I've got a Jet JMD-15, which is a small mill/drill (travel is only 14"x6").
I see used digital readouts (DRO's) come up on eBay periodically, but of course they're for much larger machines, like Bridgeports. Can the scales for these larger machines typically be shortened, or do I need to look for something specifically made for a small machine like mine?
Look up Shooting Star on the internet. I believe there actual company name is CBX or something like that. They have an affordable DRO setup and the scales are easily shortened to your desired length.
tim
Thanks (and thanks, Bill, for contacting me offline as well).
Although this looks like a nice product, I'm sort of hoping that I can find a used unit, rather than purchasing something new, so as to save money. Does anyone know whether the brands more commonly seen on eBay (e.g., Mitutoyo) can be shortened?
I've successfully shortened several Acurite scales and have described the method I used on this group. Plugging this string into Google Groups should turn up the posts:
dro cut "ned simmons"
The construction of the Acurite scales is pretty typical of optical encoders, so though I can't guarantee my way will work with every scale, I expect with a little ingenuity it would work with most. Be aware that some DROs use technologies other than optics for their scales (Sony Magnescale is one).
Ned Simmons
PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.