How many axis would you want dro'ed on a lathe?

[hotponyshoes]

Hi,
Just found a Acu-rite 4-axis Turnmaster DRO for my lathe.

How many scales is it worth getting?

I thought about getting X Y and the toolpost slide and maybe seing if I could rig up a rotary encoder as the 4th axis to either give me a deg function on the toolpost slide (for turning tapers) or maybe fix it to the head stock and see if it would show rpm (speed).

What would you normally use a 4th axis for an a lathe?

I also toyed with the idea of fixing a scale to my tail stock so I could mesure the depth when drilling holes and tapping but it looks tricky to mount and would prevent me taking the tail stock off!

Thanks.

[springlakecnc]

Hi,
I got by with one trav-a-dial on the lathe for years. I don't know what i would do without it, or do i want to improve it. When i drill a hole, i know its 10 turns per inch on the tailstock, when i tap, i put the tap in a drill chuck so it can slip when it bottoms. Most lathes have a vernier scale for the compound, that after 20 years of job shop work, has been good enough 4 me. After 20 years, i have NEVER used the taper attachment. I always thought if you don't buy it up front, you will never buy it, but from years of job shop work, i would go with 2 axis, no more.
Buck Case,
Spring Lake cnc llc