[Mill] Next Purchase: Power Feed or DRO?

[AR1911]

As cheap as the iGauging scales are, I think the answer to your question is "Both"

 

[Splat]

As cheap as the iGauging scales are, I think the answer to your question is "Both"

Well, actually no. I decided to pay off a bill. It's nice to have that weight off one's shoulders. The power feed will have to wait a bit....just a bit.

 

[dickr]

By golly there's a young man using his head and money wisely. You'll get all the other goodies soon enough. Meanwhile you take a deep breath and know you're ahead financially Hooray Hooray.
dickr

 

[GK1918]

Highly aggree on knowing the machine but what happens when one grows into an old man, ya need a DRO.

 

[Daver]

Wise decision!

 

[toag]

DRO!
DRO's turned a hack like me into a hack that knows whens he's off!

 

[Uglydog]

Could somebody please explain what an igauge is?
Is it the same as manual "precision measuring" micrometers integrated into the machine available for X, y, and z?

Sorry to take everybody back to the basics.

Thank you for the thread!

 

[fretsman]

Could somebody please explain what an igauge is?
Is it the same as manual "precision measuring" micrometers integrated into the machine available for X, y, and z?

Sorry to take everybody back to the basics.

Thank you for the thread!

They would be referring to these:

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

I say DRO )

Dave

 

[Uglydog]

They would be referring to these:

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

I say DRO )

Dave

Thanks for the prompt response.
The link looks like a DRO to me.
Other than a huge price difference, what's the real difference between an igauge and a DRO?
Is it all about accuracy?

 

[British Steel]

Not just accuracy (I've seen specs, the iGaging units can be several thou" out over a few inches...), also functions -.the full specification DROs will convert.between diameter and radius/depth of cut, have tool offset/cutter diameter memories, hole circle layout and taper / angle functions, all kinds.

Some can be surprisingly useful - picture making an index or dividing plate for 127 holes.so you can cut a metric transposing gear: stick the.blank on the.mill table, use.the DRO centring function in x and y to locate the centre of the plate, drill centre hole; zero the DRO and hit the hole circle.key and follow the prompts.for radius.and.number, it resets the display and you crank the handles til it reads zero-zero and drill a hole, hit next, repeat, until you have all your holes drilled to the accuracy of.the.scales (potentially 0.0001 to 0.0005"), 10-20 minutes total, I'd guess... Dividers and layout blue, anyone?

All the iGaging ones are is none too accurate digital dials, effectively.... You could do the same plate with 'em, first calculate hole positions, spreadsheet? Then read the printed table, one set of x and y at a time, make sure you don't miss any or transpose/misread any numbers...

Dave H. (the other one)