Tramming the head twice in one shift, what a difference 2 tenths makes

Pulled a big job here in Toledo last Tuesday, and my spindle was out 0.003 in X from some heavy side milling last month. Took the time to tram it to 0.0002 with a 6 inch indicator, and the surface finish on the 4140 block went from visible chatter to a mirror look. I always figured that small amount was fine, but now I'm kicking myself for not checking it every single setup. Anyone else do a baseline tram first thing in the morning, or just when parts start looking rough?

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ivan87314d agoTop Commenter

Man, that's a pretty tight setup you're running. Good on you for catching the wear. But 2 tenths on a 6 inch sweep? That's basically nothing in the real world. Most of my machines live around 3 thou off and still cut fine. You might be chasing ghosts here. Unless you're doing mold work or something crazy tight, I'd just check it when the finish starts lying to you. Saves time in the morning.