Here is something that when used along with an MPG on a lathe makes toolbit placement, positioning, measuring, etc. on the lathe
very easy. The rack and turn device provides versatility and easily moves out of the way when not wanted. The rack tension is adjustable so position can be sensitive and maintined.I added the Z rack from a broken microscope positioning stage. The picture looking at a 0-80 screw thread doesn't show the clarity of the scale but at least it gives you an idea of what is seen. It's difficult to get a picture thru another optical device. Easily measure to within .0005 and it's very light in weight. It's nice to check a small part with it ( no fumbling around with a micrometer ) and then rerun your program post tweaking tool position if needed. The video camera is great to use with Mach3 but one of the things that you also want is to have some distance away from the part. I use a 30x stereo microscope with 8 1/2" relief when drilling with my homemade sensitive drill press.
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