# DRO advice please: Grizzly H6096



## Kennyd (May 4, 2011)

I can buy this DRO local for $500.00: http://baltimore.craigslist.org/tls/2349341836.html

Direct link to Grizzly: http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-x-40-2-Axis-Digital-Readout-for-Lathes/H6096

Seems like a good deal? Opinions please?


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## Model Maker (May 4, 2011)

You might want to check out this company and what they have to offer. Its where I got the DRO for my Grizzly G4003G lathe and I love it. They seemed like very knowledgeable people and were very helpful.

http://www.dropros.com/

Model Maker


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## Kennyd (May 5, 2011)

I bought it today for $500 new in the box. The long scale is a bit long at 40", my lathe is only 24". Seemed like a good deal.


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## Kennyd (May 5, 2011)

mnmh link=topic=2019.msg13245#msg13245 date=1304628663 said:
			
		

> Kennyd link=topic=2019.msg13244#msg13244 date=1304627592 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I have read quite the opposite, glass scales can indeed be cut down from what I have read. A simple Google search of "cutting glass DRO scales" turn up lots of info. Click this: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=cutting+glass+dro+scales


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## Kennyd (Jul 20, 2011)

More info and questions:

This DRO is actually a Easson ES-10 model, some of the hardware even has the Easson name on it.

So, I am working on getting it installed, I see most scales are mounted directly to the slide-with the wiper facing away from the chuck or down, but the screws that adjust the gibs are in my way to do that, plus I have the carriage lock there also.

So this is what I am thinking in the pics below. I can make a bracket that connects the reader head to the slide, but I am concerned about loosing the ability to slide the tail-stock in as close to the chuck since the scale will be in the way.

Any thoughts or suggestions?


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## Kennyd (Jul 21, 2011)

mnmh link=topic=2019.msg19339#msg19339 date=1311243846 said:
			
		

> I have a similar problem and I ended up making some 'L' brackets to mount the scale horizontally rather than the tradition vertical position. My lathe has a tapered gib so there are no screws in the side of the cross slide for adjusting the gib but there is the cross slide lock and the carriage lock is very close to the cross slide. See attached images. I haven't quite finished the install yet. I should be able to finish it up this weekend, with any luck.
> 
> Ed



Thanks Ed...That should work well for you.


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## Kennyd (Jul 21, 2011)

OK, I came up with a plan "B". I picked up some 3/8"x2" AL flat bar, I intend to hang the scale of the back-it will be out of the way of everything this way, and the brackets will be easy to make also. I just need to figure out how to support it a little better since there is/will be so much length that's unsupported.

I made a mock-up in the pics below:


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## Kennyd (Jul 21, 2011)

It is indeed 1/8", that's what I had in stock for the mock-up. I am thinking of using 1/4"x3/4" for the permanent piece.

Thoughts on the overall idea?


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## Kennyd (Jul 22, 2011)

mnmh link=topic=2019.msg19427#msg19427 date=1311332337 said:
			
		

> Will the backsplash shield fit on your lathe with the scale sticking way back like that?
> 
> Ed



My only "shield" is the wall.


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## Kennyd (Aug 1, 2011)

The install has begun, updates in this thread: http://hobby-machinist.com/index.php?topic=2937.msg20428#msg20428


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## Zigeuner (Aug 3, 2011)

I would mount it on the side of the cross slide, probably as the instructons show. There's not enough room to extend it if you have a chip shield and it's also probably not going to be stiff enough. 

My scale cuts down on tailstock movement about 1" and it hasn't been a problem. Here's the way that I mounted my scale. (X scale on lathe, so they say, see the diagram below. I still call it the Y scale because the DRO unit has it that way.)

I bought my DRO from CDCOtools about 6 months ago. It was $469 plus shipping and it came with glass scales for a 13 X 40 lathe. .


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## Zigeuner (Aug 3, 2011)

mnmh link=topic=2019.msg20530#msg20530 date=1312380595 said:
			
		

> Zigeuner,
> 
> It looks like your carriage lock got covered up with the scale. What did you do about that? I couldn't live without my carriage lock.
> 
> Ed



My Enco doesn't have a carriage lock. It's on my bucket list.....but surely, perhaps with counseling you could get by without a carriage lock, couldn't you? I mean, think about your family and how much they rely on you. 

Glad I could help. ;D


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## Tony Wells (Aug 3, 2011)

You probably could just swap the connections at the DRO box to get the X where it belongs, but beware of 1:2 readings. Most read in diameters on an X axis, and 1:1 on Z, but it's probably configurable.


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## Zigeuner (Aug 3, 2011)

Tony Wells link=topic=2019.msg20577#msg20577 date=1312410108 said:
			
		

> You probably could just swap the connections at the DRO box to get the X where it belongs, but beware of 1:2 readings. Most read in diameters on an X axis, and 1:1 on Z, but it's probably configurable.



My DRO came set to default for a milling machine with Y for the saddle and X for the table. There is a setup procedure in the DRO manual which permits changing that to Mill, Lathe, Grinder or EDM configurations. It also permits changing what SINO calls "resolution" so that the cross slide will read 1:2 for diameter reduction. 

I configured my crossfeed to 1:2 for lathe diameter on the crossfeed when I first got the DRO. The bed scale for the saddle is, of course, 1:1. Interestingly, the DRO unit itself has permanent markings on the face for X and Y. X is on top with Y underneath. That being the case, they provide small stickers to change the identifications to X for crossfeed and Y for the table. I thought that was rather tacky and confusing. 

Furthermore, since I work alone with no supervision or QC ( ;D ) I prefer the mill configuration so I left it that way. Thus, there's no confusion when I switch from the mill to lathe, which is frequently and continuously. 

So in my case, I call the cross slide the Y axis and the saddle the X axis, thus preventing confusion. This of course doesn't exactly amount to rebellion against the rules since in my shop, there are no rules. Of course there could be rules at some point in the future if I were to decide to make some. Alas, I fear that I would only be forced to break them from time to time if there were any. 

Another issue that I discovered when I got the unit was that it has five (5) decimal places to the right (.0000X). Man, is that annoying! At the same time that I bought my unit a friend also bought one for his real Bridgeport. We both agreed that we don't really need the last two decimals. .001 is fne with me for 99% of the stuff that I do. There was also no way to change to fewer decimals in the unit. 

That being the case, I made two pieces from aluminum that drop onto the top of the DRO unit and which cover up the last two digits. They are painted flat black and go under the plastic see-through cover. I gave one of them to my friend. They can also be moved to get the fourth digit or removed completely. 

All in all, the SINO is a good solid unit at a great price. To show that I'm not afraid to spend money, the DRO that I bought for the Webb mill is a 2 axis Mitutoyo. It does the same measurements as the SINO at nearly twice the price. LOL.


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## Tony Wells (Aug 3, 2011)

Yup, one thing about working in your own shop.....IT"S YOUR OWN SHOP!!

Do it any way you like, and confuse the visitors...that's my motto. 

I run a Sony on one of the lathes, and a Mitutoyo on the bp clone. Simple DRO's that's all I need, I prefer to do my own bolt circle calcs.


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## Zigeuner (Aug 3, 2011)

Tony Wells link=topic=2019.msg20602#msg20602 date=1312418203 said:
			
		

> Yup, one thing about working in your own shop.....IT"S YOUR OWN SHOP!!
> 
> Do it any way you like, and confuse the visitors...that's my motto.
> 
> I run a Sony on one of the lathes, and a Mitutoyo on the bp clone. Simple DRO's that's all I need, I prefer to do my own bolt circle calcs.



Absolutely! Simplicity in all things. As to bolt hole calculations, Most all of the DRO's will do them nowadays....and a lot more. Problem is, the manuals on both the Mitutoyo and the SINO were apparently written by a person with English as a third language. While the Mitutoyo has well-written prose, it reads like a computer programmer's code manual. The SINO is OK, except they use all the wrong words! LOL.


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