Easy Way to Align an XY Table or Just the Table to the Chuck?

[Muttleytm]

I have an XY table on my DP. I don't mill with it, it is just easy for positioning. At least when I just want to drill one hole. Sometimes though I'd like to drill a number of them all in a line on the X direction.

I sort of line up the table (same can be said for the regular table) the left end of the table with a small drill bit on the chuck, then move it all the way to the right and do the same. It is easy to move the left side while adjusting the right. So back and forth, over and over.

I know they have some laser centers you put on the chuck (by the way are there any inexpensive ones like this?), but are there any lasers that make a line. I know they exist for other things on flat surfaces. That seems like it would make it way quicker and easier. At least if they exist and are affordable.

Maybe some other low tech method???

 

[Cole2534]

Framing square will getcha close with some creativity, but an indicator is really the best way.

Programmed via Mazatrol

 

[plastikdreams]

Framing square will getcha close with some creativity, but an indicator is really the best way.

Programmed via Mazatrol

Nothing beats an indicator for what you are looking to do...a lot of times I'll use a square to set it, then indicate it 0/0. Saves a bunch of back and forth.

 

[Booze Daily]

I don’t think you can use an indicator for this. Maybe I’m having a brain cramp, but couldn’t you set it at 45 and it would still indicate zero across the whole travel? Kinda like indicating the compound on a lathe by cranking the compound back and forth.

 

[michiganbuck]

A solid square bumped to the side of your drill chuck, or to the side of a sold rod held in your drill chuck.
A hole saw held in your chuck to eyeball to a board or an empty table.
A bent rod that swings in about a 3 to 6" circle when held in your chuck.
Once set it (your mill tram)should stay on the tram, so you might consider how the tram is held in place.

RE: Nothing beats an indicator for what you are looking to do.. held so it swings a 3 or 4" circle

 

[eKretz]

Erm, if you're on a drill press with a bolt-on slide table you don't need to align the part to the spindle to drill a straight line of holes. That happens automagically if you drill a hole then move the slide down, drill another and move the slide down, etc. I think what you are really trying to ask is about getting a linear pattern of holes aligned to the edge of the part. For that you need to align the workpiece to the X/Y table travel, not the spindle.

Once the table and the work are aligned, then you need to align the work to the spindle to get the first hole at proper distance to the part edges. An easy way to do that is to make a layout for the first hole and put in a good solid center punch. Float the X/Y table while you pick up the hole location with a center drill or spotting drill, then clamp it down and drill the holes, repositioning to each one with the table slide.

 

[plastikdreams]

Erm, if you're on a drill press with a bolt-on slide table you don't need to align the part to the spindle to drill a straight line of holes. That happens automagically if you drill a hole then move the slide down, drill another and move the slide down, etc. I think what you are really trying to ask is about getting a linear pattern of holes aligned to the edge of the part. For that you need to align the workpiece to the X/Y table travel, not the spindle.

Once the table and the work are aligned, then you need to align the work to the spindle to get the first hole at proper distance to the part edges. An easy way to do that is to make a layout for the first hole and put in a good solid center punch. Float the X/Y table while you pick up the hole location with a center drill or spotting drill, then clamp it down and drill the holes, repositioning to each one with the table slide.

I kinda thought thats where we were going with it...at least I was...hoping the xy table was square.

Damnit now you've gone and made this all complicated.

 

[eKretz]

I kinda thought thats where we were going with it...at least I was...hoping the xy table was square.

Damnit now you've gone and made this all complicated.

Pretty sure by his description that he's running a regular old drill press with an X/Y table clamped on the DP table, with a vise on top of that (or maybe clamped straight to X/Y table). For that setup, there is no angular alignment of table to the spindle. Only alignment of the part to table is important for angular alignment of holes to part. Guess we'll find out...mebbe.

Also, noticed I didn't mention how to align work to table; it sounds like OP may not know how to do that either - for that a dial indicator is helpful. Run the table slide back and forth while indicating the solid vise jaw or the edge of the part while clamped tight. Shoot for no indicator movement (to the level you're comfortable with).

 

[plastikdreams]

Pretty sure he's running a regular old drill press with an X/Y table clamped on the table, with a vise on top of that. For that setup, there is no angular alignment of table to the spindle. Only alignment of the part to table is important for angular assignment. Guess we'll find out...mebbe.

Also, noticed I didn't mention how to align work to table - for that a dial indicator is helpful. Run the table slide back and forth while indicating the solid vise jaw or the edge of the part while clamped in the vise.

Yeah I assumed it was already aligned. We don't know lol

 

[eKretz]

Yeah I assumed it was already aligned. We don't know lol

I think we do - he wouldn't likely be asking otherwise. But I may be misinterpreting. How about it OP?

 

[neanderthal mach]

It depends on your accuracy required? To me those consumer grade lasers are almost worthless since they can't really measure anything. And as others have already pointed out. even $25 spent on an off shore magnetic base Dial Indicator and Magnetic Base 1593 - LittleMachineShop.com and a .001" reading dial indicator can do far more. Yeah compared to the same as a $300+ Starrett or Mitutoyo set there complete crap, but it should still work well enough for what your doing. And since it seems you don't have anything like it yet? It can also be used to tram your DP table so it is in fact square to the spindle. (Google that) But a DP doesn't require that X,Y table to be true to anything else other than it's top surface is in fact trammed square to the spindles vertical travel. On a DP your setting the line of part hole offset locations to the table travel in at least one axis. That could be either X or Y. Using X as an example, you'll either indicate a part back stop bolted down to the tables top surface and adjusted until it's then true to the X axis travel, or indicate the parts long axis fixtured to the table and again true to that X axis movement. Your hole locations on the part are then centered to the spindle C/L using X,Y. Then use the X axis for your hole spacing.

Google Cartesian Coordinates, for locating any machined features it works the same as navigation using global positioning. But exactly like that navigation, you have to know where your starting point is to get to the location of where you want to go or to the next hole. It's the basics used to drill a simple but fairly accurate line of holes on a DP, to the most expensive machined parts made today on multi axis CNC. Understanding those basic concepts isn't optional imo. There's also edge finding to get a fairly accurate starting location, but I suspect that's well outside your expected accuracy requirements.

 

[Muttleytm]

It's only aligned by sight. The DP has a table with T-slots and the XW just clamps on top of that. There are no holes or anything on the XY that will work with the T-Slots.

So I'll align it at one extreme and I can't clamp it down too tight at that end so I can go to the other extreme and adjust that. In doing the second side, usually the first side moves again. So you have to do it a number of times.

That's why it seems like if you could use a line laser in the chuck, or I suppose somewhere on the head of the DP it could have it lined up by sight on both sides before clamping it down.

I see how an indicator from the center of the chuck to each corner could do that. I know if indicators, but haven't really used them. I suppose if on one end of the indicator there as something attached with a hole the same size of a bit in the chuck you wouldn't have to find the center of the chuck.

The XY table does make some things easier to line up, but if I want a series of holes on a line a specific distance from an edge it makes things harder.

 

[plastikdreams]

Even a laser line won't get you lined up perfect. Now when I say lined up perfect I'm talking about doing work that calls for accuracy well below .005".

Doing this on a drill press is probably next to impossible.

 

[Muttleytm]

thanks for the search terms, hadn't thought about triangulating. I suppose by setting some spot, any spot as zero it would just be a matter of where the center of each hole is in relation to that and to 0,0. I also just realized too that the table the XY table clamps to can be both rotated from side to side and also is on a spindle and can be turned. I'd been aligning the XY be loosening the clamps that hole it in place. I guess I should be moving the table a little on it's spindle. It doesn't have a real fine adjuster or anything.

I also got to thinking that to simply align the XY (or the table) to the center of the chuck I could use two lengths of metal strips with a hole to run a drill bit through in the middle. The two lengths of metal would extend out diagonally to the front of back corners of the XY table, or something along those lines.

The Cartesian coordinates does give me a way to think about this and I'll look into how about doing this. I can handle the math, it's measuring out the points. I'm also pretty busy with a variety of other things right now, so that may take awhile.

Also, thanks for the search terms. Most of my DP stuff has simply consisted of using it to