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Final thoughts

A project log for Mini DRO for lathe

A small DRO for the lathe that doesn't take up too much space

igorIgor 08/30/2017 at 10:560 Comments

Well, it took some time to complete, but it has been in happy service for a few years now.

The 1 micron resolution is a bit overkill as the flexibility of the rest of the machine is the weak link. However, if I ever bother to make a fancy toolpost grinder, the accuracy might come in handy.

I did make it work with Yuri's android DRO, but actually never bother to bring the tablet. If my eyesight goes bad when I get old I'll dig it up again.

Things to do different if you ever get around to undertaking something like this:

- Use a push button to switch it on and have an auto shut-off. I often forget to switch if off and come back to an empty battery. They're rechargeable but it's a nuisance.

- Make the housing much stiffer. Plastics warp over time under pressure so taking this more into account will improve your experience

- Don't use an LED to light the LCD. Nowadays there are cheap OLED displays which will make life better.

- Use something with more than 2k of program flash.......

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.

Igor

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