Gone digital

[cheese1566]

Adding a cheap DRO to the mill. Just need to redneck engineer the z-axis for depth of the quill. X and Y axis was easy.

[jmorris]

Where did you get it?

[cheese1566]

eBay for $190
Two of three scales were the correct length, had to cut one down for the z axis on the quill. Brackets were a joke and I made my own to fit this RF45 clone.

Seems ok for the work I do. I have most of the parameters set, but can’t seem to figure out how to change the decimal place from 0.0000” down to 0.000”. Maybe some black tape to black out the last digit!

After re-reading the Chingrsh written manual again, I found the decimal setting hidden in the parameter section.

[1066]

Good job, you won't regret it. I fitted a cheap Chinese DRO to my small mill 4-5 of years ago. Can't imagine working without it now. Had to cut one of the scales which was a bit scary as, at the time, the general thinking was that the tempered glass scale would shatter. However, job went well with no problems.

[jmorris]

I spent some time looking at them yesterday prices keep going down but a 1500mm encoder is still over $220 on its own.

[country gent]

Ive got one of grizzlys here to mount up on a lathe tail stock. I want to be abe to use it on both lathes easily. Im thinking a dowel pin for alignment and magnetic mount to tail stock and spindle. The scale bar will be fixed and the reader on a rod to travel. this way the bar cant interfere with the hand wheels when at back of stroke.. All self contained easy on and off or to move from machine to machine.The spindle mounts will be machine specific due to different spindle diameters.

One or 2 dowels will provide the location / alignment 3-4 heavy neodymium magnets front and top will lock it in place and a magnet in spindle mount and rod to hold them. Since the readout is a separate unit this can be all enclosed with just the digital / control out.

[303Guy]

I wasn't going to be spendy on my cheap benchtop lathe. I bought a cheap long travel digital readout which works OK but for the cross travel and compound I mounted digital calipers.

A lot better than nothing.

[cheese1566]

I mounted a cheap plastic digital caliper to my lathe tailstock years ago. I also bought several of the Harbor Freight $9.99 calipers to mount on the cross slides. Never got around to those yet.

I’d like to do another cheap eBay unit for the lathe, but those glass scales take up so much room on the cross slide.

[303Guy]

Here is my arrangement