. Using it to set accurate taper alone will be like Christmas!

When I first started using it I was moving from indicators to the DRO. And I had a problem watching the DRO as I was feeding even though I was used to watching the indicator. That took some discipline to change my habits. Good move overall though.

Bob,
Have you had any issues with display flicker/changing numbers on your DP700? Mine is finally hooked up and the flicker was greatly reduced with a new type power adapter they sent me.

No, never had any problem with it. Well other than remembering how to work the functions as I only use the dro part of the time I run the lathe.