Do you have a DRO on your lathe?

I have DRO functionality (2 axis CNC) on my BP mill and for a mill I think a DRO is a very valuable accessory. I don't have any electronics on my lathe and have never really found a need. Doubt that I will ever invest in a DRO for the lathe.

Ted
 
I have the DRO-Pro's EL400 with magnetic scales on my PM1340. It's been fine - the documentation sucks, but it works well. I would have preferred a Newall DRO like I have on my PM-935 mill, but the Newall cross-slide resolution is not high enough (you need 1u scales on the cross-slide). PM now sells the same unit as DROPro's at better pricing.
 
And you know me, I bought the cheapest most economical full DRO I could find on Aliexpress.
www.aliexpress.com

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My Heavy 10 had no means to measure carriage travel, and this was about as cheap as a long travel indicator. I've had no problems nor regrets. I would buy it again, though I might go for one of the big, bright color LCD display units that weren't available when I got mine. Having had no problems, I can't comment on after-the-sale service.

Does it make me a better machinist? No. Does it reduce the number of mistakes? Yes. Does it make positioning of features along the length of a shaft or in a bore easier and more accurate? Absolutely!
 
I put an igaging remote reading DRO on the Z axis of my mini lathe because I wanted to replace the wimpy compound with a riser block, but still be able to face work to a specific length. It also is handy for setting the depth of pockets I'm boring out, or for drilling holes to a specific depth (I have a toolpost-mounted drill chuck). So I would have to say that it has made me a better machinist, at least when the riser block is installed. It makes some ops a bit easier even when the compound is installed, but in that case it's a nicety not a necessity.

Since I almost always work using imperial units rather than metric, the inch/mm button is rarely used.

Like many, I initially had problems with the displayed position jumping around but I've figured out how to fix that. But you need a small-tipped soldering iron to do it.
 
Yes. DroPro EL-400. Magnetic scales. Love it.
Not sure it makes me a better machinist but sure is nice knowing exactly the position of the tool tip regardless of fwd and reversing and not worrying about backlash. Just don’t touch the compound! LOL got burned doing that once.
The mag read heads were the smallest size I could find which was important in my situation.
Definitely not the cheapest option and for sure its an involved project to install.


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I will install glass scales and/or a display, as soon as other stuff allows.

Most importantly I will feed the signals to my cnc controller.
 
I have the DRO Pro EL400 on my 1340 Jet and I'm happy with it. Did I need it? Nope! Am I glad I got it? Yes!
It was somewhat involved, but hey, who doesn't want a challenge! It was worth it. I especially like having the ease of getting accurate shoulder distances with the Z axis. I still have a lot to learn about all the functions, but I now have the time to learn them.
 
I added a Ditron 80 to the Takisawa with mini magnetic scales. I had some initial issues with the X axis, but eventually DROpros upgraded my X axis to 1 micron resolution, and I figured out how to do a linear compensation. I’m happy now, and the small mag scales made installation pretty straightforward.

Yep, definitely could not have as much fun without the DRO.
 
I have a TPAC Tools (Ditron?) DRO on my 14" x 40". Mine has 5 um scales which off the top of my head gives me 0.0002" resolution on the Y-axis. It's VERY handy. Thread to my install is below. I especially like it for Z-axis work. My cut-off tools all have the insert widths written on them (0.117" for example for 3 mm GTN's). I bring the cutter up to just touch the stock and punch "0.117" in the Z-axis display. If I want a 1" chunk cut off, crank to just past 1" and part (leave a little extra for a secondary facing op on the parted side).

I use the Y-axis too, but if it's critical, still triple check and reset the DRO using a micrometer. Sure beats using a mag base with a dial indicator for Z-axis locating.

Bruce


www.hobby-machinist.com

Grizzly G0709 Lathe Dro Install

Absolutely LOVE the 4-axis DRO on my Mill, figured it was time to put one on my Grizzly G0709 14” x 40” lathe. Many options out there for DRO’s, I chose TPACTools.com. I paid a little more than I could have from some of the eBay overseas vendors ($375 delivered), but went with Tom for a few...
www.hobby-machinist.com www.hobby-machinist.com
 
I had a 3 scale Fagor glass scale installed on my 16 x 80 The compound can be summed with the carriage movement or either read independent. I had a DRO Pros glass scale on my 14 x 40 and have a straight from China 3 axis on the mill. Have had them for years and never had trouble with the glass scales. Would buy through Aliexpress again with no second thoughts. DRO Pros were no help when I had trouble with the read head, in a couple of years it had become obsolete.
Would recommend the LCD screen, intend to change the one on the mill, when the sun shines in the windows the led numbers are impossible to read.

Greg
 
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