Stefano has done a great job on this project and you as a software engineer would know that I'm sure. Your comments about documentation are accurate but that will improve. I am building this project from scratch and am just getting the boards complete which is proving a challenge. I have also built the clough42 ELS. I spent a lot of my life writing software so I bought another TI launch pad (which is an excellent board) to create something like DrDRO. When I saw this project on TH-cam I was hooked as it will give my lathe DRO and also a taper cutting function. It also has an excellent user interface.
Really cool video. I am a retired 67 year old machinist, who has spent my entire life around machining parts for various applications. I was amazed to see the Kearney Trecker mill, the same one my dad had in hi shop, which I ran nearly 50 years ago. Cool video and project, thanks for sharing. Paul, USA!!!
Thanks, Paul! I am looking forward to seeing how this thing will progress. I have the parts to get the saddle and knee connected to the DRO coming in soon. There's a lot that this machine will do on its own. Adding a little electronics to it only makes it that much more capable. I'm not a machinist, but hope to call myself that one day. And I am hoping my son or one of my granddaughters will follow in this hobby.
@@MyLilMule There is a good Wikipedia page on them. They were originally made in an old Sony TV factory in Wales, that used to make the old CRT's, so making the Pi's was a lifeline to them, keeping the factory open. I've had a couple of them now, including one of the first ones. One is running PiHole which helps filter out a lot of adverts on the internet on my network.
I have one or more of every Pi , except a 5, but ill get one of those too eventually. lol I also had this idea so Im glad to see all the needed parts already exist. Thanks for the video.
@@MyLilMule The Dividing Head Pendant Controller! Wish someone made a mini dividing head. My Lil Mill would swallowed by any regular sized accessories. On my SB 13, I went with TouchDRO, standard res for the bed, and hi resolution for the X slide. I'm just starting a first official project after 2 back plates, I'm doing a threading dial build. I'm anxious to see you synchronize the DH., oh to do away with, "a one and a two, and 12 holes..."
Don't you just love using a DRO on the mill. It was the best investment I made with my machine. I put a Ditron D80 on Herless combination milling machine. Cheers, Aaron.
First thing I did on my Bridgeport is put a DRO on it. I can't imagine using it without one. Having one on the K&T will be a game changer. I love vintage machinery, but having a DRO on them makes them so much more capable. It's like a power drawbar on a Bridgeport. Yeah, you can use the machine without it, but man, having a little extra help is awesome!
Add the DRDRO to your mill and with the threadexpress nothing will be impossible... :) Also he is interested in ideas of what features it should have in its development cycle. I have suggested Changing how the interface works For humans not programmers... :) Summing of 2 axis - but the tweak being the axis can be at an angle. For a lathe that would mean an angled top slide to cut tapers and you could move the carriage and still get back to the exact same point on the taper. Being able to move between machines One DRO to rule them all. Provided it is simple in the electronics (pick up a set of presets is what he suggested as a solution) Curve interpolation - with visual position indicator (moving off proper line) Allow a fully manual machine to better and more quickly produce curves (or tapers) If you have a ideas from your years of experience as to how it could make work easier - drop into his github and suggest them. A limit is the 4 axis inpuit - but perhaps that can be increased :) Not sure but I think it can do constant surface speed on a lathe
Everyone thinks finding a complete vertical head with drive gear is bad, a complete low lead kit is a true unicorn. I've always said if I found a machine with one I'd buy it. I do have one for the 2H but its missing the worms. The really sad story. I bought it from a guy having an auction and it wasn't even in the auction it was lying in the corner of the shop in a pile of junk. He had a matched pair of 2CHs a horizontal and vertical that came from the same shop that bought them new with all the attachments. They were used for tooling work so never saw production. He bought the whole lot but most of the accessories got junked over the years. Made me a little sick. Anyway following along closely on this one, I found this whole setup intriguing.
That's a very common story with these old machines. Especially the ones that have been made obsolete. Finding a low lead for a 2HL is even more of a unicorn than one for a 2H. I doubt they made very many of them. The worms are the critical piece next to the casting. The other stuff is pretty easy to make, but not those worms.
Very cool! You are probably further along than it might be helpful for, but Tom Lipton did something similar years ago, without the DRO. He built an electronic interface for his mill to cut helixes (is that a thing?). If Stephan is going to be making lots of updates it might be worth it to make the SD card more accessible. Keep up the good work!
I saw Tom's video when it came out. But with all the backlash that's in my table screw, it wouldn't work very well. I'd have to drop the table to back up for every pass and the raise it up again. Kind of inconvenient. This takes all of that out. The only backlash will be in the dividing head. Which may be a concern, but I don't think much especially since it's a 40:1 ratio.
From what Stefano tells me, yes. I am thinking about swapping out the display for the 10" once I get everything up and running. Make it easier on these old eyes. I'll likely use this 7" display on another DRO, maybe for the surface grinder.
stp is a fairly universal CAD format which makes customizing them really easy compared to working with mesh formats. Free version of Fusion360 would work or Freecad or several of the online CAD options. Not a fan of most of the 'online only' options as they demand you open all your files to the public.
I created some STL files for you that you can import into your slicer. Eventually, these might make it into the main repository, but here is a fork that has the STL files for the Wisecoco case: github.com/gregkopp/inventor-dro-case/tree/main/wisecoco-version/STL
Hi Greg great job You should sell these . I know it has parts and software that's Stefon's . Like for me i don't know much about electronics as a hole and i don't have a 3D printer so selling a hardware kit and components from in the US would be convenient for us just mechanically incline . Just a thought Great job hat's off to you programers and math wizzes. JM
@@junkmannoparts9696 Stefan sells most of these parts already. The display came from Amazon. I’ll add a link to the description. And there are services that can print the files. Send me an email (see the about screen on my channel) and I can help.
For what I want to do, digital is my only option as the mechanical versions are impossible to locate. And would be a monumental DIY build. If I wasn't tech savvy, I'm not sure I would have started this project.
Stefano has done a great job on this project and you as a software engineer would know that I'm sure. Your comments about documentation are accurate but that will improve. I am building this project from scratch and am just getting the boards complete which is proving a challenge. I have also built the clough42 ELS. I spent a lot of my life writing software so I bought another TI launch pad (which is an excellent board) to create something like DrDRO. When I saw this project on TH-cam I was hooked as it will give my lathe DRO and also a taper cutting function. It also has an excellent user interface.
A friend of mine, @Coopedupintheshop, also build his boards from scratch. My eyes aren't good enough for that! LOL!
Really cool video. I am a retired 67 year old machinist, who has spent my entire life around machining parts for various applications. I was amazed to see the Kearney Trecker mill, the same one my dad had in hi shop, which I ran nearly 50 years ago. Cool video and project, thanks for sharing.
Paul, USA!!!
Thanks, Paul! I am looking forward to seeing how this thing will progress. I have the parts to get the saddle and knee connected to the DRO coming in soon. There's a lot that this machine will do on its own. Adding a little electronics to it only makes it that much more capable. I'm not a machinist, but hope to call myself that one day. And I am hoping my son or one of my granddaughters will follow in this hobby.
It would seem that we all watch the same TH-cam channels.
I love the way the Raspberry Pi's are now so modular. Quite proud they are a 🇬🇧 idea.
I didn't know it was a UK origin! That's cool.
@@MyLilMule There is a good Wikipedia page on them. They were originally made in an old Sony TV factory in Wales, that used to make the old CRT's, so making the Pi's was a lifeline to them, keeping the factory open. I've had a couple of them now, including one of the first ones. One is running PiHole which helps filter out a lot of adverts on the internet on my network.
Wonderful, I followed Clough avidly with his electronic leadscrew project and this seems to suggest a next logical step. Thankyou.
So did I. He went through a lot of detail and trials. I appreciate that he documented much of it.
I have one or more of every Pi , except a 5, but ill get one of those too eventually. lol I also had this idea so Im glad to see all the needed parts already exist. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for watching!
Lots of capability in that pi box! Looking forward!!
Definitely. I am working on getting the other axis connected as well as what I need to do for a rotary controller to drive my divising head.
@@MyLilMule The Dividing Head Pendant Controller! Wish someone made a mini dividing head. My Lil Mill would swallowed by any regular sized accessories.
On my SB 13, I went with TouchDRO, standard res for the bed, and hi resolution for the X slide. I'm just starting a first official project after 2 back plates, I'm doing a threading dial build.
I'm anxious to see you synchronize the DH., oh to do away with, "a one and a two, and 12 holes..."
@billgilbride7972 look for an Ellis dividing head. Much more compact. I used to have one a long time ago.
Is this the system that Jeremy Makes Things was trialling? Great to see more details and the build up, thanks!
Yes. Same thing. It’s a very flexible system.
Don't you just love using a DRO on the mill. It was the best investment I made with my machine. I put a Ditron D80 on Herless combination milling machine. Cheers, Aaron.
First thing I did on my Bridgeport is put a DRO on it. I can't imagine using it without one. Having one on the K&T will be a game changer. I love vintage machinery, but having a DRO on them makes them so much more capable. It's like a power drawbar on a Bridgeport. Yeah, you can use the machine without it, but man, having a little extra help is awesome!
Cool! So good that it's all open source.
Regards, Preso
Get your Pi stuff in Australia from core electronics... kills amazon prices
For a nerd like me, it's perfect.
Add the DRDRO to your mill and with the threadexpress nothing will be impossible... :)
Also he is interested in ideas of what features it should have in its development cycle.
I have suggested
Changing how the interface works
For humans not programmers... :)
Summing of 2 axis - but the tweak being the axis can be at an angle.
For a lathe that would mean an angled top slide to cut tapers and you could move the carriage and still get back to the exact same point on the taper.
Being able to move between machines
One DRO to rule them all. Provided it is simple in the electronics (pick up a set of presets is what he suggested as a solution)
Curve interpolation - with visual position indicator (moving off proper line)
Allow a fully manual machine to better and more quickly produce curves (or tapers)
If you have a ideas from your years of experience as to how it could make work easier - drop into his github and suggest them.
A limit is the 4 axis inpuit - but perhaps that can be increased :)
Not sure but I think it can do constant surface speed on a lathe
Interesting software/hardware project 👍I might shout my manual Lathe a DRO for Christmas because I am really over change gears 😁
Jeremy Makes Things did a recent video where he adapted one of these to his lathe as an electronic lead screw. Might be worth a look.
Everyone thinks finding a complete vertical head with drive gear is bad, a complete low lead kit is a true unicorn. I've always said if I found a machine with one I'd buy it. I do have one for the 2H but its missing the worms. The really sad story. I bought it from a guy having an auction and it wasn't even in the auction it was lying in the corner of the shop in a pile of junk. He had a matched pair of 2CHs a horizontal and vertical that came from the same shop that bought them new with all the attachments. They were used for tooling work so never saw production. He bought the whole lot but most of the accessories got junked over the years. Made me a little sick. Anyway following along closely on this one, I found this whole setup intriguing.
That's a very common story with these old machines. Especially the ones that have been made obsolete. Finding a low lead for a 2HL is even more of a unicorn than one for a 2H. I doubt they made very many of them. The worms are the critical piece next to the casting. The other stuff is pretty easy to make, but not those worms.
Thanks 👍
No problem!
Very cool! You are probably further along than it might be helpful for, but Tom Lipton did something similar years ago, without the DRO. He built an electronic interface for his mill to cut helixes (is that a thing?). If Stephan is going to be making lots of updates it might be worth it to make the SD card more accessible. Keep up the good work!
I saw Tom's video when it came out. But with all the backlash that's in my table screw, it wouldn't work very well. I'd have to drop the table to back up for every pass and the raise it up again. Kind of inconvenient. This takes all of that out. The only backlash will be in the dividing head. Which may be a concern, but I don't think much especially since it's a 40:1 ratio.
Shoot! I just ordered an expensive replacement DRO for my mill. Might have been very interested in this otherwise.
Honestly, I am likely going to swap out the Ditron D80 that's on my Bridgeport for one of these at some point.
Guessing the 10" could be used also?
From what Stefano tells me, yes. I am thinking about swapping out the display for the 10" once I get everything up and running. Make it easier on these old eyes. I'll likely use this 7" display on another DRO, maybe for the surface grinder.
@MyLilMule if I did one would like the bigger display
@MyLilMule let me know if you do it in want to swap all my Dro to one system on all my machines so I'll need 4
I cant open the stp files.... in ANYTHING even on line converters.
I had to open them in Fusion and then exported them to my slicer.
stp is a fairly universal CAD format which makes customizing them really easy compared to working with mesh formats. Free version of Fusion360 would work or Freecad or several of the online CAD options. Not a fan of most of the 'online only' options as they demand you open all your files to the public.
I created some STL files for you that you can import into your slicer. Eventually, these might make it into the main repository, but here is a fork that has the STL files for the Wisecoco case:
github.com/gregkopp/inventor-dro-case/tree/main/wisecoco-version/STL
@@seabreezecoffeeroasters7994 it loads most of the way then errors out
@@MyLilMule Thanks man
Hi Greg great job You should sell these . I know it has parts and software that's Stefon's . Like for me i don't know much about electronics as a hole and i don't have a 3D printer so selling a hardware kit and components from in the US would be convenient for us just mechanically incline . Just a thought Great job hat's off to you programers and math wizzes. JM
@@junkmannoparts9696 Stefan sells most of these parts already. The display came from Amazon. I’ll add a link to the description. And there are services that can print the files. Send me an email (see the about screen on my channel) and I can help.
Thanks
So no more Android tablets Thanks for the video
Thanks for watching!
Well, it all looks complicated to me. I'm more an analogue person :)
For what I want to do, digital is my only option as the mechanical versions are impossible to locate. And would be a monumental DIY build. If I wasn't tech savvy, I'm not sure I would have started this project.
Do you even DYI, DRO??
👍🏻