Budget DRO for a POS Mill/Drill

[kkroger]

So several years back I ended up in posession of a Mill/Drill that I would not have purchased had I been asked... but I was going through Chemo when it was purchased... NEVER and I mean NEVER EVER send a Lawyer with a debit card to LOOK at a mill... he just bought it without asking about it's features... anyway I crippled along with it while in business, it sucked... the Dials were poor, in Metric something, and the X axis dial was seized.. completely.. to the handwheel... Spindle Taper is 3MT *with drawbar... So Collets can be had, and a Drawbar made...
it is "Useable" but barely... Homier Tool Sale... 1.5HP, 120 VAC, CANNOT run on the slowest step... it will trip the breaker... anywhere it has been... Have to look into that one.

Flash forward a few years and I decide I want to put a DRO on it to make it somewhat useful... instead of a HEAVY paperweight... So researching some of the less expensive DRO I was still taken aback by the cost of the things in relation to the cost of the machine... Then Thumbing through the Grizzly catalog I spotted some "woodworking" DRO...
IGaging Branded Chinese linear scales with remote display...
they worked but the resolution on the display is not great,the Displays are small and difficult to see and are not back lit...

Then while researching the Shumatec Open DRO, I spotted Yuriy's "Touch DRO" App for Android...
The App looks great! and above all else it is FREE...
http://www.yuriystoys.com/2013/07/arduino-dro-build-instructions.html
I built the Controller using his instructions from his Blog
Arduino UNO micro processor board...
$25 Shipped (could probably be had cheaper) on Amazon
Prototype Shield Arduino UNO $6.50 shipped this is a piggyback board for the UNO that is unpopulated allowing custom circuits to be built...
A Grand total of 5 resistors, some wires and some USB Mini "B" jacks on breakout boards to solder too.
and last but not least a $10 Bluetooth transceiver Board...


A little soldering later and Voila! Works FINE! Once Calibrated

Got a much maligned Pyle Audio Astro 9" Android Tablet for $40 Shipped off Amazon...

 

[xxaler]

Looks great. How much were you into the scales for the 3 axis?

 

[bczygan]

I need and want.

I have a Note 4

Will this work with an Android tablet?

You must tell all.....

 

[kkroger]

Looks great. How much were you into the scales for the 3 axis?

You can get the scales for about $124 or less shipped, even LESS if you hunt them down on E-Bay... Accu-Remote something or other scales will also work... Made by the same People's Factory number 8 in China... Only thing that won't work is the Cheap HF Calipers as their refresh rate is too slow. you can outrun them with your hand...

Will this work with an Android tablet?

It's in there, only works on Android (will work on a phone too but the display doesn't all fit on the tiny screen) but it must be Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or above (4.1 or whatever it is "Jelly Bean")

I got the cheapest one I could find, you could look on Ebay for that too I suppose.

You DO have to build the controller...
If you want to go better on the scales like use actual Quadrature (Glass or Magnetic) 1 micron scales you can use the Ti MSP430 Launchpad controller

 

[gearhead1]

Perfect. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Guster]

I've been looking at this as I'm planning to add DROs to my mill and lathe this year. The TI Launchpad has been my only hurdle untill I found a local reseller. While I can understand the cost of scales I also find it ridiculous to pay so much for the DRO units in this day and age and then having to have a separate unit for lathe and mill to get the different functions. Having bluetooth also means I can use one tablet for all my machinery including running the Arduino or RasberryPi driven CNC router table.

My current project is an Arduino stepper controller for my dividing head which was always missing two index plates. The cost of the stepper controller was cheaper than the cost of a set of plates and I know which I would rather have! Especially with a CNC option around the corner and being able to plug the divider in as a future 4th axis.

 

[bczygan]

This thread has opened whole new avenues of ideas!

My head is spinning.

What kinds of machines can you hook up? Mills, Lathes and what else?

 

[Fluxion]

That's a nifty use for an old tablet. I see the new version has a lathe mode, I just bought a South Bend heavy 10 and I have a few Arduino's laying around. Damn, another project to add to the list.

 

[kkroger]

It has Vertical MILL, Horizontal MILL and Lathe Mode...
Since it is X Y and Z it also has a 4th axis W and Tachometer there are a great deal of possibilities Anything that can use those axis' could be done.
It does Tool Offset, Bolt Circle, Grid, it does not have an Arc Calculator.. that would be handy. Probably do Surface Grinder in the horizontal mode... Knee on mills with the W Axis, You can also go into the settings and re-name the axis labels too. sooo sky is the limit?

 

[txvwnut]

This may be my next dro, I've been looking at a 4 axis from tpac tools but I might just do this instead.

 

[kkroger]

This may be my next dro, I've been looking at a 4 axis from tpac tools but I might just do this instead.

Take a look at DRO Pros too. they have a magnetic scale set that is more durable and not affected by debris as the Glass Scales.
Don't know how they compare pricewise but it is worth a look.

Also take a look at Tetra-Nova, they make their own scales (Glass) in the US probably just the housings to be honest and have an interface box for purpose... might be the ticket if you need better precision I think they are 1 micron scales...

 

[kkroger]

Way back when it showed up...

Today...

Still need to make my label plate but I will have to do that on the CNC Plasma/Router...
I did use the DRO to make some nice little standoff blocks for the Y Axis scale, you can see them sitting on the vise... in front of the moveable jaw.

Oh and the Power Feed, look at Enco, $278 I had a Free Ship and a 20% off and got it for $223...

Came in an MSC Direct box with an MSC Direct part number and pick tag... MSC lists it for $734... I know Enco and MSC are in cahoots. but that is a substantial difference.
I didn't like the "Clamp" on so as you can see in the pic I drilled tapped and countersunk a couple 1/4-20 socket head bolts to hold it on.

 

[kkroger]

Made the new front face plate today... from a piece of scrap, Engraved with my Plasma/Router table... (Router I am still not enamored with the "Scribe")

 

[Monkey Milk]

I was thinking about doing this too, I got to run a rotary phase converter so I don't know if the motor will cause static on wireless connection.

 

[jar944]

I built one a couple months ago when i had issues installing new firmware on my original DRO. I prefer the refresh rate of my original, but for ease of building and cost the Yuir version wins.

 

[kkroger]

I'm thinking I am going to build a controller for my Lathe when I get it in here.
I want to use Magnetic Scales for that one.