How I mounted up my inexpensive IGaging DROs, to my lathe using 3M VHB mounting tape.

[joebiplane]

Can one of you electrical wizards come up with an east way t o eliminate batteries and use a 110v transformer?
I am less than handy with those fine wires and usually destroy the widget I am trying to wire
Joe

 

[David Kirtley]

would rare earth magnets affect the scale performance?

Yes. They make a horrible mess. I had one on my old lathe bed and used magnets to hook it up to the saddle. They attracted every chip that came off the lathe and made a big ball. As far as the readings on the scale, it didn't bother it at all.
I have not bothered to install it again yet.

 

[xalky]

Can one of you electrical wizards come up with an east way t o eliminate batteries and use a 110v transformer?
I am less than handy with those fine wires and usually destroy the widget I am trying to wire
Joe

I tried it with a 110v transformer.....It didn't work. I could get the display to display, but it was giberish. I think these need a really clean DC source, the wall adaptors just aint clean enough. I believe DavidH tried it too and had the same results.

 

[hvontres]

I tried it with a 110v transformer.....It didn't work. I could get the display to display, but it was giberish. I think these need a really clean DC source, the wall adaptors just aint clean enough. I believe DavidH tried it too and had the same results.

What battery voltage do these use? I have a whole bunch of 3.3V fixed regulators that I could set up to go after a 5-18V wall wart that should give pretty clean power. Let me know if anyone is interested and I can throw together a quick proto board. If it works, I might be able to set up a group buy of PCB's to make this even slicker

 

[Winegrower]

I installed the iGaging DROs to my 10" Logan lathe. It was no problem drilling and tapping the few holes it took to mount, but what was harder was finding the best locations for the scales. It took two tries to get it to not interfere with certain workpieces. I still may not have it just right, so it's possible I might have to remove the X axis for some job in the future.

I mounted a bracket on the carriage and attached the DRO displays to that, so they move along with the toolpost. Seems most natural to me rather than looking up on the wall.

If you have not run a lathe with DROs I found it made an incredible difference in ease and precision (i.e., fun)...basically takes backlash out of the equation.

 

[GK1918]

Exactly I epoxied mine. Older machines are kind of 'roundy' some mills like mine have no real space for a hand drill. So I contoured wood
to the shape and epoxied it. I only used lacquer thinner C clamped over nite. been there all last past summer & aint fell off yet. There isnt a lot of load on these I feel no reason to drill and tap if boats are epoxied with no screws, and thats stress.


whoops, I lost my ability to post pictures, which dont surprize me with this wonderful world of junk that last 2months. a new printer wow 3 weeks junk!
But my house phone installed in 1942, same one, works perfectly! how come?

08-02-14 update ; Has not fell off yet and same batteries. And yes I have forgot to turn them off sooo......still working fine thanks Davidh

even put one on the shaper old eyes dont work as well as a dro does

 

[clivel]

I installed the iGaging DROs to my 10" Logan lathe. It was no problem drilling and tapping the few holes it took to mount, but what was harder was finding the best locations for the scales. It took two tries to get it to not interfere with certain workpieces. I still may not have it just right, so it's possible I might have to remove the X axis for some job in the future.

I mounted a bracket on the carriage and attached the DRO displays to that, so they move along with the toolpost. Seems most natural to me rather than looking up on the wall.

If you have not run a lathe with DROs I found it made an incredible difference in ease and precision (i.e., fun)...basically takes backlash out of the equation.

Hi Winegrower,
Is there any chance you could post a few pics of your setup?
I am looking for ideas to place scales on my 10" Logan.
Thanks,
Clive

 

[davidh]

i bought a handful of battery holders with little on / off switch installed that take two triple a batterys. then i made a little disc with wires on it to take the place of one of the batterys in the dro, and to be hooked to this little battery holder. according to the calculations made, these two batterys should last a couple years if you left the scales on...............
i'd be happy to share the information or even sell some of them, just because i really don't need all that i have. . . . . . . email me.

 

[jocat54]

i bought a handful of battery holders with little on / off switch installed that take two triple a batterys. then i made a little disc with wires on it to take the place of one of the batterys in the dro, and to be hooked to this little battery holder. according to the calculations made, these two batterys should last a couple years if you left the scales on...............
i'd be happy to share the information or even sell some of them, just because i really don't need all that i have. . . . . . . email me.

Maybe some pictures, sounds easy enough to do though, but like they say a picture is worth a thousand words, or something like that.)

 

[calstar]

Maybe some pictures, sounds easy enough to do though, but like they say a picture is worth a thousand words, or something like that.)

Ditto!

Brian