# I bought a mill!  DRO info needed please



## parrothead (Sep 10, 2019)

I just bought an old Gorton 1-22 Mastermil.  I have no idea what I'm doing with it, but I've always wanted to learn how to run one, so I figured that the best way to learn is to buy one.  It is a pretty basic machine - step pulleys, no power feed or DRO, but it came with a Bridgeport vice on a swivel, along with a 2 piece vice and some tooling.  I'd like to eventually install an inexpensive DRO on this thing.  It has a 10 x 42 table.  Any suggestions?


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## Ed ke6bnl (Sep 10, 2019)

I got mine from alliexpress 3 axis for about $200 has been working perfect for about 4 years. Instructions near useless. Took 1 week for shipping
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/free...cales/1524501216.html?src=ibdm_d03p0558e02r02 
purchased nearly 4 years ago


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## NCjeeper (Sep 10, 2019)

There are some cheap ones on E-bay that work well. Even US sellers.


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## Janderso (Sep 10, 2019)

Need a parts and service manual?


			http://manuals.chudov.com/Gorton-MasterMill/Gorton-MasterMill-Maintenance-Manual.pdf
		


C Gorton made some fine machines.
How about some pics


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## parrothead (Sep 10, 2019)

Here are some pics.  I bought this as a package deal with an old Leblond lathe (8' long), a 10hp rotary phase converter and the mill.  He also has a nice 3ph pedestal grinder and small 3 ph drill press for sale for pretty cheap, but I passed on those.  I really didn't "need" the lathe, but...


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## MikeInOr (Sep 10, 2019)

OK, you have posted pictures of cool machinery... you are now officially a member, welcome aboard!  

I am saving up for a cheap DRO for my mill that I plan on purchasing off of Alli-express.

This is the DRO I have been eyeing, 4 axis with RPM:  https://www.aliexpress.com/item/329...chweb0_0,searchweb201602_9,searchweb201603_53

It is probably over kill but I only plan to buy a DRO for my mill once.


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## parrothead (Sep 10, 2019)

MikeInOr said:


> OK, you have posted pictures of cool machinery... you are now officially a member, welcome aboard!
> 
> I am saving up for a cheap DRO for my mill that I plan on purchasing off of Alli-express.
> 
> ...



Thanks!  The only other interesting thing I have is an old 10" Atlas lathe.  It has a milling attachment, but after about an hour of messing around with that thing, I knew I needed to step up my game a bit.  I'll probably sell that rig to a friend of mine.


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## BGHansen (Sep 10, 2019)

I have a TPACtools.com DRO on a Jet mill and a Grizzly G0709 lathe.  Paid double what the AliExpress price is, but have had no problems with mine.  Your link to the AliExpress LCD looks nice.  It has all of the normal functions (sub datums, holes on a circle, calculator, etc.).  I'm sure the technology has evolved way beyond my 4-year old DRO's.  

+1 on the wanting to do it just once though I'd bet a lot of the heads use the same pick-up on the scales.  That'd be an easy upgrade if you wanted/needed to at some point.  But with the functions in the box you're looking at, I can't imagine what they could add.

Bruce


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## matthewsx (Sep 10, 2019)

Welcome to the forum.

I used to have a MasterMill but I let it go after I closed my old shop. Wish I had it back now....

I remember somebody said "those mastermills make a bridgeport look like it's made of silly putty"

Cheers,

John


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