# New DRO Install on a G0619/SX3



## PurpLev (Jun 10, 2013)

A little back story:

I've been using my benchtop mill for a few years now and was looking at going somewhat digital for quite some time now. While I have no problems reading the dials and managing backlash (have been doing so until now and as of this writing still doing so) I wanted to simplify things, and speed things up a tad especially for repeatable operations, finding centers of parts and the likes.

Obviously the first thing that came to mind is getting a DRO, but looking at pricing, and knowing of also the possibility of going the CNC router I put a hold on any upgrades until I figure out which path I want to take. If I am spending any large sum, might as well get what will work best for me than having to spend twice.

Eventually (after over a year of debating) I decided that CNC is adding too much complexity and parts (and maintenance, and parts that might require replacing, and who knows what more) than I have the time and focus for at the moment, and I do enjoy manual work. Another reason for going CNC is for auto feeding- but for long parts, I'll just do that manually for the time being as most the parts I work on are smaller scale. 

Looking at pricing for a DRO I noticed 3 main price brackets which seemed aimed at hobby machinist:

1. The $1000 range (dropro and equivalent)
2. The $500 range (drostore, drokits)
3. The $300 and below range  (iGaging, Shumatech, etc)

Being with a low budget I was planning to stay within the 3rd bracket, and the Shumatech seems like a really nice option with pretty advanced functions. unfortunately it seems they are now not as available as one would like  (yes, I did find 1 online provider, but they did not carry any "compatible" scales, and at this point I would like to fine 1 provider to get all the parts from to avoid any incompatibilities issues) so that option was off the table.

I then found out about drokits website which seemed to  offer Sinpo DROs with glass scales kits for an affordable price (sub 500) which hit my needs and affordability. There are not a whole lot of reviews on them, and when I posted about it here someone also mentioned drostore as an alternative which seems to be in the same price range, and same units for what it's worth (or very similar) with the 1 exception that they also offered a wider range of scale lengths which sealed the deal for me in addition to the more available online reviews.

I contacted them asking some questions, and they responded within 48 hours... not the fastest, but at least there was a response. I placed an order for their TDI-3 3 axis DRO kit and was responded a day later asking/confirming the scale lengths I wanted. 3 days later I got a call from US customs asking me what is in the package. I told the guy it's a readout and scales for a milling machine. "what is it measuring" he asks. I told him it's measuring the movement of the table. "why is the table moving?" he asked... I realized it will be a long call, but he explained that he simply isn't familiar with milling machines and just needs to know what to write in order to clear the package from customs. After we clarified that this is NOT for medical purposes the package was marked "clear" and a day later It was at my door step.

the parts were very well packed, and there are quite a bit of brackets and bolts that came with it (another reason I went with drostore as they claimed to provide all the extra hardware needed):



I unpacked carefully and connected the scales to the DRO unit for a test run to make sure everything is working before wasting all the time installing it only to find out if it's NOT. All seems to be in order:



Another thing I wanted to verify is scale max travel to make sure I have enough travel for my table as this is one of those things I was unsure about (and a few others I will cover in this writeout). For the following scales/lengths I ordered this was the actual readout (not necessarily connected to the "correct" axis at the moment):

* JCXE5:420mm, 16.5inch (Physical length:562mm, 22.1inch) 

* JCXE5:520mm, 20.5inch (Physical length:662mm, 26.1inch) 
* JCXE5:170mm, 6.7inch (Physical length:312mm, 12.3inch) 




So slightly over advertised length.

Upon placing scales on the Mill to see placement and sizing, I realized that the X scale will present some challenge as if installed in the "common" location it is marginally fitting (including scale cover) so some precise measurements will have to take place. 

My next step is to mill some jigs to help me locate hole drilling in a precise and repeatable manner so that I will have less of a chance to mess things up  -after all, it's all pretty straight forward, but still nothing that should be taken for granted. And on that - in the next post.


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## tripletap3 (Jun 10, 2013)

Thanks for the post. After the discussing this in the last post I decided to order one for myself so your customs info will be a big help. I wrote a email asking a few questions and got a reply the next day, that is good considering they are exactly 12 hours behind my time. Did you order from the web site or EBay? I ordered mine last Tuesday and Scott said he would send a tracking # in 48 hours but I still haven't received it week later.


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## PurpLev (Jun 10, 2013)

tripletap3 said:


> Did you order from the web site or EBay? I ordered mine last Tuesday and Scott said he would send a tracking # in 48 hours but I still haven't received it week later.



I ordered directly from their website. I ordered on FRI. got reply from Scott Sun, and tracking # on Mon. if you haven't received it after a week you should contact them.


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## tripletap3 (Jun 10, 2013)

I am kind of guessing that Scott is a one man show and if he takes a day or two off nothing gets sent out during that time. I can't really complain since I have been looking at ordering this dro for a year now and just decided to do it when we started talking about it. 
One thing that I did find out is the same kit is cheaper and has faster FedEx shipping at his web store than it is on EBay even though the EBay description says it is a "limited, special model" just for the U.S. Scott said that this was due to having to recoup the EBay fees (9%).


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## PurpLev (Jun 12, 2013)

After sketching and measuring parts sizes and locations it seems I will have about 0.070" of allowance for spacing on the X axis which should include spacing between the glass scale to the cover, and any additional spacing I would like to add (like between reader and bottom of table as to not bottom it out). 

The instructions suggest to have a 2-3mm spacing between the scale and the cover which is more than the 0.070" space that I have, which also means I won't have any additional spacing available. so I decided to space the scale<>cover with 0.050, and another 0.020 between reader and table as to not bottom it out. once I have the scale installed, I'll see if I can possibly shave another 1-2mm off the top of the cover to raise it a bit more to have a bit more spacing in there... too tight! 

so if you are reading this and have an (S)X3 - I would recommend shelling out the extra $20 and get the slim scale at least for the x-axis.

To assist with the install, I milled a cutoff piece of AL with a shoulder, and drilled guide holes in precise locations to get the scale to be installed in accordance with spacing allowance as well as the holes for the cover:







unfortunately this is where my time and focus allowance ended so I will have to continue another time. I am trying to do this in baby steps as I really don't want to screw this up as simple and straightforward as this is.

to be continued...


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## tripletap3 (Jun 12, 2013)

What size mounting bolts do the scales use?


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## PurpLev (Jun 12, 2013)

tripletap3 said:


> What size mounting bolts do the scales use?



the scales use M5, the cover uses M4


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## tripletap3 (Jun 12, 2013)

Thank you! 5-.8 I would guess. I am trying to make sure I have all the right drill bits and taps so that helps. Chuck


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## PurpLev (Jun 12, 2013)

yeah, I think it's M5-0.8 and M4-0.7 respectively.


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## mtnlvr (Jun 12, 2013)

Nice write up.  Looking forward to updates.


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## tripletap3 (Jun 13, 2013)

If you haven't already seen them there are several instuctional videos on the 3i from the drostore.com on youtube.


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## PurpLev (Jun 14, 2013)

yeah, he has some good simple videos which only shows how easy and simple running those tasks is with a DRO. almost takes the fun out of the scratching your head thinking "now what?" or "how many turns did I just turn the wheel?!?" :thinking:

anywhoo...

With the hole locating block made earlier It was easy to mark and drill the mounting holes for the M5(scale) and M4(cover) using a #19, and #60 drill bits respectively. I originally didn't like the idea of mounting the scale onto the black table cap which houses the screw bracket and all as it isn't flush with the table, and has all the bolts holding it to the table, but after thinking about it decided to go ahead with it as otherwise I would have to mill some extension block (AL) on the other side of the table since the scale is a tad bit too long to be otherwise mounted. the hole in the black cap goes all the way to the bolt that holds the cap to the table- just be careful not to drill through the bolt 




I tapped the holes, and it seems like my cheapo taps were eaten alive by the CI table.. might need to place an order for better quality taps in those sizes. I may be able to complete this install with current taps, but it's questionable, and I would probably have to dump them at some point.

the placement of everything seems very pleasing so far (non operational stage):




and there is about 1+mm of spacing between scale and cover (doesn't show too well in pic, but it's nice and visible and parallel throughout:




I still have to remove cover, and install the reader itself, but it started to get late, and I decided to continue when I have better focus.

But I did wanted to do a bit more, so I installed the DRO keypad on the column. At first I questioned the stiffness of the column cover to hold the arm and the keypad, but the keypad itself is fairly lightweight, and the column cover seems to be made out of pretty thick quality sheet metal (1/8" thick or so) and was tapped to take the M5 bolts, and seems to have 0 flex in it and holes things very well:




So... next step would be to install the X-reader, followed by testing the X axis, and installing the Y, and Z there after... one step at a time. so far so good.


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## tripletap3 (Jun 14, 2013)

PurpLev said:


> I tapped the holes, and it seems like my cheapo taps were eaten alive by the CI table.. might need to place an order for better quality taps in those sizes. I may be able to complete this install with current taps, but it's questionable, and I would probably have to dump them at some point.



That is why I was asking for your help with the bolt size, so I could order some high quality taps. Thanks again. Chuck


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## PurpLev (Jun 15, 2013)

Hit a bit of a snag.

I am trying to follow the recommended instructions of locating the scales and readers which coinsides with them being out of the way and with the least real estate taken. however with the SX3 and with the standard/larger scales this means that the X axis is a real PITA to install. While I had the scale itself installed properly so far, the reader seems to be a bit of a challenge as the mounting holes are so close to the bottom base that the drill chuck doesn't have a good reach and with the smaller drill bits - they don't have a good reach either. I had to place the bit with very little support in the chuck just to be able to get some penetration:




I am not sure if this hole will be deep enough to be able to properly tap it and use it but we'll wait and see. as you can see, tapping this hole will be an ever greater challenge as there is no tap chuck that could be used as the hole is so close to the base. I may have to machine some block to push the tap with while using a wrench for the rotation force:



Unfortunately as suspected, my crappy taps were indeed eaten beyond use, so right now I ordered new (better) HSS taps and may grind a couple of them (1 M4, and 1 M5) to be used as bottoming taps so that I will have more threading capabilities in these limited holes:



So right now I am going to have to wait for new taps to arrive. can take up to 2 weeks for the M4, and 2 days for the M5, so I may continue with installing the other scales, and return to this M4 specific holes part when I get the tap. If the reach of the drill/tap won't suffice, I am thinking about mounting the reader to a block (pictured here for illustration, but block will be milled to size) and mounting the block to the bottom plate/base for easier access to drilling/tapping:



aaah.. the pleasures of dealing with hiccups  but isn't that why we are in this business to begin with?


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## PurpLev (Jun 17, 2013)

Since I cannot find any local suppliers of proper metric taps (Lowes seems to have stopped carrying taps, and my local Ace hardware store doesn't have the correct threads I need plus it's not HSS which at this point, I'd rather stock up on HSS taps and not carbon) I ordered some online.

the M5 taps should be here tomorrow, but the M4 taps I got notice are planned to arrive in late July!!!! ?!?!? huh?!? ... oh well.... so I made another order from enco seeing they have free shipping, and also get a few other things from them that I was holding off until they ran a free shipping deal. should be here earlier than late July (ha), in the mean time I'll work on other axis once M5 taps arrive to save on time (if I will have time that is).

where do you guys find quality taps locally (I'm in MA, but any ideas would be helpful for future needs)?


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## kd4gij (Jun 17, 2013)

Try a local RC hobby shop for taps. Also in Mas I would thing there should be Machine tool stores all over.


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## jgedde (Jun 17, 2013)

Sharon,

Is there anything special about the included mounting screws that preclude them being converted to a standard size that'll fit?  I'm making a guess that the read head has clearance holes in it.

John


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## PurpLev (Jun 17, 2013)

jgedde said:


> Sharon,
> 
> Is there anything special about the included mounting screws that preclude them being converted to a standard size that'll fit?  I'm making a guess that the read head has clearance holes in it.
> 
> John



not really, they are standard metric cap screws. the scales and readers have clearance holes for the shanks and heads but the screws can be replaced by standard imperial cap screws or similar sizes. Since I don't have those either, and since I already started mounting some of the metric screws - I decided to stick to a same system as opposed to mix and match. otherwise I would have just gotten imperial screws more than likely.


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## tripletap3 (Jun 17, 2013)

I used to buy everything local even if I had to drive 30 minutes as I have a black cloud that follows me when it comes to ordering tools online. I have kind of given up on that since diesel fuel is so expensive. Here are the taps that I ordered for the DRO install. They are both USA TiN coated plug taps. I paid $12 for the 5mm and $11 for the 4mm from <st1:City w:st="on"><ST1North Bay</ST1</st1:City> cutting tools on Ebay. They have a huge selection and offer free shipping on 3 or more items so I picked up a carbide lathe bit for $2 more. Fast shipping too. Always 3 days from the left coast to me on the right coast.


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## PurpLev (Jun 17, 2013)

pretty good. I ordered the M5 taps through Amazon for $6 for a set of 3 with 2 day shipping, and $2 for a set of 2 M4.. unfortunatley the M4  will take forever to arrive, so I ordered a few from Enco for about the same cost and should be here by the end of the week.

with 2 little ones running around the house, I simply don't have time to be driving around to buy toys... I mean tools. my shop time usually starts at 10pm when all stores are closed (except online)


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## tripletap3 (Jun 24, 2013)

<ST1I just received the DRO today. It was delayed several days because one of the scales that I had requested was out of stock and It took an additional 7 days to reach my hose from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><ST1Singapore</ST1</st1:country-region>. Pretty good time considering these were the places it visited.<O</O
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><ST1Singapore</ST1</st1:country-region><O</O
Sennan <st1:country-region w:st="on"><ST1Japan</ST1</st1:country-region><O</O
Beijiang <st1:country-region w:st="on"><ST1China</ST1</st1:country-region><O</O
Incheon South <st1:country-region w:st="on"><ST1Korea</ST1</st1:country-region><O</O
<ST1<st1:City w:st="on">Anchorage</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">Alaska</st1:State></ST1<O</O
<ST1<st1:City w:st="on">Memphis</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:State></ST1<O</O
<ST1<st1:City w:st="on">Norfolk</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">Virginia</st1:State></ST1<O</O
It was well packed, had no damage and I never received a call from customs.<O</O
I am very impressed with the quality of scales and readout so far and neither look cheaply made. 

I look forward to your write up of the installation and operation. Chuck


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## PurpLev (Jun 25, 2013)

sounds good.

haven't had much time to devote to this these past couple of weeks, but I did manage to install the Y-axis scale while waiting for the 4mm tap (which already arrived). just didn't get a chance to take pictures, but will post soon.

On another note- I just bot a bill from Fed-Ex this week with a charge for customs. Not too bad, but I wish I would know about this ahead of time to calculate this into the total (along with additional taps, etc).

Will hopefully continue the install this or next week... stay tuned if you wish, or go ahead and start on your end!

Cheers


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## PurpLev (Jun 26, 2013)

it's quite amazing the difference between using a good decent tap as opposed to a crappy low quality one. With the new HSS taps I was able to easily tap away deep and clean and was able to mount the X reader directly on the side of the base of the mill as originally planned. I did scuff the black finish on the base a bit, but I'm ok with it as the installation of the X axis is complete- and with ample space between reader and scale, and between scale and cover - all good to go!




On the same note- I am glad I ordered a few extra 4mm taps from Enco, as the original HSS taps I ordered through Amazon just arrived - but they somehow grew during shipping, and the M4 became M6 taps :/ - I contacted the seller and awaiting response with what can be done about it. luckily I am not hindered by it at the moment, and for $2.50 I might as well keep the 2 x M6 taps just in case... but we'll see where this will go.

I started mounting the Y axis, and unlike the X parts, the Y cover is 2 fold - it has a backer block, and a cover that bolts to it. this setup also creates a mount for the Y scale:



I am not sure if it's necessary or adds any value, but it's an interesting setup nonetheless. I drilled and tapped the base to accept this backer block that will house the Y scale and the cover and mounted the scale to it. I also drilled and tapped the Y carriage and bolted an L bracket to it to eventually hold the reader - It seems like I WILL need to machine some sort of spacer block to be able to mount the reader to the L brackets and overshoot the cover at the same time:




All in all, decent progress. the X axis is fully operational and I put back my vise on the table as I no longer need access to the back of the X axis and table top. The Y axis is half way done, and I may install the Z axis before finalizing the Y axis just so that I can see which of the provided brackets I will have left that I may end up using for the spacer block between bracket and Y-reader. 

so far so good...


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## Maxx (Jun 26, 2013)

Looking good!
I had that same problem with cheap metric taps when I mounted my scales too.
Local Ace hardware had good ones so I got lucky and didn't have to order.
A set of good metric taps is on my wish list but not as high on it as other things. :LOL:


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## PurpLev (Jul 5, 2013)

Had some progress a few days back, but didn't get a chance to post it so here goes:

I was able to mount the Y instrumentations without the need to machine any additional blocks but cutting down one of the supplied mounting blocks into 2 and used one to space one L-bracket from the other, and the other half to space the reader from the mounting angles bracket. this setup worked perfect and I just needed to machine some slots in the L and straight brackets to align with the reader holes, and with one another for a precise fit. after all - this is done on a Mill for crying out loud. I should be ashamed if I couldn't machine some mounting hardware 

here you can see the spacers, and the spacing between reader/scale/brackets/ and all:



and here it is with the scale cover which breaks into sub parts and is easily slid into place without having to take any of the mounting hardware apart:



space from cover and all:



And another view for good measure:



And we are officially in business with X-Y axis working great!



Next ... the Zzzzzzzz axis...


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## PurpLev (Jul 6, 2013)

OK, I must be on a roll, cause I've been able to attend and focus on several projects this past week or so, and here I'm practically done with the DRO install!

To start with the Z axis installation, I made a mock up or the arrangement of brackets I will be using to get an idea of what goes where and how it would all fit (and whether I have enough brackets and hardware to make it happen). once I figured out what will work, I started by drilling and tapping the mounting hole for the Z scale on the bottom of the mill column. I made sure I don't drill into any of the existing bolts, and that I will leave good spacing for the remaining installation parts that will follow:




The top part followed, and I used an L bracket and a flat bracket that came with the DRO package and positioned it so that I will use one of the exiting M5 bolts that attach the black cover to the column - less drilling and tapping for me is always a good thing, and recycling existing infrastructure is also a plus:




to attach the reader to the mill head, I sliced off the remaining angle bracket and made a flat extension that with some shop made spacers made for a good solid hold:







the only thing you might notice is that I'm missing 1 x long M4 bolt to attach the reader to the extension arm. package includes lots and lots of shorted ones, but just 1 short of long one for me... need to go to hardware store and get me one to finalize this install.

Other than missing bolt, everything is installed, and properly spaced, and seem to be working great:



2 more tapped holes (and redrilling the mounting holes in the cover as the original locations didn't work out for me), and the Z cover is up in it's place:




To route the cables, I used supplied plastic hangers to secure 1 cable to the table, and then used a spiral cable organizer to group and stick all 3 cables together into a single bunch:




...And... It's official - X,Y,Z axis all functional:



Voila, the new setup:



feels good to be done with this and being able to use the setup as opposed to working on setting it up.

Thanks for reading.
Peace.


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## PurpLev (Jul 6, 2013)

OK, It's official. I stopped at the local BORG and got a M4 25mm long cap screw and finalized the install. also cleaned up the cables in the back for a cleaner look and mess free back (at least in regard to the DRO cables):



SO.... all done, and time to move on the some real projects 

Cheers!
hew:


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## melsdad (Feb 11, 2014)

Thank you for this thread Sharon! I just ordered the same kit for my Mill.


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## Splat (May 17, 2014)

Sharon, so now that you've had it for a good while how's it going with that DRO? Have you had any problems with the head unit? I was just checking out drostore.com for a lathe DRO. Thanks.


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## Si Edwards (May 25, 2014)

I've been procrastinating over going DRO or holding out and converting to CNC too.  I'm jumping on the DRO bandwagon too as I just don't need the CNC complexities.  This is a great thread and my similar mill will be getting this treatment. Some good tips here thanks for posting your installation.

cheers,

Si...


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