PM 1228 Improving a Factory Installed DRO for Better Access to the Carriage Locks

[@HandsonCNC]

Thanks for sharing.. I just got my 1228 with DRO and just checked.... yes it tooo did not have hex bolts installed.. now I have a tutorial on how to fix it..

[@dazecars]

Something I learned after I made the video... I may still put a hex nut on the X carriage lock. Occasionally the stand off lands directly over nut blocking my allen wrench access. In a perfect world I would find a bolt able to do both... I may weld a nut to the socket head cap screw, either way I am going to need to disassemble it all AGAIN.

[@amcbi05]

When I received my PM-1022 lathe with factory installed DRO in February of this year it already had the spacers that you installed in this video. I ended up making a special handle to reach into the socket head cap screw (and it stays in the head of the screw ) for the carriage lock on the X access because I found that one of the spacers was almost always blocking top access to that socket head screw when I needed to lock it .

[@dazecars]

Interesting, I got my lathe in June with the smaller spacers. Maybe there were a couple different batches in the warehouse.

[@UncleKennysPlace]

That's a heck of an oversight on that installation from PM. On my HF knee mill, I mounted the X-axis scale nearly one inch in front of the table, preserving Y-travel, and allowing access to the oil cups. I made new locking screws that were longer.

[@dazecars]

I was surprised to find the oversight but think I have a better setup now.

[@RustyInventions-wz6ir]

Very nice work sir. Love it

[@dazecars]

thanks

[@Shutupimslow]

Interesting video. I added a handle to mine, to lock it without tools.

[@dazecars]

that may be somthing I do in the future

[@kisoia]

Nice fix!

[@dazecars]

thanks

[@snaplash]

I'd attach flat lever handles to both lock screws to avoid needing a wrench at all, as long as the swing between locked and unlocked is short enough.

[@dazecars]

I do need to add a lever to the main carriage lock. When I made this mod I didn't think abut the fact that the standoff would sometimes be covering the lock bolt eliminating access to the bolt.

[@paulshermet535]

Originally, I put the optical scale on the chuck side for the sake of the tail stock reach which is poor on a 50's atlas . I knew one day the jaws would hit it so I put it on the tail stock side. Not good. Then I changed my optical scale to magnetic for more tail stock reach. Still would like less thickness. I noticed the bar holding your scale is probably 3 times as thick as necessary, and you may only need them for the ends as the scale is pretty rigid,and you still have the option of head hex locks if your tail stock suffers reach. It's a function of age in my case. LOL.

[@dazecars]

my carriage sticks past the scale so even after I moved the scale further out it still doesn't create any tale stock issues.

[@paulshermet535]

@@dazecars I see that now, mine goes inside the carriage.

[@dazecars]

👍

[@hu5116]

OK, I looked around on Amazon and eBay and a couple other places. First off, if we believe the PM doc, (hard to find on this DRO, but look under the manuals at the bottom of their page), they claim it will do 1 um (40 ten thousandths!) accuracy. Darn that is pretty good if true. Most of the units on Amazon were a few thousandths (inch) with the better ones only circa 1 thousandths. SO, I'm a little leery of that PM DRO number, but as long as it's not off by orders of magnitude, it suggests your milling will NEVER be as good as this DRO can read. I also found that there are quite a few units that have notably thinner measurement rules versus this DRO from PM. Maybe that goes with the accuracy. But since one could never use that kind of accuracy on this mill, it suggest potential to use units with thinner rules. But that does not really solve the problem here, since that silly ruler scale still sits right on top of the two bolts you need access! DUMB! So I had an idea, which if I buy one of these maybe I'll try, and maybe you or someone else might like to try it. The idea is to build a gantry down from the carriage, that brings all the mounting points down UNDER the ways! And so the scale ruler will reside UNDER the carriage instead of atop it. This might seem a little obtuse, but I think a couple of decent sized AL bars and blocks should be more than rigid enough to transfer the positions without error since they are not under any load (the slider that's all). This is particularly important because, as pointed out by a Blondihacks video, depending on where the Compound is with respect to the bolts, it also can prevent proper access to the bolts, so really that darn DRO rule needs to be just totally removed off the top of the carriage so one can access all the needed bolt controls properly.

[@dazecars]

thinner scales are typically magnetic and thicker ones are typically optic. Interesting idea to locate it under. That would involve quite a bit of reengineering but could be worth it if it works.

[@hu5116]

I wonder if this DRO scale would not be better installed on the front of the carriage? But maybe that requires too much stick out of your took in front of the carriage. Don't they make a thinner SRO scale? Off to Amazon to find out ;-). Thanks for the video!

[@dazecars]

Magnetic scales are thinner, but I don't think they would be thin enough. Even if you shifted it front or back you would still have times where the lock is likely covered

[@ryebis]

You lose about 2 inches of tail stock reach, in most cases that's not an issue. There are other options you could consider in the future, e.g. move the DRO to the left of the cross slide. Left of cross slide and pushed back towards the rear splash guard is an even better option.

[@dazecars]

In my case I didn't lose any tailstock travel because the carriage sticks out past the DRO scale even after I moved outboard. As far as moving it to the other side that would affect the use of my follower rest.

[@tomnorton8218]

Hey, this is a throw back question! On a treadmill motor control setup you talk about making a ac choke. I just got the "ring". Did you use stranded or solid wire to wrap around it?

[@dazecars]

its stranded to more easily wrap around the core

[@dannirr]

they never put hex heads in when they install the dro. mine is exactly like yours

[@dazecars]

Once is an oversight, every time is a problem. Makes no sense to have the carriage locks not accessible because of the DRO

[@BeachsideHank]

@@dazecars My PM 1127 is the same way, thanks for the fix. I bargained with Matt on the price since it was a customer return due to damage in shipment, but he assured it was checked out again before shipping it to me and but for the locking and minor cosmetic dents I'm very pleased with the quality of the machine.

[@dazecars]

they make good machines. So far I am very happy with both my lathe and mill

[@BeachsideHank]

@@dazecars Yes, I have the mill too, excellent value for the money spent. ☺

[@dazecars]

agreed

[@argee55]

Nice mod. I agree that the Allen head is much friendlier that the hex head.

[@dazecars]

yes far superior!!

[@dizzolve]

wow that's a big mark against PM imho. Never owned any of their stuff but they had my respect from what I've seen. But this is pretty lame. Good fix tho

[@dazecars]

Any machine you get from any manufacturer is going to have its quirks and little needed improvements. Almost no budget machine comes with all the bells and whistles. It's interesting I have two of their machines and they are for sure in two different classes as far as build quality. My Pm728 mill is of the highest quality, cuts extremely well is very ridged and has most every feature you could want. The fit and finish on machine assembly is also excellent. I still made upgrades to it but I would likely be doing stuff like that even if it was a machine that cost 5X as much. The lathe is not as well put together. It's quality where it counts in things that affect accuracy but fit and finish is a little bit lacking. Both excellent machines but with the mill I got way more for the money.