It seems to be just a simple analog amp meter. Has anyone rolled their own digital version with possibly more useful data displayed?
It seems to be just a simple analog amp meter. Has anyone rolled their own digital version with possibly more useful data displayed?
I'm sure anyone smarter than me could roll their own. I find the Tormach offering very useful though.
WW
I find it helpful once in a blue moon. But only if you are running a large tool like a 1/2" cutter. If you are running a 1/4" EM then I think you would snap the EM long before you would show much max load.
Interesting that if you go with the full enclosure - you loose the meter.....
The Body Armor Dude - Andrew
I've made mental notes of the max on the meter that different size end mills can handle (like using the A in Tormach, for example). I've covered the entire panel with a polycarbonate sheet, poorly formed by me, to keep coolant from splashing there with full enclosure/improved flood coolant.
WW
I "rolled my own" using a cheap eBay Chinese analog meter and a junque box housing recycled from another project so a total cost of about $5. For a load that varies I find an analog display more meaningful (but perhaps less techie looking) than a digital display. Banggood has digital displays for $2 so you could afford both!
Nitewatchman (I think it was) observed that a spindle tachometer can provide the same information, plus knowledge of how fast you are really going. Which is useful for tapping, if nothing else. I've had a cheap optical tach on my 1100 for years, no load meter, and can easily see (and usually hear) when I'm pushing the machine.
Build a tach. More useful information, same cost.
I made one from a bare meter I had lying around with the thought to get the real one if it was useful enough (the spare meter has a different range than the Tormach one). It works well enough, but as others say most of the time spindle load isn't all that useful.
Yes it is very useful machining runs of steel parts when pushing the spindle and cutter to the max - now I can tell before I stall the motor that the tips need changing!
I had some horrible stalls before I installed them.
Cheers Cliff