Looking for info, Clausing 8520 needs x-y DRO

frankly2

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Not sure where to look for lower cost DRO and one that will fit the machine without major complications or modifications. Also would like the DRO to be readable down to half thousands or better. Any suggestions ? ?
 
DROs are pretty much generic and come with an assortment of mounting hardware, some of which may be useful or not. It's up to you to adapt it to your particular machine. I purchased a cheap very economical 2-axis DRO for my lathe off AliExpress and have been very happy with it.

My only complaint is that it is now cheaper than when I bought it.
 
I am a little shy when it comes to decide the lengths and if glass or mag scales would be best. Also the lengths don’t coincide with the lengths of my “x” and “y” axis. The language on their site is a little confusing on how to order, not withstanding the fact that the DRO’s seem awfully inexpensive compared to most of the others I have seen advertised.
i guess I need to study the web-site a little closer to get a better understanding of those factors. Thanks for the URL showing the way !
I, above all things do not want to make unnecessary changes to my equipment’s original configuration unnecessarily . So getting the DRO to fit properly is most important to me. Again thanks for your response !
 
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I understand your skepticism, you're not the first. There are several members here who have bought DROs off Aliexpress and have been quite happy. There are units available now with large, full color LCD displays that weren't around when I bought mine.
As for scale length, you need to figure your maximum travel on each axis then add the amount specified by the seller. There are videos on Youtube of shortening glass scales that were ordered too long by simply cutting the housing and scale together in a 4x6 bandsaw.
Finding flat surfaces to mount on is probably the hardest part, along with avoiding loss of travel. On my SB Heavy 10, I actually removed the carriage tailpiece and made a rectangular one to avoid modifying the original. I was able to pull the whole thing off with only two 10-24 tapped holes in the bed casting and a few more in the heads of various mounting bolts.

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Nice job ! That’s just what I may need to do on my 9” SB “c“ model.

I have to look carefully at the overall dim’s on the DRO to make sure I have enough room to mount on the 8525 mill. Thanks for your explanation on the travel length. It looks like I may have to mount with the ends of the DRO body extending around 1 1/2 “ beyond the end of the “x” axis deck to get the full 24” travel the mill is capable of.
I think I need to do some more careful planing so as to get full travel on both “X & Y” axis.
I have, on the advice of this site, decided to go with Aliexpress DRO’s, but just need to make sure all choices are compatible with my equipment and will mount properly without any extreme modifications.
All of these considerations are an upgrade from the cheap DRO’s I installed years ago. They were only good for .002“ resolution, made for wood working machinery and are battery powered. They were ok for some work but I found them inadequate later and now feel they are grossly inadequate for my needs now.
Thanks so much for your response and input, I will make good use of it !
 
Nice job ! That’s just what I may need to do on my 9” SB “c“ model.
If you do, make it longer than I did so the scale doesn't interfere with the tailstock approach to the carriage. Hindsight......

As an alternative to Aliexpress, I'll point out that many people on this forum have bought from DRO Pros, which is U.S. based (though their DROs are made in China) and gets excellent reviews for their products and support.
 
Which resolution did you purchase ?
I seldom do work at .0005”, understanding the nuances and temperature gradient in a shop. Let alone personal feel on the mic. I find the um references a little confusing but think 5um would work for me quite well.
I still find the prices of US marketed DRO’s a little inflated when considering they too are imported and perhaps from the same manufacturers !
I have decided to use Aliexpress as a supply source. Hope to get this resolved soon, thanks again to all for the helpful input. Here’s to success :)
 
I got the 5um. That is as close as I can expect from my machines, tools, and skills. Even that fourth decimal is more irritating than helpful.
 
I did, at the last look at DRO’s, change my mind and purchased a 3 axis set. Looking at my milling machine closely made me re-think how to control the Z Axis better. I figured it would be better to have a readout on the knee rather than on the quill.
Also decided to run thru resetting the gibs to tighten up any slop there on all the axis ways before attaching the scales.
Funny how upgrading a machine makes one think of all the necessary adjustments and how one can make it better ! Makes me think how many other things need to be done on all of the other machines ! Opened a can of worms ! !
 
I did, at the last look at DRO’s, change my mind and purchased a 3 axis set. Looking at my milling machine closely made me re-think how to control the Z Axis better. I figured it would be better to have a readout on the knee rather than on the quill.
Also decided to run thru resetting the gibs to tighten up any slop there on all the axis ways before attaching the scales.
Funny how upgrading a machine makes one think of all the necessary adjustments and how one can make it better ! Makes me think how many other things need to be done on all of the other machines ! Opened a can of worms ! !
It is a bottomless can of worms.

Can you post a link to the DRO you ordered?
 
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