I posted about installing a DRO on the RAS in another thread. That one went a bit off track as is usual. While it was doing that the DRO came in (iGaging 24 inch, about $59). Here are some pics of the installation:
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It all went pretty smoothly. Used the mini mill to make flip up aluminum stop. Got it right with virtually no play. Only real issue I had with the DRO itself was I could not get one of the screws that attach the S bracket to start. Itty bitty tiny things. Finally figured out that if I held the unit upside down the little nut thing would engage the screw.
As you can see there is a sacrificial stop block. Makes it easy to get it set up plus I needed some "reach". I also made an aluminum one while I was at it.
The DRO comes with a cheesy plastic stand that wants to be mounted to a wall. So I made up a new one out of some scrap plywood. The DRO has a magnet on the back so I cut a small piece of steel angle that is screwed to the plywood. Works great! I can actually push the buttons without the whole thing wobbling around.
Took it for a few test runs. It is quite sensitive, maybe too sensitive. Sort of thinking about putting a fine adjustment on it but that would cause some play so maybe not. Going to work with it a while and see if it is really an issue or not.
All in all I like it. I cut a 5 inch test piece. Then moved the stop around and moved it back to the original setting of 5.000. Measuring with a dial calipers the two pieces were within .002 of each other. Exactly what I wanted. I was never concerned about cutting things to exact length, what is more important to me is being able to repeat a cut later if I need to.
My shop is becoming a digital world! The mini mill has readouts on all three axis, so I have a mill/drill that is extremely accurate, the table saw uses a digital fence (have had that for at least 6 years and love it) and then there is the CNC router. Don't know if I can stand all this accuracy!
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Originally Posted by Ted Reischl
