DRO for a Harrison 10AA/Colchester Chipmaster

[AndyF]

I'm looking for a DRO for my Harrison 10AA. I have a Fagor on my Lodge & Shipley Powerturn. What are good DROs to look at for the Harrison?

Does anyone have pictures or maybe a video they can point me to for guidance on doing a clean install on the lathe?

 

[beckerkumm]

I put an Easson 12 on my Smart Brown 1024 which is similar in size. I had a Fagor with glass scales but the mag scales fit the cross slide much better and interfere less with the tailstock. The higher resolution scale on the cross slide was not much more expensive. I think DRO Pro sell a similar unit but I got mine from the UK because even with shipping to Wis. it was cheaper. There is some cost cutting versus the Dro pro version but not anything that impacts the measurements. 3 axis set was under $1000 delivered. Dave

 

[rklopp]

See this post with photos showing how I put a 2nd-hand Sony scale on my Chipmaster. The scale sticks out the back because the Chippie's cross slide is short in the vertical direction and a scale mounted there would have blocked the tailstock approach to the saddle. Today I was able to find the parts drawings for the scale mount hardware, but I have no idea what happened to the CAD model. PM me your email and I can send you the drawings.

 

[lucky7]

I’ve also wondered about a dro on my remaining Chipmaster. My Chippie also has a taper attachment that would be in the way, so have just used long travel dti’s. Not as versatile as a dro, but works ok for me.

L7

 

[AndyF]

I’ve also wondered about a dro on my remaining Chipmaster. My Chippie also has a taper attachment that would be in the way, so have just used long travel dti’s. Not as versatile as a dro, but works ok for me.

L7

I have the taper attachment on mine also as well as a follow rest and want to ensure the installation doesn’t interfere with either.

 

[Rough-cutter]

I want to put a DRO on my Harrison 10aa lathe. However. If I put the scale on the cross slide. It will cover up where you losses the nut to rotate the compound. How would I install the dro and still have access to that wrench slot under the compound on the cross slide?

 

[johnmontrose]

I want to put a DRO on my Harrison 10aa lathe.

You may already know this but the Colchester Bantam has the same cross slide, saddle and top slide as the Chipmaster and 10AA. Hence, if you find pictures of a Bantam setup, that might give you some ideas.

I think I have seen someone do it with a magnetic scale underneath the cross slide.

See also this post from John Stevenson where he installed a slim scale on a Bantam and milled a little bit off the top of the saddle, to allow the scale to drop down (the saddle steps up about 1/2" towards the tailstock from the cross slide - effectively you make that step wider to accommodate the scale).

Lathe design not keeping up | Model Engineer

archive.model-engineer.co.uk

1000 words of pixels:

 

[matthewlee]

I have a 10aa with an M-DRO kit made for Chipmaster/10AA.
It was relatively simple to install and I have not had any issues. I did have to remove my taper attachment.

 

[Rough-cutter]

So what we are saying is. On the cross slide. Move the scale forward to not cover the nut that loosens the compound. And mount the read head to the back of the saddle.

 

[swarfless]

I posted my Chippy's Sony DRO installation on the OZ Metal Work Forums in the Show & Tell section .. sorry I'm too computer illiterate to link. Be warned, it's a slightly precious forum, you need to register to view pics & attachments. As it was, I needed my daughter's help to post there. I independently did the installation same as John Stevenson's method (at least a decade earlier) but raised the topslide & modified the method of anchoring it, having heard several stories of failure of the original design. Avoids need to access those two nuts as well.
Here's trying, https://metalworkforums.com/f320/t207790-chipmaster-dro-installation on the third edit!

 

[Bill D]

I think there may be some family resemblance to a Harrison m300. So look at m300 mountings as well.
Bill D

Photos

A photo gallery of all of our DRO installations

www.m-dro.co.uk

 

[PDW]

I posted my Chippy's Sony DRO installation on the OZ Metal Work Forums in the Show & Tell section .. sorry I'm too computer illiterate to link. Be warned, it's a slightly precious forum, you need to register to view pics & attachments. As it was, I needed my daughter's help to post there. I independently did the installation same as John Stevenson's method (at least a decade earlier) but raised the topslide & modified the method of anchoring it, having heard several stories of failure of the original design. Avoids need to access those two nuts as well.
Here's trying, https://metalworkforums.com/f320/t207790-chipmaster-dro-installation on the third edit!

And I STILL haven't fitted mine despite buying a magnetic ribbon type scale so I didn't need to mill anything away on the saddle!

Too many other projects...

PDW