Dro Probes

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Jonathans

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I am looking at getting an easy to use DRO for my Millrite.
The prospect of a touch probe is intriguing to me, as it looks to make some processes easier.
What is the difference between one of the commercial touch probes, or just using a length of drill rod that is insulated tpfrom the chuck? Doesn't the probe just work on a continuity basis with one wire going to the dro head and the other to ground? I know that the CNC 3D triggering probes used to automatically digitize and retract are much more complicated. For the purpose of this discussion I am just referring to manual DROs.
Jonathan
 
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One may buy a battery operated LED edge finder quite cheaply from MSC for instance. Aside from "Wow that's cool" , why would anyone with a manual mill buy an actual interfaced probe, seems a bit of overkill?

Just curious, and yes I operate CNC lathes and manual mills (and the occasional CNC mill when required but was hired for lathe work) with DRO's that have a probe port and probe functionality every day.
We don't use them, probes that is, I have also not seen anyone here use a LED edge finder either.
http://www.mscdirect.com/product/de...gle-PLA+-+Test&CS_003=7867724&CS_010=89350664
 
I've seen folks use a probe on a manual machine to quickly get the center of a hole that needs to be bored out. Also quickly establishes Material zero point for setting datum points.
I imagine you can use an edge finder and enter the positions into your DRO it just seemed that the probe would allow one to do so quicker and more accurately.
If not, why are high end manual DROs available with probes, and some people spend up to $900 for one for an Acu-rite?

I'm not going to pretend U know much about these things but would like to find out whether an integrated probe will do something. With a graphic type DRO, could I make datum points from an object I already have an measure the piece and it's particulars into the DRO to make a copy of it?
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Not intended to offend in any way, but there are many inexpensive methods of determining position on a manual mill, if your goal is to make parts as fast as possible then by all means have at it. If on the other hand ones goal is to make reasonably nice parts as a hobby and your budget for tooling is limited then buying the best tools that you are willing to pay for will be more useful then a "Probe"

On your second point, yes it is entirely possible to probe a 3D solid with a DRO, however this would be extremely time consuming in practice, this is what a Coordinate Measuring Machine or CMM does by design.
 
The easiest thing to do is use a wiggler/edge-finder then reset the DRO to zero. A little practice and you will not want anything else. Done it for years.
 
Can someone answer my original question rather than tell me what I should do?
 
Jonathans said:
Can someone answer my original question rather than tell me what I should do?
Click to expand...

Most of the probes that I have seen are essentially a normally closed mechanical switch. Any movement in any direction will break the circuit, thus presenting a state change to the reading device. A rod held by an insulating device would be a normally open switch, and thus would also present a state change to the input device.
 
Thanks John,
The Shumatech integrated edge finder article was pretty informative. Besides that, there is quite a wealth of information of all sorts there
 
JimDawson said:
Most of the probes that I have seen are essentially a normally closed mechanical switch. Any movement in any direction will break the circuit, thus presenting a state change to the reading device. A rod held by an insulating device would be a normally open switch, and thus would also present a state change to the input device.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim
 
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