Re: Outdoor Welding

"Bob La Londe"  wrote in message news:103psbl$14ctm$1@dont-email.me...
Old School DRO.  Use a dial indicator.  Its the default for longitudinal
(Z axis) lathe work.  Lots of people will set a zero to work towards on
the indicator.  I think its easier to hit the mark than a digital DRO
because you can have it in your field of view while watching the work as
opposed to having to look up at the DRO.
Bob La Londe
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That does work well, I have a 2" travel indicator with a large dial for that purpose. There are two horizontal tapped holes in the ways below the headstock to mount it on, a lengthwise track and clamp would be better because the headstock overlaps and prevents using the vee way. There is some plunger length adjustment with an Enco indicator tip kit.
I used it to machine cast iron dumbbell halves into hemispheres for the pivoting bases of a shear leg hoist, by reading the X and Y coordinates from a spreadsheet using the circle equation X^2 + Y^2 = R^2. Quick roughing was by increasing R and the infeed step increment, both defined as absolute ($) cell constants I could change. For the finishing cut a round nosed bit with its radius added to R gave a surface smooth enough to file. The roughing bit was an easier shape to resharpen. The same process cut the laminated plywood socket.
I've seen an SB(?) accessory plate fastened to those holes that places a single vee way horizontally beside the headstock at or near spindle height, but no image or mention of what it's for in the SB parts manual or on line.