Glas scales and DRO

After I got the machine, I ordered a DRO setup consisting of the DRO itself and three glas scales. I have choosen the following lengths:
  • X Axis: 550mm
  • Y Axis: 250mm
  • Z Axis: 550mm
  • The DRO and the scales are branded "Ditron" and come from China

    I wanted to mount the Z scale to the column and not to the quill, which makes in my mind sense. When doing heavy cuts, you want to move your whole Z-axis and have the quill all the way up in its bore, where it has the most stiffness. I think Machining with a long stickout on the quill is bad practice and increases wear on the machine.

    The X-axis is simple, as there is a dovetail slot that can hold the mounting rail for the scale - It just needs to be aligned properly:

    One of the supplied mounting brackets worked for the x-readhead:

    In the Y-axis I had to drill and tap two holes for standoffs, then carefully aligned the glas scale:

    A bracket had to be made from scratch to connect the readhead against the crossslide:

    This is the way the scale for the Z-Axis is mounted. There are two spacers with about 5,5mm thickness holding the scale on a defined distance to the column and an adapter plate connects the Z slide to the read head. I went for this design because its a very compact design:

    A closeup of the DRO: