Good cheap basic DRO for surface grinder Y axis?

[chale4incolo]

Hi all,
I’m finding the y axis dial on my venerable 1942 “#2” B&S surface grinder to just “not reliably compute” for some goofy reason, and I’m thinking of putting a good basic DRO on that axis. Would anyone here have recommendations for a good simple (nothing crazy, just typ +/-0.0005” say) single-axis DRO setup? (readout and scale)? The travel is 6.5”, so not a terribly long unit clearly. Thanks—Charley in Colo

 

[chale4incolo]

Hi all,
I’m finding the y axis dial on my venerable 1942 “#2” B&S surface grinder to just “not reliably compute” for some goofy reason, and I’m thinking of putting a good basic DRO on that axis. Would anyone here have recommendations for a good simple (nothing crazy, just typ +/-0.0005” say) single-axis DRO setup? (readout and scale)? The travel is 6.5”, so not a terribly long unit clearly. Thanks—Charley in Colo

—update, I actually poked around and found what I think will work well for me here. An 8”-travel glass scale quite cheap (Vevor, looks decent) and a little single-channel display also cheap (Easson, also looks decent). About $90 tot. But now I’ve got another surface grinder question, that I’ll pose separately here in a minute—Charley

 

[CarbideBob]

I'd go with just about any glass scale unit and .0001 or better resolution.
Stay away from those at .0005 even if that seems enough.
Assuming more than McDonalds wages you will spend way more that $90 mounting it to this machine correctly.
On this, a Harig, Reid, B&S, Okamota, and others there are no nice square mounting surfaces for this gizzmo.
Have a Sandvik scraper blade and like to move metal? Cut and make shims?

This is not hard to do but maybe not so super simple.
If you mix and match sources scales and readout need to agree on signals and wiring. (Square wave, sine wave,..etc)
Bob

 

[Zap921]

Charley, keep us posted on what you decide, how it's working for you and some pics. Been thinking about adding one myself on a 60's Reid Hyd.

 

[chale4incolo]

Thanks, I will keep you all apprised. I poked around on the web further yesterday and ordered a cheap 8" glass scale (Vevor; looks 'ok') and a cheap single-channel display box (Easson--ditto...), about $100 total, so I'll see what I get in a few days. The B&S #2 appears to have a really good mounting potential on the 'left' side (standing in front of the machine), I don't think it'll be hard at all to mount the scale. The pin-outs look compatible, but we'll see, that might get more complicated. I installed scales on all three axes (x,y, knee z) on a truly antique (late 1800's!) Becker vertical mill long ago, including even having to shorten one of scales, and that went fine back then. This looks a good lot easier really. --Charley

 

[michiganbuck]

The up and down Y or the in and out Y?

The up-and-down one is subject to wheel wear so counting tenths is a little vague because the DRO tells how much you traveled not how much you got. Wheel wear takes less and a hot part takes more.

I have used surface grinders with DRO in two axes and have enjoyed having that, for some work DRO was an asset, and for some just a waist of time.

Here is an old video of adding a DRO to the up and down of a surface grinder.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?&pc=CBHS&ptag=N2103D083020A9DFA1A1FF2&conlogo=CT3210127&q=surface+grinder+axis+designation&ru=/search?pc=CBHS&ptag=N2103D083020A9DFA1A1FF2&form=CONBDF&conlogo=CT3210127&q=surface+grinder+axis+designation&view=detail&mmscn=vwrc&mid=15B4048837176534DAB115B4048837176534DAB1&FORM=VDMCNR&rvsmid=D36FBAF7D257E69C134BD36FBAF7D257E69C134B&ajaxhist=0m

 

[chale4incolo]

Sorry, by “y axis” I’m referring to the “in and out” motion. I call up and down motion “z”. I’m fine with the B&S’s big “z” wheel, and I don’t see much call for knowing “x” (back and forth motion) real accurately, so, just keen to do the DRO on “y”. There’s something about that “y” dial that causes me to lose my place way too easily. I wish the darn thing could be loosened/adjusted to “zero” on the dial, that would help a lot, but it doesn’t seem to have that capability.

 

[chale4incolo]

That video looks great, I’ll definitely check that out, thanks—

 

[michiganbuck]

QT: (Sorry, by “y axis” I’m referring to the “in and out” motion. I call up and down motion “z”.)..
I call that the cross-feed for a lathe, mill, or grinder.
For manuals and power feed SGs It saves confusion to just use Down, Cross and Long.
X is almost always the Long travel
Y and Z change about the world... agree it would be nice for all SGs to be the same.
But don't think you have to zero the DRO every time you fire up, for a simple quick job it is best to keep it quick and simple.

I don't even dress every time I fire up..The wheel will be just the same as I left it from yesterday. I might mic my part and then grind all but .003 with yesterday's dress..mic the part again and dress then incremental-cross travel the .003...and know I am .0005 or less to size. To be a decent grinder hand you have to make spec..and be quick about it.
Interesting Don is a grinder hand and this is a grinding shop, yet this machine does not have a DRO.
re Don Baileyb fast grinding