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Compound needs a better degree dial

Susquatch

Susquatch

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I've been chipping away at the little issues that bother me about my lathe. One of them is this small degree scale that only does +/- 60 degrees from zero. I can do the math and use an indicator to set exact angles, but it's not stupid simple or fast.

20230526_181409.jpg


I'd like it to show 360. So I'm contemplating the purchase of something like this that would be sandwiched between my toolpost and compound and fixed in place with small machine screws. If I can find it, I'd prefer inverted numbering and scale lines on the inside instead of outside.

Screenshot_20230526_180707_AliExpress.jpg


Thoughts, concerns, other ideas?
 
Tom O said:
If you want precision I would go with the angle gauges and a indicator.
Click to expand...

I have no trouble setting precision angles Tom.

I'm looking for something easy to use for all those quick and dirty jobs.

I'd love to know why many lathes like mine are built without a decent simple angle scale.
 
There are a lot of circles with graduations on shutter stock. My subscription has lapsed but there are work arounds. If your intent is rough and ready Susquatch, download and print to your desired diameter. I checked my drafting supplies but all I have is an 8 inch acrylic compass rose and circular proportional scales and a Brown and Sharpe vernier protractor.
 
I have put another mark on the compound on one of my lathes 45 degrees from the arrow head with the line below it. This is quick and dirty, hard part is getting it marked in line, magnifying glass,slightly dull chisel, and maybe a offering to ??. The old lathe had the degrees marked on the compound with the reference mark on the cross slide, put a mark as close to 180 degrees opposite as I could measure/see.
 
Here’s a daft idea. Some of you have used that magnetic tape for your dro displays is there a pickup for a circular tape setup?
 
I' not suggesting this is the best solution but if you had a way of mounting this under your compound along with either the solid for the hollow magnet then the absolute encoder with 12 bits of precision theoretically gives you a resolution of 360/4096= or just under 0.09 degrees.

1685170543969.webp


This page gives a better idea of how the magnet works with the device.
wiki.seeedstudio.com

Grove - 12-bit Magnetic Rotary Position Sensor / Encoder (AS5600) | Seeed Studio Wiki

Grove - 12-bit Magnetic Rotary Position Sensor / Encoder (AS5600)
wiki.seeedstudio.com wiki.seeedstudio.com

I'm not saying this is the thing to do since you'd still need an Arduino and a display etc. But an absolute encoder runs into the 100's of dollars and is bulky. If you could figure out how to mount it I'm sure writing the code to show the angle would be the easy part for someone...
 
jcdammeyer said:
mounting this under your compound along with either the solid for the hollow magnet then the absolute encoder with 12 bits of precision theoretically gives you a resolution of 360/4096= or just under 0.09 degrees.
Click to expand...

This is fascinating John. On sooooo many levels.

It's odd that I never ran across this before. It's really cool.

Do you have a link to the Ali product page instead of a screen shot? I can't find that particular one. I like that it comes with the magnets.

I'm not at all sure that could be added to a compound though. Certainly nothing comes to mind. There is also the problem of precisely centering it. That's easy peasy on a spindle but dunno about a compound.

Must learn more......
 
Tom O said:
Here’s a daft idea. Some of you have used that magnetic tape for your dro displays is there a pickup for a circular tape setup?
Click to expand...

Not so daft at all! I've seen exactly this before. Prolly easier to do than the encoder, but not without its own challenges controlling swarf.
 
Bandit said:
I have put another mark on the compound on one of my lathes 45 degrees from the arrow head with the line below it.
Click to expand...

That's what I have now too. Except I put mine every 60 degrees all the way around instead of 45, and I used a marker instead of a chisel so it's not permanent.

That's what led me to the idea of a cylindrical scale.
 
kstrauss said:
How about
Click to expand...

I have one already. It doesn't work well on the compound because it has a round base and the rulers need to be together.

I don't really recommend mine either. The battery is always dead when I go to use it. So I keep the battery out of it. What is yours like?
 
I don't have one but was considering a purchase for a project. How does it determine the angle -- absolute encoder or...? Perhaps it could be butchered to get a cheap encoder + display.
 
kstrauss said:
I don't have one but was considering a purchase for a project. How does it determine the angle -- absolute encoder or...? Perhaps it could be butchered to get a cheap encoder + display.
Click to expand...

This is an AWESOME idea!

It's flimsy, the arms are thin sheet metal, and the battery life is zero. But yes, I bet it could be butchered - maybe even get a steak cut out of it! And mmmmaaaabbbbbeeee even fit my compound somehow.....

Nothing to lose for trying.
 
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