Dro For Mill

joshua43214 said:
@Eddyde
Don't forget to report back here on your experience.
I just ordered another DRO like the one I linked for my new mill that I am picking up Tuesday.
Would be really cool if it gets here about the same time I am ready to install it lol.
I'm not entirely sure what I will do with the old one. The cost of ordering the entire system is cheaper than ordering new scales. I might try to scrounge up some cheap scales and install it on the lathe, though I'd rather have magnetic scales for that (I think the display will still work with magnetic scales).
I may put up for sale here, it is sized for a PM25mv which I think is the same as a G075.
I will post a pic of the box, we can see who DHL dislikes more lol
Click to expand...
The DRO arrived today only 7 days after I ordered it. I hooked everything up to test it out, all appears to be functioning perfectly. The quality seems very good for the price. I will post pictures soon.
 
Ed ke6bnl said:
Eddyde what model did you purchase, getting ready to purchase and looking forward to your input. There are many to choose from. I was looking at this one in 2 or 3 axis not sure
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/3Axi..._77_91_80,searchweb201644_5,searchweb201560_9
Click to expand...
I got the Easson 3 Axis. The transaction went very smooth. However, I ordered it from a different store then your link, so I cannot vouch for them.
This is what I bought:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Eass...ital-readout-including-3-pcs/32269307525.html
 
My new DRO just arrived. DHL was much nicer to this one than the one I got before. I do have to say I find it impressive that if I order on Monday, it arrives the following Monday.
Now I just have to go through the whole process of figuring out mounting on my new mill...
 
I ordered one from your Ali seller, may get it early next week

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I just received my dro in good condition and bench tested and all works fine. May be a week or so before I can get a chance to mount it. BUT is there any good details on how to do the setup after all is in place. The manual seems very confusing. The scales need to be set to the correct accuracy and need to log in the type of scales used. anything else I am missing. Mine looks exactly like the Sino model
 
Ed ke6bnl said:
I just received my dro in good condition and bench tested and all works fine. May be a week or so before I can get a chance to mount it. BUT is there any good details on how to do the setup after all is in place. The manual seems very confusing. The scales need to be set to the correct accuracy and need to log in the type of scales used. anything else I am missing. Mine looks exactly like the Sino model
Click to expand...
If you got the same kit I did, the manual should be fairly clear on almost everything. Mine has step by step examples for using all the various functions and the like. It has no Ingrish, just clear English.
I downloaded the installation manual from Grizzly since my kit did not include any info.
To enter set up, just turn it on and hold down the period button with in a second of start up. The first thing to display is resolution, mine was set to 5, change it to 1 if you have 1um scales. I was having trouble setting this on my latest DRO until I realized it was set to metric instead of imperial. Just keep hitting the up or down button to scroll through the options. You exit set up by scrolling to "quit" and hitting enter or whatever passes for it. The only thing I had to adjust was resolution and direction for the x-axis scale.
You might need some aluminum angle and strip. It is expensive to buy from Lowes, get it from online metals or something if you have the time. I also needed some longer 4mm and 5mm screws.
Plan for either a single full day or 3 days in the evening. Try to keep the readheads fixed and have the scales move. If you must move the read head, add strain relief to the wire. Don't forget to add space above the scale for mounting the cover.
IMAG0523.jpg
The x-axis read head is bolted to the casting with a machined spacer. The x-axis scale is spaced away from the table to allow oil from the ways to bleed past.
The y-axis scale is bolted to an aluminum strip. The strip has wedge shaped spacers that have slots milled in them. By moving the spacer up and down, the strip can be aligned parallel to the axis. The base casting itself is not parallel to the y-axis, so one wedge had to be slightly thinner than the other. The read head is screwed from underneath to a piece of angle that is in turn bolted to the arm coming down from the moving part. It was a tight fit, and I had to pre-assemble it.
 
joshua43214 said:
If you got the same kit I did, the manual should be fairly clear on almost everything. Mine has step by step examples for using all the various functions and the like. It has no Ingrish, just clear English.
I downloaded the installation manual from Grizzly since my kit did not include any info.
To enter set up, just turn it on and hold down the period button with in a second of start up. The first thing to display is resolution, mine was set to 5, change it to 1 if you have 1um scales. I was having trouble setting this on my latest DRO until I realized it was set to metric instead of imperial. Just keep hitting the up or down button to scroll through the options. You exit set up by scrolling to "quit" and hitting enter or whatever passes for it. The only thing I had to adjust was resolution and direction for the x-axis scale.
You might need some aluminum angle and strip. It is expensive to buy from Lowes, get it from online metals or something if you have the time. I also needed some longer 4mm and 5mm screws.
Plan for either a single full day or 3 days in the evening. Try to keep the readheads fixed and have the scales move. If you must move the read head, add strain relief to the wire. Don't forget to add space above the scale for mounting the cover.
IMAG0523.jpg
The x-axis read head is bolted to the casting with a machined spacer. The x-axis scale is spaced away from the table to allow oil from the ways to bleed past.
The y-axis scale is bolted to an aluminum strip. The strip has wedge shaped spacers that have slots milled in them. By moving the spacer up and down, the strip can be aligned parallel to the axis. The base casting itself is not parallel to the y-axis, so one wedge had to be slightly thinner than the other. The read head is screwed from underneath to a piece of angle that is in turn bolted to the arm coming down from the moving part. It was a tight fit, and I had to pre-assemble it.
Click to expand...

Thanks Joshua, that was very helpful, did you have to use 1 2 3 blocks to check the reading and compare them to the 123 block and change I think they call it compensation for any difference in the readings.??
 
Last edited:
@Ed ke6bnl
I have not bothered to do any error correction yet. I just set the hand wheel to 0, and made a full turn. It read spot on +/-1/10th repeatedly. My mill has ground imperial lead screws, so I trust them to be pretty accurate. I will check it eventually with a gauge block. If you use a 1-2-3 block, measure it first as accurately as possible. You should also overtighten or partly lock the gibs so it takes effort to turn the wheels because sag and twist can skew the reading. Keep in mind that the faces of the 1-2-3 block and the backing block must be in the same plane, and even a tiny bit of dust between them can throw off the measurement when using a 1/10ths indicator - I prefer gauge blocks for this because they have smaller faces and can be wrung together. You could maybe use the standard from your micrometer instead. It makes no sense to check a 1um scale against something that has "loose" tolerances like a 1-2-3 block. My 1-2-3 blocks are all off by a few 1/10ths in all dimensions, squareness, and parallelity. Provided you get the scales and read heads parallel to under a thou, it should be pretty accurate out of the box
I had the same unit on my old mill and it did not require adjustment. My new mill has much higher tolerances, so I expect I will fuss with it some to get it consistent with the mill's specs.
I know the display will do both sin error and compression. Sin error is clear enough to me - it compensates for the scales being out of parallel to table movement. I am not sure what the purpose of compression is.
 
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