# Yet another DRO thread



## westerner (Sep 6, 2020)

Please accept my apologies in advance. 
I have searched several times, and can find few dedicated threads here on brand like/dislikes, install experience and customer service. 

I am entertaining the notion of hanging a DRO on my Millrite MVN. I already have one on the lathe, and have learned how to use it well enough to truly appreciate the fact that -

1. I lose count FAR more often than I used to.
2. Math in my head is foggier every time I attempt to test its former strength.
3. My patience for my own silly mistakes has gone the way of my mental math skills. 

For these and many more reasons, I have nearly talked myself into spending a chunk of my unused sick/vacation buyout check when I retire (next  month) on the dang gizmo. 

I have spent more than a few hours surfing the web in research. DRO Pros have a great site, and appear to be a great choice. They are certainly NOT the cheapest, but I still define value as much more than the simple up front cost. 

I am a fairly handy fellow, and I will do the install myself. 

I would appreciate any relevant experience this brain trust can offer. Point me to some threads I could not find, and/or offer any advice you have.


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## kb58 (Sep 6, 2020)

I've used lathes and mills of and on over the years, all without DROs, and that was fine. When it came to buying my own equipment though, I saw, and still see, no reason for one on a lathe - for what _I_ do. The mill is a different story, where it's extremely useful. I don't know what a Millrite MVN is, but if it does milling, I approve of you spending your money on it


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## westerner (Sep 6, 2020)

It does, and I approve of your approval


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## RJSakowski (Sep 6, 2020)

IMO, a DRO is a useful addition to both a mill and a lathe.  I ran both a mill and lathe without for decades but currently have a DRO on two mills and a lathe.  Aside from the benefits you stated, they will improve accuracy by removing backlash from the equation, compensating for a machine with some wear.  The ability to set subdatum points greatly reduces the probability of human error.

I have installed two Grizzly glass scale DRO's on mills.  These are essentially the same as those sold by DRO Pros and the Sino DRO's.  The DRO Pros units offer more options and it appears that they have better support than Grizzly.  For the adventurous, the Sino units offer a better price but at the expense of support.

I have three axis DRO's on both my mills and my lathe, the third axis on the lathe on the tailstock.


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## westerner (Sep 7, 2020)

Thanks, RJ. I knew I could count on this group to help me spend my money

DRO Pros are pushing the magnetic scales pretty hard. Have you ever seen any sort of failure with your glass scales?


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## hman (Sep 8, 2020)

Next time you're on DRO Pros, check out their "Inrernet Specils."  They have a 3-axis mill system for $850, instead of the usual $1215.  I was considering upgrading the DRO on my round column mill and giving them serious consideration.  But then I decided that adding such a DRO to my old mill was probably not justified.  Opted to buy a new mill, instead.

Glass scales have two potential downsides - can't be cut to length, and are vulnerable to contaminants.  My new mill came with glass scales already instaled, so that wasn't an issue.  Just be sure to measure carefully when you order.   Contamination can be minimized, if not eliminated, by careful placement and shielding of the scales.  The installation on my mill was done well enough that I don't expect any trouble. 

My best guess is that if glass scales failed too frequently, they wouldn't be anywhere near as popular as they are.


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## RJSakowski (Sep 8, 2020)

My oldest set of glass scales is 15 years old.  The display panel has rarely been shut down in that time.  No problems with either in that time.


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## westerner (Sep 8, 2020)

hman said:


> My best guess is that if glass scales failed too frequently, they wouldn't be anywhere near as popular as they are.


Quite logical. 
Thanks to both of you for your input. 

I will document the install, when it finally comes around. 
Looks like a great winter project.


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## MrWhoopee (Sep 15, 2020)

I can live without a DRO on a mill, but I must have one for carriage travel on the lathe, cross-slide is optional. I went with the cheapest most economical unit I could find for my SB Heavy 10. Currently about $140 w/ free shipping for 2-axis. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32721078052.html?
It arrived well packed and as ordered. I've had it 2-1/2 years now and it's been trouble free. If the old Mit Digimatic on my mill gives up, I'll get another one of these.

Oh, and there are several videos on YouTube showing how to cut glass scales if you should ever have the need.


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## Mtnmac (Sep 15, 2020)

I bought a DRO Pros Internet special 2 axis mill package.  Magnetic scales, I cut them to length, it was very easy.  Kit came with lots of brackets/hardware for the install, I still had to modify some of it.  It’s been trouble free for 6 months.


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## westerner (Sep 15, 2020)

Good stuff, guys. 
Thanks. 
Keep it coming. 

I am still a month or so away from ordering something, and I really enjoy the research.


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## mksj (Sep 15, 2020)

Magnet scales are more compact and have an overall shorter length because the reader is smaller. They are easier to install then glass scales, they can take quite a bit of misalignment and still maintain accuracy. They are less prone to contamination and errors, but I have encounter at least two separate cases where an iron filing caught behind the reader head caused some misreadings. Most of the failures with contamination of glass scales is often associated with flood cooling and also poor lip seals on some of the Chinese scales. My first lathe and mill I installed glass scales (Easson and Acu-Rite which did not offer magnetic scales), never had a problem with them and they were accurate. My current knee mill uses an EL700 with 4 magnetic scales, but they have gotten very pricey over the years. My lathe has the ES-12B with glass scales for the X and Z, and later on added a magnetic scale for the tailstock. At the time, DRO Pros (or any other vendor) did not have magnetic scales for the Easson DRO's, and they did not recommend using their magnetic scales.

M-DRO in the UK sells complete 3 axis DRO's with either the Easson 12B (vertical) or 12C (horizontal)  display, a complete mill kit with magnetic scales runs around $800 with air shipping (arrives in about 7 days). You can also specify the scale resolution and length, they have 1 micron heads for something like a lathe cross slide. At least 4 other HM member's have purchased complete kits from them and have not had any issues. They seem to be very responsive to email or phone calls. The graphical displays are very nice for complex milling, drilling arrays, bolt circles and such. The EL700 has a few more features at twice the price of the Easson 12B, the downside in my use of the EL700 is that it uses a touch screen which is not so ideal in a greasy environment with lots of metal chips. I cut a computer screen protector to fit over the display so it wouldn't get damaged. Bill has the 3 axis on his PM-935, and I also installed one on an 1640 lathe with a friend. The were all happy with the DRO, and they seem very reliable. Surprisingly none of these DRO's have a USB for software updating, my Acu-Rite that I installed 12+ years ago and added new features with the updates.





						Universal Mill Digital Readouts DRO Kits - Easy Fitting - Machine DRO UK
					

Wide Range of Mill Digital Readouts DRO Packages with Magnetic Encoders




					www.machine-dro.co.uk
				




Most people go with a 3 axis DRO, and put a battery operated DRO on the Quill. Fitting a 4th axis magnetic scale is a bit more challenging and will get quite expensive as their few 4 axis DRO's with magnetic scales. Adding a glass scale 4th axis, is not worth the trouble in my book. Some prior threads that discussed it.








						3 or 4 axis DRO for 9x42 mill
					

I have an ailing 2 axis Mitutoyo on my home hobby '81 Bridgeport 2J and the eBay quill digital gauge has died too.  Seems a good time upgrade.  Ideally I'd like to spend no more than $1k.  I use the mill for all kinds of odds and ends projects on our endurance road racing cars (ChampCar...




					www.hobby-machinist.com
				











						PM Mill Accessories
					

Thinking about buying a PM knee mill. The accessories I'm considering are the PM 3 AXIS MILL DRO, the X-power feed and the R8 collet set. Good idea or can I find a better deal on these elsewhere? I would install these myself.




					www.hobby-machinist.com
				




If you need to save some money, you can find 3 glass scale basic DRO package in the $250-$450 range that would be very similar to what you have. I prefer the graphical interfaces DRO's, just find them easier to see and scroll through the functions (soft keys). In addition the EL-700 with sum the knee and the quill and combine them into a single Z axis instead of 4 axis display, which is a nice feature.








						3 Axis Milling Machine DRO
					





					www.tpactools.com


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## Eddyde (Sep 16, 2020)

I bought my Easson 3 axis DRO from this seller on AliExpress, I saved a lot of money and have been very pleased with the product.




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						Shenzhen Siton Technology Co., Ltd. - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress
					

Discover the wide range of  from AliExpress Top Seller Shenzhen Siton Technology Co., Ltd..Enjoy ✓Free Shipping Worldwide! ✓Limited Time Sale ✓Easy Return.




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