Inexpensive DRO from Grizzly

[cfellows]

Got my 2 DRO's from Grizzly today. Thought I'd post a few pictures and brief description. These look like they'll be perfect for my Mill/Drill.

The cable is about 52" long. It has what looks like a USB plug on the readout end and is hardwired into the slider on the scale. You can probably use this with another scale, but you would need a separate wire.

According to the box, this a readout for a router lift, router table & planer. It comes with 4 pieces for mounting brackets and a plastic foot which slides onto the bottom of the readout for mountong on a flat, horizontal surface. There are the slotted holes in the back of the readout as well as two recessed magnets for mounting. Overall length of the scale, including the mounting feet is about 11". One interesting note is that the read, in the inch mode, displays both decimal and fractional values. The fraction can be set to 32nds, 64ths, or 128ths. Let me know if you have any questions.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/0-6-Digital-Fractional-Horizontal-Vertical-Remote-Scale/T21577
Chuck

 

[black85vette]

Got mine today also Chuck. One of the questions was if you could use it with one of the longer scales. I will not be able to answer that but can give some information. The sensor part slides along a scale that is .160" x .784" (4mm x 20mm). It has some embedded material that the sensors read. I have included a close up of them. I don't have any thing like this but for some of you who have some other DRO scales see if this sensor might fit on one that is longer.

It may just be a matter of time. If this sells they should follow up with longer ones.

 

[Twmaster]

Thanks for the info guys. That strip should be capacitive. I want to buy two of those but I'm in th emiddle of a move so I need all the cash and truck space I can get. I'm going to start tearing my workshop down Thursday. I hate moving.

 

[slick95]

Great find Chuck

I have a Micro Mark mini mill that I just need to have the Z axis on DRO. You think this would work out?

Thanks...
Jeff

 

[Diy89]

With a quick google of the company, their website lists one that is 10" long. Another quick google turned up only one other vendor, Eagle America, who sells the 6 but no listing for the 10.

 

[around]

Just in case you have not seen it, here is the link to the SHUMATECH DIY DROs:

http://www.shumatech.com/web/products/dro-350

I built a DRO-350 for my Grizzly 0619 Mill/drill. I purchased the PCB from one of the suppliers and went from there. There is a great support group on YAHOO Groups if you run into problems.

My 0619 has a Z axis indicator already that was easily attached to the DRO. I purchased the standard Chinese scales from an E-Bay supplier and then mounted them on the x,y axis.

I have been very happy with the results. Great for drilling bolt hole patterns!

Cheers,

Adrian

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Adrian!

Welcome to the forum.

I'm in the middle (or maybe closer to beginning) of putting a DRO 350 together for my mill and lathe.

Tell us some more about yourself and what you're up to.

 

[Hilmar]

I wonder if they sell the" Read Out " separate?
Hilmar

 

[cfellows]

I wonder if they sell the" Read Out " separate?
Hilmar

I've seen the readouts separate, but none cheaper than $69 on Ebay. For $23 & some change, you can by this unit, throw the scale away, and still have a bargain.

Great find Chuck

I have a Micro Mark mini mill that I just need to have the Z axis on DRO. You think this would work out?

Thanks...
Jeff

I'd like to take credit, but I didn't find this. It was pointed out by winklmj over here:

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=7539.0

Just in case you have not seen it, here is the link to the SHUMATECH DIY DROs:

http://www.shumatech.com/web/products/dro-350

I built a DRO-350 for my Grizzly 0619 Mill/drill. I purchased the PCB from one of the suppliers and went from there. There is a great support group on YAHOO Groups if you run into problems.

My 0619 has a Z axis indicator already that was easily attached to the DRO. I purchased the standard Chinese scales from an E-Bay supplier and then mounted them on the x,y axis.

I have been very happy with the results. Great for drilling bolt hole patterns!

Cheers,

Adrian

I've been considering the Shumatech, but at $59 for two of these from Grizzly, I didn't consider for long. All I'm really interested in is the milling table position on my mill. Don't need the fancy bits that the Shumatech and others like it offer. Also, it's easier to hide $59 from the Chief Financial Officer than $159 + scales for the Shumatech.

Chuck

 

[cfellows]

Great find Chuck

I have a Micro Mark mini mill that I just need to have the Z axis on DRO. You think this would work out?

Thanks...
Jeff

This unit is probably too long for the z axis on the mini mill. The scale is 11" long. For a minimill, I would consider something like this with integral readout.

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-100mm-VERT-DIGITAL-QUILL-DRO-KIT-BRIDGEPORT-READOUT_W0QQitemZ310123837415QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4834d237e7

Chuck

 

[black85vette]

I've seen the readouts separate, but none cheaper than $69 on Ebay. For $23 & some change, you can by this unit, throw the scale away, and still have a bargain. Chuck

Don't think this will work as a display for other units. The remote displays and DRO units use a serial interface coming off the display unit (brain) attached to the scale. On this unit the remote display has all the smarts and the output of the scale appears to be raw sensor reads going to the brain. Not 100% sure of this yet. Need to get up the nerve to disassemble my new unit and put the signals on an O'scope.

 

[Hilmar]

Chuck
I have three Digital scales on my X2 Mini Mill.
Two H8134 s 12" total length 16" for the X and Z axis
and one H8133 8" total length 12" for the Y axis
All three are from Grizzly. They fit fine. The read out is integral for all three.
That is why the solo question
Hilmar

 

[websterz]

Dagnabbit...something else I have to buy!! ;D

What's the power source?

 

[shred]

Man, I jumped on that a day late and now mine's back ordered a month...

I'm plotting to use it as a tailstock DRO to replace my now-flaking out calipers.

 

[websterz]

Man, I jumped on that a day late and now mine's back ordered a month...

I'm plotting to use it as a tailstock DRO to replace my now-flaking out calipers.

I ordered 2 of them a few hours ago...I probably snatched them out from under you. :big:

It's funny the power we collectively wield over a company's inventory in a situation like this.

 

[JimM]

They look great and a fantastic price too

Especially like the fact that it looks like they display the fractional measurement as well as the decimal !

Guarantee if they ever start to sell them over here though (I'm in the UK) that the price won't be half as good !!

 

[slick95]

Got two of them on the way . Will use for the mill table then figure out what to do for the quill.

Thanks
Jeff

 

[black85vette]

The price is not as good but American Eagle sells them also. $49 I think.


Websterz; power is two CR2032 3v lithium batteries. Should last longer than the digital calipers.

 

[websterz]

The price is not as good but American Eagle sells them also. $49 I think.


Websterz; power is two CR2032 3v lithium batteries. Should last longer than the digital calipers.

6 volt wall warts are easy to come by. :big:

 

[shred]

I ordered 2 of them a few hours ago...I probably snatched them out from under you. :big:

It's funny the power we collectively wield over a company's inventory in a situation like this.

Naah, I ordered them a day or two after the original posting... got a 'back ordered until Feb 2010' e-mail in return.

Today I get a "Your order has shipped" e-mail. ??? ???

hopefully not a return then