Unimat DB200 vertical drill depth measure

Hello,
I own a Unimat DB200 like this http://p2.la-img.com/385/24564/8915114_1_l.jpg
This lathe can be converted into a vertical drill (see the lever in the picture) using a lever to lower the drill.
This does not have a means of measuring the depth, so I would like to make a tool.

A simple idea I had, was to make a small cylinder-like part and pass the lever through it, attached with fasten screws. Eatch time the lever rotates, this part rotates with it. If a scale is marked onto the part, then it's rotation (and hence the depth) will be known.

What do you think of it?
Any other ideas?

SV30RA,

I recently posted some modifications to the Unimat SL 1000 which is very close to the DB200 design. I too needed a drilling/milling depth gage. I added a digital dial indicator so I could easily reset zero when the drill just touched the part and then use the dial indicator to monitor the drilling depth. Here is the Homemade Tools URL to my posting: http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/m...00-lathe-10111 . I hope this provides some ideas. Also some of my other postings for the Unimat SL 1000 contain other views of the modifications.

Paul Jones