Mini Lathe with Digital Read Out (DRO)

Harbor freight had a 50% off sale on digital calipers so I bought two, hacked them up with a Dremel/cut-off wheel and bolted them to the mini lathe. Now I can get accurate re-settable digital positions!

Who says you can't have DRO for $20?!

[ChrisDePrisco]

That's a good question... I never could get anything (titanium, cobalt and HSS) to drill through (that's some hard steel!) so I ended up using a few small cut-off wheels on my Dremel to make a U-shaped notches for the bolts to pass through.

Not the ideal solution but the only one I could come up with.

[jothain]

Love the idea. Cheap, simple and yet pretty damn effective :)

[ChrisDePrisco]

I got this one from Big Dog Metal Works. I'm not sure what brand it is though... they all seem the same just with different labels (and mine has the RPM display).

[David-ygtf]

To drill through that hardened stainless steel, use a split point HSS drill and water.

[warracer]

I need this!! :Q I would save soo much time. Thanks for the idea!

[BradKwfc]

Great idea.

I just got two of calipers for the same price (9.99 ea) and started cutting them up to be mounted. The only problem I have had is that I cannot drill the mounting holes through the calipers. I tried new cobalt and titanium bits but neither would drill through it.
What did you use?

[wanabear]

You can also tap these into a digital display :D...I will be doing one for my own the schematics are all over the internet for DRO schematics for digital caliper..You can also input the clock cycle and data there are only 4 pins i think one is gnd the other is data one is clock cycle and the other is 1.5v input :D..So think about it

Nice thank you for the video..

[aarontsmall]

I'm interested in this, there are various topics online about getting the signal from the caliper and using that to make a remote readout (single axis only). Surely if one deconstructed one of these, there has to be some wires to the onboard controller that can be extended so there could be a remote X, Y, Z axis readout (then we could look at powering it without batteries).

[tommo]

Why is your chuck key sitting in the chuck. The old guy that taught me the little I have picked up about machining would have inserted that chuck key in my ear if I left it in the chuck.

[sorstudios]

Harbor Freight has a composite or plastic caliper for $6.99. Thats what I'm making mine from now.

[ExtantFrodo]

QUESTION: Did you physically shorten the length of the calipers? If so, did that affect their precision or accuracy? I ask because many of these digital calipers work by capacitance (or so I've heard) and perhaps varying the length would alter the calibrated measure.
As this is an old video I will repost this question to your discussion page in the hopes of getting an answer.

[wanabear]

Sorry i have a question are you aligning the caliper for the cross slide and tool post with the actual tool you will have it or is it too the end of the bed..Thank You

[IcanCwhatUsay]

Do you by chance have any good pictures of this?

[ipadize]

0:00 get that thing (dont know the name right now) away from the chuck! its dangerous! just my advice :)

[alfaspiderveloce]

Here is an inexpensive and removable digital DRO for tailstock and other axis :




Digital tire gauge is about $5 USD, and RE magnets are couple bucks more.
I just attach it when needed, and keep it out of the oil, grease and chips that fly.
I tried the digital calipers, but they take more effort to install and remove, which was a pain.


Not sure if you are still using the channel, or if any replies are timely?

[MarsAlexandre]

dude some things are so easy that need no explanation, if you do not have anything positive or interesting to say ... you know the rest...