iGaging Stainless Steel Absolute DRO Scales?

[Yuriy]

Actually, you can fasten both ends on a scale (mine have been, for about 10 years, on my mill) but you have to be very super critical to make the scale mount adjustments so that it matches parallel, in 3D, to the travel of the moving piece to which it is attached. I have both traveling head, and traveling scale bar configurations in use.

I do the mounting of the scales before the final tightening of the gib screws, when setting up a mini mill. I can feel the added resistance in cranking the axis (when the gibs are loose enough so things move very freely) if I have the scale out of true. Plus, if the mounting screws are left slightly loose while adjusting the scale, you can see it move or try to twist when it doesn't follow parallel to the line of travel. It doesn't help that the base castings on some mini mills have sides that are not perpendicular to the bench. I mill angled blocks of aluminum to fill in the space and set the scale plumb to the bench, as well as angling the head bracket, if necessary, so the head will also be plumb.

One thing you can do is to use thin spring steel to make the head mounting bracket so ti will give it a bit of play perpendicularly to the axis of travel but will still be rigid along the axis. Generally correct rigid mounting will result in better accuracy, so the time you invest there will pay off in the long run.

Also, to answer your earlier question: I ship from Portland, OR, generally on the following weekend.