# what are the smallest scales available to the consumer?



## kevinpg (Jan 5, 2018)

I have been looking for DRO scales appropriate in size to mount to a Sherline or Unimat 3. I have installed the igaging scales on my Sherline and followed Yuri's Toys arduino plans and it works great but there is a loss of capacity in an already small capacity lathe.  I mounted the iGaging on the Sherline as noted but the Unimats will be another challenge altogether.

I am open to glass scales and may have to try that but I face the same issues on those I have looked at.

So my question is: Are there any providers of micro sized scales, magnetic, glass, or other technology, available to the general public?  

thanks
Kevin


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## Boswell (Jan 5, 2018)

Magnetic scales can be cut to length. At the least the ones that I bought from DROPROS.


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## magicniner (Jan 5, 2018)

Rather than bolting your scales to the lathe you can build stand-alone linear slides, mount them off the lathe so that there is no loss of motion and use simple link bars to transmit motion. 
Here's the arrangement I have on my Myford Super 7 I designed it to avoid the scale being exposed directly to the chuck and work area or limiting how close to the tailstock the carriage can move. 


The link bar I used is a hacksaw blade, it was a temporary solution but it works so it's still there after 5 years ;-) 
The linear bearings, rods and mounting brackets are all off the shelf parts from CNC build part companies.


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## JimDawson (Jan 5, 2018)

I mounted my mag scales _inside_ the cross slide and carriage on my lathe.  The mag tape is only 1mm thick, and the head is about an inch square x 3/8 thick.

Read head


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## kevinpg (Jan 5, 2018)

Boswell said:


> Magnetic scales can be cut to length. At the least the ones that I bought from DROPROS.


Yes, i have done that and it was easy, I am talking about the width of the scales and the thickness of the sensor.


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## kevinpg (Jan 5, 2018)

JimDawson said:


> I mounted my mag scales _inside_ the cross slide and carriage on my lathe.  The mag tape is only 1mm thick, and the head is about an inch square x 3/8 thick.
> 
> Read head
> View attachment 253088


cool, what brand are they?


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## kevinpg (Jan 5, 2018)

magicniner said:


> Rather than bolting your scales to the lathe you can build stand-alone linear slides, mount them off the lathe so that there is no loss of motion and use simple link bars to transmit motion.
> Here's the arrangement I have on my Myford Super 7 I designed it to avoid the scale being exposed directly to the chuck and work area or limiting how close to the tailstock the carriage can move.
> View attachment 253077
> 
> ...


thank you, I did something similar on the sherline.  This gives me ideas for the unimat 3.  as an aside, I do not care for the Sherline method, probably works great but when I think of the arrangement and given the backlash in the Sherline I am unwilling to spend that sort of money and find it disappointing.


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## kevinpg (Jan 5, 2018)

Boswell said:


> Magnetic scales can be cut to length. At the least the ones that I bought from DROPROS.


Yes, i have done that and it was easy, I am talking about the width of the scales and the thickness of the sensor.  I have been thinking of a method to use the leadscrew on the Sherline and still thinking on the cross slide solution.


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## JimDawson (Jan 5, 2018)

kevinpg said:


> cool, what brand are they?




Ditron.   DMR200 read heads, MS200 tape  http://www.dcoee.com/page142


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## kevinpg (Jan 5, 2018)

thank you, looking now


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