Gallery, Projects and General > How to's
Tramming an X2 without an indicator
MetalMuncher:
--- Quote from: Baron on February 18, 2014, 03:26:10 PM ---
--- Quote from: Stilldrillin on February 18, 2014, 02:57:09 PM ---Eric.
Having been here, while those were Modder produced. I still don't get them. They seem a complicated way to solve a simple problem. Also, introducing their own problems. :scratch:
Unless, I'm mistaken....... :palm:
David D
--- End quote ---
I'm one who set to and made my own ! It terms of money £20 plus some time.
In my case the supplier of the dial gauges sent two slightly different ones. Apart from the differences that can be seen in the photos, the stem of one was 1/4" longer than the other. It doesn't actually matter if they are not exactly the same stylus hight since you just rotate the scale to get a zero reference. Obviously you have to calibrate each gauge but that is very easy. Indeed all you need to do is pick a point on the machine table and set one gauge to zero. Rotate the whole lot 180 degrees and zero the other gauge with the stylus at the same point. From this point on any head tilt will be shown on the gauges. One will be plus something and the other will be minus something. Now all you have to do is move the head until both gauges read the same.
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Aha! I had not thought of the rotating method of calibration. And I see now that when you say "both say the same" they may or may not actually show "0". Somehow I was thinking they would both be zero'ed when the tram was done, and that is why I couldn't see how it would work. Thanks for the explanation. I now see this would indeed be handy, and if one had a pair of indicators of similar size rather easy to make. Faster than my method of rotating a back plunger indicator from side to side, for sure. And I presume the longer one would make the center bar the more accurate the tram would be.
MetalMuncher:
--- Quote from: Stilldrillin on February 18, 2014, 02:57:09 PM ---Eric.
Having been here, while those were Modder produced. I still don't get them. They seem a complicated way to solve a simple problem. Also, introducing their own problems. :scratch:
Unless, I'm mistaken....... :palm:
Lawrence.
I'm sure the spring washer, flexing the hollow column face, is a factor......
That is a big nut. I would use no less than 1/2" thick steel. Wider than the column.
Easily drilled/ bored on the mill.
My stud is 2mm to one side of the column centre line. Check before making an "offset" plate! :thumbup:
David D
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Yes, I was surprised to see in all this reading about this project that the pivot bolt is not in the center of the column. Strange. Do you know if anyone has a good drawing of the dimensions locating the hole on the column? I saw a couple CAD drawings, but although they worked off a "centerline" (not on center!) through the big hole, they did not include dimensions to get to the line from the edges of the column. Or, do these dimensions vary across the X2 clones? That might explain why the drawing did not show them.
Why would you suggest the plate be wider than the column? I would think as long as it is flush with the outside edges that's about as much support as you can use.
1/2" or greater steel plate that size I would have to order. I do have a 5/8" thick by 4" wide x 12" long 6061 plate but I did have other plans for it. I did see one column plate a fellow made from aluminum that was really pretty. He milled the forward side of it to get a flush fit against both the base casting legs and the back of the column. Looks very professional. :)
Stilldrillin:
Lawrence.
I didn't need a drawing for the offset. I measured my own machine........
For wider than column. Read not less than column width......
David D
MetalMuncher:
--- Quote from: Stilldrillin on February 18, 2014, 05:39:19 PM ---Lawrence.
I didn't need a drawing for the offset. I measured my own machine........
For wider than column. Read not less than column width......
David D
--- End quote ---
Gotcha! Thanks! Upon further research I decided that the "stock" to use for the plate does indeed need to be wider than the column, IF one intends to bolt the bottom corners into the base casting. It would depend on what style of plate one selects.
MetalMuncher:
While looking over all the different stiffening solutions for the X2 column, I have run across an interesting post on another forum - how to check the alignment of the spindle to the column, and how to adjust it if needed. I'm going to check into that, and since any adjustment involves having the column removed so it is easier to pull the head assembly, I can take the needed measurements to locate the pivot hole while I have the column lying down.
This also gives me a good excuse to tidy up around where the mill sits on my bench. ;)
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