Meh, it's convenient if it works. If you have noisy electricals / VFD then it can be a challenge but then you're going to have other issues in that scenario.
For what it's worth, out of many thousands of TouchDRO setups in the wild (ranging from complete scratch built units to pre-made adapters), I'm aware of may be 3 cases where BlueTooth had issues. When done right (good quality parts, correct antenna layout, etc.) its next to bullet proof. TouchDRO supports many UART-to-USB bridges, but those have been nothing but trouble, actually. USB is much more sensitive to the kind of noise we have in our shops, and the extra ground loop doesn't help either.
In the 80"s my Dad worked at a now defunct factory that produced gas grills and kid's swingsets, among other things. They would occasionally run thousands of parts with holes in the wrong location at which time they would add the appropriate holes and a note in the instructions explaining these extraneous holes were for use with another model, which obviously did not exist.
I just love your channel, Quinn. You explain everything so clearly and in such an entertaining manner, that I’ve watched all the lathe for beginners videos without even having access to a lathe. What especially appreciate is how you keep most of the mistakes in the videos and explain how to correct them, like in this video. Thanks for all your work on this channel!
Yes, I agree. But Joe Pie makes a good point: grab the stock in the wise as little as possible (a couple of millimeters, my jaws are 50mm high and I use 47mm parallells), mill all the five sides, if possible mill the features, turn the piece upside down, plane it straight and you are done. Milling the five sides at once makes the sides square and parallell, at least it works at our Shizuoka...
@@johanneslaxell6641 5 sides works If you have the extra three plus mill to burn. If you have the means to do 5 sides then it's a much faster and better results. J pie 😎.
@@dass1333 I do it even if I dont have those mm:s extra just to get the sides in straight angle and parallell from the start. Then it's often "good enough" (within +/-0.02-0.05mm) to make the rest by feel when I turn it up side down. Or then I use the edgefinder. That's how I do it, I have tried the "mill, file, turn" but somehow I allmost allways mess it up and get one side wrong... Four is ok, but then if the parts are small, the wise is big and I have to start playing with straight edges and stuff something goes wrong. On one wise I put a 8mm thick piece between the jaws and then milled with a 12mm mill. That shelf (2*2mm) keeps stock quite nicely when doing five sides, at least in plastic and aluminium. For steel I usually go for the 3mm grip on the other wise...
There are probably 2 dozen channels in this genre. Yours is the best. Your videography is simply perfect, your narration is perfect. I just love your content! One note about a missed opportunity (NOT a criticism by any stretch) You had a great opportunity to show how to use a sine bar. None the less an awesome video. Thanks for the hard work. WHAT A POLLYMATH YOU ARE!
@@rossariotrimboliI like both of those, and Abom and several others, but if I was aYou Tune creator (and I aspire to be one someday), this is the quality I would work for. One of my eccentricities' is that I'm a bit a "vocabulary NAZI". This is, at the end of the day, technical subject matter and yet at the same time not. She describes what she is doing and does each task with the right amount of "granularity". As a machinist one must know what resolution will get the desired functionality while still maintaining an acceptable efficiency. She strikes this balance very well, and describes each task with the same balance.
Quinn, you made my day with the "40% of human activity is cable management". So true ... Great video, as always, and thank you for taking time to look at TouchDRO. Greatly appreciated.
I know you said that many times but I built several units on Proto boards for different people & I never heard a complaint from them. I used both the USB & Glass on different machines. I liked the glass much better but the USB worked well for me also. I never did get around to trying the calipers though.
I have a 4M long 3.5 tonne lathe at home (16M x 8M hobby shed). Fitted a DRO several years ago and it is excellent. One addition that took quite some work was a readout on the MT5 tailstock. Been super handy. 71 yr old in Land Down Under.
I truly love after market solutions such as this. They are usually inexpensive, versatile, more convenient, and sometimes better than standardised off the shelf equipment. The use of something that most people nowadays already have access to (tablet or phone in this case) is a great start, plus the fact that it works on multiple android devices means that one does not have to pay the going rate for a readout screen. This innovation really fills the gap between affordability and a commercial product so that any hobbyist can enjoy the benefits without the exorbitant markup that industry seems to attract.
Touchdro is actually a great system. I have had a couple conversations on installing the system on my mill with Yuri and he has been amazing to deal with. Quinn you will love the touchdro and the software has a new update coming with more features. Something the other dro systems do not have.
What a wonderful job girl, i have a garage shop and retired from the trade of 50 years. Not dead yet and still learnin and grinnin and servisin my neighbors. i love the bankers hours and decide what i do. PS the cash works to LOL Good luck, be safe and God bless your instruction , AMEN
Robert is your Mother’s Brother indeed. all jokes aside, very neat video, ive been wondering about a DRO for Small Lathes and this has made me much more confident in making a decision, thanks Quinn.
Here’s a tip for a extremely quick drill guide, literally nano seconds. Find a socket that has a through hole big enough for your tap or drill. With some care you can shift your drill or tap around and it will help guide or at least get you started in a square position. Won’t give you ultra precision but it will keep you from being way off. Great video as always!
I have found that even for hobbyists, it is best to put a 1 micron scale on the cross slide. 5 microns is fine for the carriage, but the a 5 micron scale acts as a 10 micron scale since lathes cut in off of the radius of the part, so the resolution effectively doubles. I have found it can be frustrating when you have a fairly tight tolerance dimension on a part, you end up having to use dial indicators and micrometers to dial it in anyway, so I find it much easier to pay up for the 1 micron scale on the cross slide.
First of all, let me say "Ditto" to all of the positive comments that have already been made about this excellent video. This video reminded me a lot about the process I used to install three inexpensive iGaging scales on my Harbor Freight Micro-Mill, a few years ago. Each of those scales came with a separate, independent LCD display module, which I mounted on a small panel on the wall behind the mill. Kind of a poor-man's DRO. But then, I discovered the TouchDRO system, so I built my own interface box (using an Arduino Nano, I think), and connected the three iGaging scales to the interface box. Besides the "smart" features of the excellent TouchDRO app (e.g. bolt circles), I finally am rid of the chore of changing the batteries in the iGaging display modules. 🙂
I bought a DRO for my mill and lathe about a year ago. I installed the one on my mill. Haven't done the lathe yet. Hopefully I can learn something from this video. Haven't watched it yet, but will. After watching, you have given me some great ideas. Thanks.
Are you reading my mind Quinn? I just ordered a DRO to install on my lathe and started thinking about mounting it and this comes up. Amazing and thanks for your insight and ideas.
Hello Quinn, other side of the internet here. Very much appreciate and enjoy your videos, thanks for the time you invest. My preferred medium is wood, however you seem to have found your way into my thinking. As I was lining things up tonight, I was using a no mar hammer and your voice in my head was saying “ tap tap tap”
I bought just the quadrature board from Yuri and did everything else myself. Great product and I can't say enough about the support he supplies. Mounted it on my mill and I love that I can grab the tablet off of the mount and put it where I can best see it based on what I am doing.
@@pravado81 not that I'm aware of. I researched it quite a bit awhile back. The concept is that you can use any display that has Bluetooth, so you could use a phone if you already have one, an old phone as long as it functions, or a super cheap tablet. It gives you a lot more flexibility in terms of display size than Yuri supplying one with the kit.
I really like this kit! I bought two of them to use on my lathe and mill... I did not buy the kit with the tablet, but also bought two Amazon Fire HD10 tablets, and this is a fantastic addition to my tools! VERY versatile with many useful features, especially in the mill mode! Bluetooth works very well also. I know what you mean about connectivity, but the Touch DRO doesn't have any problems connecting.. Thank you for showing your installation on your lathe.
Mighty!!!!!!!!!! Gorgeous...! I'm french, like you know, french people are really bad English speakers... but you are so clear, it's a perfect video! Merci Madame;)
I've been wanting this setup for years(the touch screen DRO) but was hesitant because there are very few videos of it being used or installed. Thanks for helping to fix that issue.
I have been using DROs for 35yrs and Touch DRO is the best hands down full stop! I set up my Prazi Mini Mill and will outfit my Prazi SD300 with this system, I really cant say enough good things about it. I used DITRON Glass scales on my mill and will probably go with a mixed setup like what is shown here for the lathe as there is limited room. Best system on the market.
just found your channel and love it! as a woodworker, a trick i was taught for “level” holes is to put a ring on your drill bit prior to drilling…it will run from front to back(or vice versa) if you are drilling out of level. might not be quite accurate enough for metalworking, but i thought it might be a useful tip. keep up the great work!
I just converted my TouchDRO on the Bridgeport to glass scales after struggling with capacitive scales. Now I get accurate and trustworthy readings on all 4 axes. I don't know why the capacitive scales sometimes misbehaved but if you can't rely on them 100% you might as well go back to the dials. I love the new functions that Yuriy has bundled in the upgraded app. But, yeah, lathes and DRO's are meant to be together.
@@Preso58 does BETA mean its not available to the general public to download or is it for testing only? When I go to the Google play store it doesn’t show me an updated version to download
I installed a DRO system on my ten by twenty four lathe a couple of decades ago, with a "rack and pinion" readout system that has worked very well but is very limited in its readout capabilities. I'm seriously considering this system because it has so many options mine doesn't have. You did a great job detailing all the steps to get it on right, accurate and demonstrating the advantage that is quite clear in this "touch" system. I had no idea at the start "the readout" was not just called a tablet, but really is one. Thanks for a great video for "this old guy".
Pretty good - I don;t know how I ever did anything for all those years before DROs. Now, especially on a mill, I don't think I could mill a slot even clove to the middle of a piece of hot rolled without one. You get spoiled REAL fast. - We have had a 3 axis LED type on the Clausing lathe for a number of years now. - The 3d axis with a 12" scale is sitting in the cabinet! Need a Round Tuit so I can get it on the tail stock. - Spoiled by the cross and carrage but not enough to get with it and put it on the tail-stock. BTW. Crazy as it sounds you can actually cut GLASS scales to length with the Horizontal Band Saw! We cut 2 of ours to size that way. Saw a guy on UA-cam do it and guess what IT ACTUALLY WORKS!!!! Just use a 14 Tooth blade and cut through the whole thing glass, aluminum and all, just feed slower then you ever cut anything before. - Truth is stranger then fiction.
30:06 FWIW, my workflow is that I enter the micrometer reading directly into the DRO in diameter mode, so that it reads part diameter. Even less calculation required!
When installing the X axis encoder, you want to have the cable exit from the encoder towards the tailstock. Two reasons. #1 is to keep the cable as far away from the chuck as possible, so when something unforseen happens, the encoder cable does not get damaged. #2 is the two encoder cables are right next to each other and can be very neatly dressed together, making them easier to keep cleaner in the chip tray.
I bought one of Yuriy's circuit board kits a few years back. Love it. Still working well on my mill. 👍 Bought "AccuRemote" scales from Amaz*n and they're still working well.
I’ve mounted Chinese DROs on both my PM mill and my old Bridgeport and I’ve found that angle iron is great. Slotted holes in the angle iron for both axis and then mount the angle iron to the machine and the scale to angle iron. Then you can adjust the scale very easily, and the angle iron works as a build in chip shield as well.
Fantastic work as always, Quinn! Awesome to see a big Machine-Tuber like Blondihacks installing TouchDRO! It's such a great system... I've installed it on all my machines: Lathe, mill, shaper, and surface grinder. I'm even pondering installing scales on my D-bit grinder, and my optical comparator, for even more TouchDRO goodness. The ability to connect a 4th axis is a really powerful addition. On my lathe, I've installed a scale on the tailstock quill, for the 3rd axis readout. For the 4th axis, I installed a second read head on my Z-axis scale, and attached it to the base of the tailstock. I use the summing function in TouchDRO to add that to the quill readout, which allows me to move the tailstock to quickly clear chips, and still drill to a precise depth. I also installed an encoder on my rotary table, which allows me to use it as an angular input on my mill, shaper, or surface grinder. The encoder resolution, multiplied by the rotary table gear reduction, theoretically gives me single-arc-second resolution. I've made videos on all that, if you'd care to check out my ideas :)
FnA-Wright: Are you using one Android tablet for all TouchDRO systems you’re using, or a separate/dedicated display for each? When using the rotary table on the mill, how are you viewing RTable positions versus mill table X, Y locations?
Quinn , one of the great things about the D.R.O is you don't have to keep looking at the tiny lines on the cross slide /carriage knobs. two things that may help you out. one is if you have to free hand drill a hole. you square the drill bit up using a vee block, using the vee block as a reference you will drill the hole perpendicular. two a piece of automotive vacuum hose makes a great drill stop the vacuum hose will stop the drill bit from being pulled into the hole. with tape it can just get sucked in the hole if the drill bit is cutting just right. ... Thank you for taking the time to make these video's Pete
I recently added an optical scale to the bed of my lathe, very similar to yours, and ended up 3d printing two brackets that clamp on the flat ways. They're pretty thick and seemed to do quite well: plenty stiff, and (at least on mine) anywhere I'd put the scale is going to interfere with removing the carriage from the bed, so having the bracket easily accessible was welcome. I later on remade them in cast aluminum, but the 3d printed was good enough.
I looked into this system a while ago as hooking it to a tablet sounded like a really good idea. But back when I looked at it, he only supplied the box of tricks and not much info about what it fitted or how you would set it up, not really friendly for the absolute novice like myself. A kit like you got would now make it much more attractive to me.
Quinn, you crack me up with your narrative. Great video. Consider making a brass bushing for your carriage handle to stop the rattle. This drove me nuts on my Chinese mill. A couple hours and it felt like a U.S. made machine. You'll get a much better feel.
Great video Quinn! Ordered a TouchDRO and some glass scales for my lathe. Should have everything before Christmas and if all goes well better parts in 2023!
Enjoyed as always, great work and interesting though im not even a machinist just an ex mechanic and lifelong tinkerer/fabricator/fixer I always learn something and youre never too old to learn
This video is very interesting. I have avoided DROs on my lathe and mill, except the z axis which was easy, because they are so small. But this has fired up my enthusiasm to do something. Thanks Blondihacks. 👍
The difference from a manual dial lathe or mill to one with a DRO is like the difference in cooking on a camp fire to cooking on a gas stove, no gathering and lighting the firewood and it's much easier to adjust and keep the temperature you need on a gas stove vs a camp fire. If you like doing things the hard way, like challenges and have plenty of time to kill then do not get a DRO.
Not sure how you do it Quinn, but watching your excellent videos always makes me want to make some chips... even though I already have a DRO fitted in this case. I do hope you'll be doing a Christmas special video this year!
When my telephone line was installed the installer didn't have any faceplate screws, so used wood screws (into tapped metal holes)! He was a professional.
I installed one of these on a Bridgeport using the existing scales from an early 90s retrofit (the old control had crapped out). Has been working great for over 2 years now. The interface is much nicer than any of the cheap import DROs you can buy on Amazon. It's also a fraction of the price.
If you can cope with a woodworkers tip for drilling level holes by eye - put a ring over the drill bit before you start. The ring will migrate towards the drill if you're drilling upwards, and towards the hole you're drilling if you're heading downwards. I don't think this is just gravity - it's about the way the convex surface on the inside of the ring interacts with the drill bit depending on which way it is happening. Credit: @woodbywright's channel, but it works well.
That is one of those simple things that make sense & you wonder why you haven't thought of it. Of course you need enough smooth shank so short flutes would be a boon. Cordless drills should have level vials built in.
Another quality vid Quinn. Kudos. More complicated and involved than I considered (even after watching James Clough (James42) set up his milling machine's DRO. I'll pay PM to set it up and pay them for their time.
You're amazing! Would love to see you go to the NEXT step (beyond DRO) -- with a CNC machine/conversion! If I worked for a manufacturer -- I'd definitely be fighting all comers to get you a version in your shop!
If you search UA-cam for a Milling Attachment for a Lathe, you come up with nothing except those little milling adapters for horizonal milling. It would be a GREAT idea for you to make a 3-in-1 milling adapter for a mini lathe, since you would be the 1st one to do it. As you pointed out, your mini lathe already has the mounting built into it for one
Thank you for this :) I bought a dial indicator set for my mini lathe a couple of years ago and haven't really thought about how to fit it in place But now I know :) Thanks
I could not survive without my DRO! It's a ditron and it's great! I don't even have tool offsets set up but for small production work it's essential Interest to hear how this goes long term... I struggle to understand how well a touchscreen would work in a shop with oily fingers
Engineer's are constantly justifying themselves, especially when we are often the first to spot where the "one off" job, Should have and definitely Could have been refined & simplified. I have a tiny hobby shop and employ an R&D team, 3d modeler, and a prototype/ refine team. Last week I produced 1 absolutely perfect radiator bracket 👌
I have been toying with the idea of adding a DRO to my hobby lathe as well... and since I have a Precision Matthews PM-1127-VF LB, I have found this video you've made most useful and would like to thank you very much Quinn 😁
I’m glad that you finally installed a DRO on your lathe, it’s about time 😅. You should install the ELS that James developed. I purchased his kit when it first came available and I still haven’t installed it. Seems to that I always have a project to work on. Being that you are familiar with race cars, perhaps you can tell me where I can find performance parts for my Porsche 944 project. Great video as always. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
I have 200$ TFT DRO kit on similar size Weiss lathe, all optical and i even installed scale on compound (all with printed PLA brackets which turned out are plenty rigid for this task). Optical glass scales are also very easy to cut to size. For me main downside of cheap DROs is that they can't do calculations with compound angles, so i will probably switch it to TouchDRO.
"We don't need another hero." Not expecting that in the least, and after laughing, had to explain the reference to a minion. Now we're going to watch Beyond Thunderdome tonight, so thanks!
Great video as always. +1 upvote for TouchDRO, I have one on my little mill (a Seig X3). It was easy to setup with the cheap glass scales I got from Banggood and a very old Samsung tablet I had lying around. I like the feature where it can sum two scales on the Z axis (one on the column and one on the quill). Seems like solid and reliable DRO system.
Cool DRO kit, thanks for the video showing it off Quinn. Looking forward to seeing what you'll build with it. I wonder about using it to evolve a hydraulic press into a CNC press break.
An always enjoyable watch. The Touch DRO has the ability to accept 2 more inputs, have you considered adding the quill and diagonal feed on the cross slide?
Well, this sure is fancy! Next edition: Let's make a DRO tablet mount! (I hope. I mean, there is balance to the universe and even seemingly unrelated projects can tend to chain together like different-colored socks in the dryer. Regardless, the odds seem to be in favor of getting the fancy tablet off of the precarious ledge offered by a power outlet. I hope.)
On my small old Southbend 9 clone lathe, I mounted a rotary encoder on the cross slide. Just added a coupling on the ACME screw and some fasteners. Very easy install, that takes up no important space, downside is that I have to keep in mind the backlash. (Just as you have to with the manual, analogue dial)
@@erik_dk842 Yes, but on a lathe were you usually travel in same direction (reducing diameter) it's not a huge problem. On a mill table, it another thing. imo.
Congrats on the DRO for your lathe. Don't want to do without mine. Ordered mine pre installed on my PM 1340GT about 8 years back so I've been spoiled for a while now. You're right, they're not perfect, but sure convenient :-)
That was super fun.👍 I'm not a machinist and even I more or less got it.😀 I am an every day hack/scavenger who destroys perfectly good items daily once I find them.🤨 I got the odd hand tool, and I'm in awe of how you used yours on this. 🤔I simply could not afford to try for that sort of bravery. 😆A total joy to watch this. 👍Be well.😉
I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only person in this world who dislikes bluetooth everything, just give me my wires back!
I’m with ya! Wires are way easier to trouble shoot and fix.
Radio is a myth. All hail copper.
Same here! 👍
Meh, it's convenient if it works. If you have noisy electricals / VFD then it can be a challenge but then you're going to have other issues in that scenario.
For what it's worth, out of many thousands of TouchDRO setups in the wild (ranging from complete scratch built units to pre-made adapters), I'm aware of may be 3 cases where BlueTooth had issues. When done right (good quality parts, correct antenna layout, etc.) its next to bullet proof. TouchDRO supports many UART-to-USB bridges, but those have been nothing but trouble, actually. USB is much more sensitive to the kind of noise we have in our shops, and the extra ground loop doesn't help either.
I'm glad you have come to your senses Quinn.
DROs are what separate us from the old people that pretend they don't need them.
In the 80"s my Dad worked at a now defunct factory that produced gas grills and kid's swingsets, among other things. They would occasionally run thousands of parts with holes in the wrong location at which time they would add the appropriate holes and a note in the instructions explaining these extraneous holes were for use with another model, which obviously did not exist.
I just love your channel, Quinn. You explain everything so clearly and in such an entertaining manner, that I’ve watched all the lathe for beginners videos without even having access to a lathe. What especially appreciate is how you keep most of the mistakes in the videos and explain how to correct them, like in this video. Thanks for all your work on this channel!
You are getting the squaring stock lesson down to an art form.
Quick with all the information needed.
Yes, I agree. But Joe Pie makes a good point: grab the stock in the wise as little as possible (a couple of millimeters, my jaws are 50mm high and I use 47mm parallells), mill all the five sides, if possible mill the features, turn the piece upside down, plane it straight and you are done. Milling the five sides at once makes the sides square and parallell, at least it works at our Shizuoka...
@@johanneslaxell6641 5 sides works If you have the extra three plus mill to burn.
If you have the means to do 5 sides then it's a much faster and better results. J pie 😎.
@@dass1333
I do it even if I dont have those mm:s extra just to get the sides in straight angle and parallell from the start. Then it's often "good enough" (within +/-0.02-0.05mm) to make the rest by feel when I turn it up side down. Or then I use the edgefinder.
That's how I do it, I have tried the "mill, file, turn" but somehow I allmost allways mess it up and get one side wrong... Four is ok, but then if the parts are small, the wise is big and I have to start playing with straight edges and stuff something goes wrong.
On one wise I put a 8mm thick piece between the jaws and then milled with a 12mm mill. That shelf (2*2mm) keeps stock quite nicely when doing five sides, at least in plastic and aluminium. For steel I usually go for the 3mm grip on the other wise...
There are probably 2 dozen channels in this genre. Yours is the best. Your videography is simply perfect, your narration is perfect. I just love your content! One note about a missed opportunity (NOT a criticism by any stretch) You had a great opportunity to show how to use a sine bar. None the less an awesome video. Thanks for the hard work. WHAT A POLLYMATH YOU ARE!
@@rossariotrimboliI like both of those, and Abom and several others, but if I was aYou Tune creator (and I aspire to be one someday), this is the quality I would work for. One of my eccentricities' is that I'm a bit a "vocabulary NAZI". This is, at the end of the day, technical subject matter and yet at the same time not. She describes what she is doing and does each task with the right amount of "granularity". As a machinist one must know what resolution will get the desired functionality while still maintaining an acceptable efficiency. She strikes this balance very well, and describes each task with the same balance.
as somebody who learnt on DRO lathes i've been amazed at what you can do without one
Quinn, you made my day with the "40% of human activity is cable management". So true ... Great video, as always, and thank you for taking time to look at TouchDRO. Greatly appreciated.
I know you said that many times but I built several units on Proto boards for different people & I never heard a complaint from them.
I used both the USB & Glass on different machines. I liked the glass much better but the USB worked well for me also.
I never did get around to trying the calipers though.
I just went & check out your new site. I see this is completely different than the ones we built back then.
I'm excited to try the new one.
I have a 4M long 3.5 tonne lathe at home (16M x 8M hobby shed). Fitted a DRO several years ago and it is excellent. One addition that took quite some work was a readout on the MT5 tailstock. Been super handy. 71 yr old in Land Down Under.
I truly love after market solutions such as this. They are usually inexpensive, versatile, more convenient, and sometimes better than standardised off the shelf equipment.
The use of something that most people nowadays already have access to (tablet or phone in this case) is a great start, plus the fact that it works on multiple android devices means that one does not have to pay the going rate for a readout screen.
This innovation really fills the gap between affordability and a commercial product so that any hobbyist can enjoy the benefits without the exorbitant markup that industry seems to attract.
Touch DRO and a tangential “diamond” lathe tool. Both of my favourites 👏👏👍😀
Finally, all of your parts will be perfect! /s
Touchdro is actually a great system. I have had a couple conversations on installing the system on my mill with Yuri and he has been amazing to deal with. Quinn you will love the touchdro and the software has a new update coming with more features. Something the other dro systems do not have.
What a wonderful job girl, i have a garage shop and retired from the trade of 50 years.
Not dead yet and still learnin and grinnin and servisin my neighbors. i love the bankers hours and decide what i do. PS the cash works to LOL
Good luck, be safe and God bless your instruction , AMEN
Really appreciate your direct and unambiguous exposition as you go through your decision making processes.
Robert is your Mother’s Brother indeed.
all jokes aside, very neat video, ive been wondering about a DRO for Small Lathes and this has made me much more confident in making a decision, thanks Quinn.
Here’s a tip for a extremely quick drill guide, literally nano seconds. Find a socket that has a through hole big enough for your tap or drill. With some care you can shift your drill or tap around and it will help guide or at least get you started in a square position. Won’t give you ultra precision but it will keep you from being way off. Great video as always!
I've had a Touch DTR on my LMS 3900 for nearly 8 years already. Still VERY happy with it.
Very spiffy.
And neat to see it all come together in a regular video after watching all of the Patreon lens mini videos.
Thanks, and Meow to Sprocket.
I have found that even for hobbyists, it is best to put a 1 micron scale on the cross slide. 5 microns is fine for the carriage, but the a 5 micron scale acts as a 10 micron scale since lathes cut in off of the radius of the part, so the resolution effectively doubles. I have found it can be frustrating when you have a fairly tight tolerance dimension on a part, you end up having to use dial indicators and micrometers to dial it in anyway, so I find it much easier to pay up for the 1 micron scale on the cross slide.
First of all, let me say "Ditto" to all of the positive comments that have already been made about this excellent video. This video reminded me a lot about the process I used to install three inexpensive iGaging scales on my Harbor Freight Micro-Mill, a few years ago. Each of those scales came with a separate, independent LCD display module, which I mounted on a small panel on the wall behind the mill. Kind of a poor-man's DRO. But then, I discovered the TouchDRO system, so I built my own interface box (using an Arduino Nano, I think), and connected the three iGaging scales to the interface box. Besides the "smart" features of the excellent TouchDRO app (e.g. bolt circles), I finally am rid of the chore of changing the batteries in the iGaging display modules. 🙂
Even though I'm not a machinist, I enjoy watching a true professional apply their skill. Thanks!
Glad to see Robert was so cooperative. Looking forward to seeing this used on future projects.
I bought a DRO for my mill and lathe about a year ago. I installed the one on my mill. Haven't done the lathe yet. Hopefully I can learn something from this video. Haven't watched it yet, but will. After watching, you have given me some great ideas. Thanks.
The DRO was one of the things that really sold my lathe to me. I wouldn't be without it.
Are you reading my mind Quinn? I just ordered a DRO to install on my lathe and started thinking about mounting it and this comes up. Amazing and thanks for your insight and ideas.
Follow up to this. My DRO is installed and it is a game changer. So much fast and easier. Next up my mill DRO and its been ordered.
Hello Quinn, other side of the internet here. Very much appreciate and enjoy your videos, thanks for the time you invest. My preferred medium is wood, however you seem to have found your way into my thinking. As I was lining things up tonight, I was using a no mar hammer and your voice in my head was saying “ tap tap tap”
I bought just the quadrature board from Yuri and did everything else myself. Great product and I can't say enough about the support he supplies. Mounted it on my mill and I love that I can grab the tablet off of the mount and put it where I can best see it based on what I am doing.
I checked out the website and it doesn't say if it comes with screen. Does it?
@@pravado81 not that I'm aware of. I researched it quite a bit awhile back. The concept is that you can use any display that has Bluetooth, so you could use a phone if you already have one, an old phone as long as it functions, or a super cheap tablet. It gives you a lot more flexibility in terms of display size than Yuri supplying one with the kit.
I really like this kit!
I bought two of them to use on my lathe and mill... I did not buy the kit with the tablet, but also bought two Amazon Fire HD10 tablets, and this is a fantastic addition to my tools!
VERY versatile with many useful features, especially in the mill mode!
Bluetooth works very well also. I know what you mean about connectivity, but the Touch DRO doesn't have any problems connecting..
Thank you for showing your installation on your lathe.
What an epic effort to get a DRO on a manual machine. I never knew.
I do like that it has an interface that I could write my own software for.
Mighty!!!!!!!!!! Gorgeous...! I'm french, like you know, french people are really bad English speakers... but you are so clear, it's a perfect video! Merci Madame;)
I've been wanting this setup for years(the touch screen DRO) but was hesitant because there are very few videos of it being used or installed. Thanks for helping to fix that issue.
I have been using DROs for 35yrs and Touch DRO is the best hands down full stop! I set up my Prazi Mini Mill and will outfit my Prazi SD300 with this system, I really cant say enough good things about it. I used DITRON Glass scales on my mill and will probably go with a mixed setup like what is shown here for the lathe as there is limited room.
Best system on the market.
just found your channel and love it! as a woodworker, a trick i was taught for “level” holes is to put a ring on your drill bit prior to drilling…it will run from front to back(or vice versa) if you are drilling out of level. might not be quite accurate enough for metalworking, but i thought it might be a useful tip. keep up the great work!
I just converted my TouchDRO on the Bridgeport to glass scales after struggling with capacitive scales. Now I get accurate and trustworthy readings on all 4 axes. I don't know why the capacitive scales sometimes misbehaved but if you can't rely on them 100% you might as well go back to the dials. I love the new functions that Yuriy has bundled in the upgraded app. But, yeah, lathes and DRO's are meant to be together.
Is the new Touch Dro version available or is it still in testing mode?
@@brandontscheschlog I am still using the beta version. It updated today so there must still be updates happening
@@Preso58 does BETA mean its not available to the general public to download or is it for testing only? When I go to the Google play store it doesn’t show me an updated version to download
Quinn you have a double in Rugby England , how do I know I approached her today my red face lol her hubby chuckled as he follows you too , hi to him
I installed a DRO system on my ten by twenty four lathe a couple of decades ago, with a "rack and pinion" readout system that has worked very well but is very limited in its readout capabilities. I'm seriously considering this system because it has so many options mine doesn't have. You did a great job detailing all the steps to get it on right, accurate and demonstrating the advantage that is quite clear in this "touch" system. I had no idea at the start "the readout" was not just called a tablet, but really is one. Thanks for a great video for "this old guy".
"A dro is no substitute for being a good machinist", I wasn't expecting to be attacked like that.
Pretty good - I don;t know how I ever did anything for all those years before DROs. Now, especially on a mill, I don't think I could mill a slot even clove to the middle of a piece of hot rolled without one. You get spoiled REAL fast. - We have had a 3 axis LED type on the Clausing lathe for a number of years now. - The 3d axis with a 12" scale is sitting in the cabinet! Need a Round Tuit so I can get it on the tail stock. - Spoiled by the cross and carrage but not enough to get with it and put it on the tail-stock.
BTW. Crazy as it sounds you can actually cut GLASS scales to length with the Horizontal Band Saw! We cut 2 of ours to size that way. Saw a guy on UA-cam do it and guess what IT ACTUALLY WORKS!!!! Just use a 14 Tooth blade and cut through the whole thing glass, aluminum and all, just feed slower then you ever cut anything before. - Truth is stranger then fiction.
Thanks for letting me know; I bought too long of a scale from Ali and need to cut it down.
30:06 FWIW, my workflow is that I enter the micrometer reading directly into the DRO in diameter mode, so that it reads part diameter. Even less calculation required!
When installing the X axis encoder, you want to have the cable exit from the encoder towards the tailstock. Two reasons. #1 is to keep the cable as far away from the chuck as possible, so when something unforseen happens, the encoder cable does not get damaged. #2 is the two encoder cables are right next to each other and can be very neatly dressed together, making them easier to keep cleaner in the chip tray.
I bought one of Yuriy's circuit board kits a few years back. Love it. Still working well on my mill. 👍
Bought "AccuRemote" scales from Amaz*n and they're still working well.
I'm sure they installed those extra holes, because they knew in their corporate wisdom you'd be installing a DRO one day!
Love watching Blondie's content, she certainly knows her stuff and explains things so well. Keep up the great work 👍🏼
I’ve mounted Chinese DROs on both my PM mill and my old Bridgeport and I’ve found that angle iron is great. Slotted holes in the angle iron for both axis and then mount the angle iron to the machine and the scale to angle iron. Then you can adjust the scale very easily, and the angle iron works as a build in chip shield as well.
Brilliant - I was dreading doing this on my lathe but it all looks fairly straightforward, Thank you!
Fantastic work as always, Quinn! Awesome to see a big Machine-Tuber like Blondihacks installing TouchDRO! It's such a great system... I've installed it on all my machines: Lathe, mill, shaper, and surface grinder. I'm even pondering installing scales on my D-bit grinder, and my optical comparator, for even more TouchDRO goodness.
The ability to connect a 4th axis is a really powerful addition. On my lathe, I've installed a scale on the tailstock quill, for the 3rd axis readout. For the 4th axis, I installed a second read head on my Z-axis scale, and attached it to the base of the tailstock. I use the summing function in TouchDRO to add that to the quill readout, which allows me to move the tailstock to quickly clear chips, and still drill to a precise depth.
I also installed an encoder on my rotary table, which allows me to use it as an angular input on my mill, shaper, or surface grinder. The encoder resolution, multiplied by the rotary table gear reduction, theoretically gives me single-arc-second resolution.
I've made videos on all that, if you'd care to check out my ideas :)
Where do you buy the sensor components?
@@kirkswater Amazon usually has the 5um scales for decent prices, though I think I picked up the 1um scales for my surface grinder from AliExpress.
FnA-Wright: Are you using one Android tablet for all TouchDRO systems you’re using, or a separate/dedicated display for each? When using the rotary table on the mill, how are you viewing RTable positions versus mill table X, Y locations?
I have been using Touch DRO on my Smithy for about 5 years. Works great. Love your channel
Quinn , one of the great things about the D.R.O is you don't have to keep looking at the tiny lines on the cross slide /carriage knobs. two things that may help you out. one is if you have to free hand drill a hole. you square the drill bit up using a vee block, using the vee block as a reference you will drill the hole perpendicular. two a piece of automotive vacuum hose makes a great drill stop the vacuum hose will stop the drill bit from being pulled into the hole. with tape it can just get sucked in the hole if the drill bit is cutting just right. ... Thank you for taking the time to make these video's Pete
I recently added an optical scale to the bed of my lathe, very similar to yours, and ended up 3d printing two brackets that clamp on the flat ways. They're pretty thick and seemed to do quite well: plenty stiff, and (at least on mine) anywhere I'd put the scale is going to interfere with removing the carriage from the bed, so having the bracket easily accessible was welcome. I later on remade them in cast aluminum, but the 3d printed was good enough.
I always love your way of getting around problems and making it look good too, bravo Quinn.
I looked into this system a while ago as hooking it to a tablet sounded like a really good idea. But back when I looked at it, he only supplied the box of tricks and not much info about what it fitted or how you would set it up, not really friendly for the absolute novice like myself. A kit like you got would now make it much more attractive to me.
Quinn, you crack me up with your narrative. Great video. Consider making a brass bushing for your carriage handle to stop the rattle. This drove me nuts on my Chinese mill. A couple hours and it felt like a U.S. made machine. You'll get a much better feel.
Great video Quinn! Ordered a TouchDRO and some glass scales for my lathe. Should have everything before Christmas and if all goes well better parts in 2023!
8:40 Haven't watch your entire video yet but, I just wanted to add that your 3d printer is perfect for jobs like this one, Quinn
Another excellent video, thanks Quinn!
Your combination of accuracy, humour and tone of voice is quite mesmerising 😁
Enjoyed as always, great work and interesting though im not even a machinist just an ex mechanic and lifelong tinkerer/fabricator/fixer I always learn something and youre never too old to learn
Here we go! I was hoping you had a video on the touchDRO :D
This video is very interesting. I have avoided DROs on my lathe and mill, except the z axis which was easy, because they are so small. But this has fired up my enthusiasm to do something.
Thanks Blondihacks. 👍
Thanks Quinn; edutainment at its best as per usual!
I haven't worked a lathe for years , I want to get back into it though because it would help me with my hobbies.
A tip for getting the drill level: get 3 round/bullseye levels and glue 1 on top, side, and back of the drill. Now drilling can be made level easily 😇
The difference from a manual dial lathe or mill to one with a DRO is like the difference in cooking on a camp fire to cooking on a gas stove, no gathering and lighting the firewood and it's much easier to adjust and keep the temperature you need on a gas stove vs a camp fire. If you like doing things the hard way, like challenges and have plenty of time to kill then do not get a DRO.
Not sure how you do it Quinn, but watching your excellent videos always makes me want to make some chips... even though I already have a DRO fitted in this case.
I do hope you'll be doing a Christmas special video this year!
When my telephone line was installed the installer didn't have any faceplate screws, so used wood screws (into tapped metal holes)! He was a professional.
I installed one of these on a Bridgeport using the existing scales from an early 90s retrofit (the old control had crapped out). Has been working great for over 2 years now. The interface is much nicer than any of the cheap import DROs you can buy on Amazon. It's also a fraction of the price.
fantastic video , surprising how clean your hands are !
If you can cope with a woodworkers tip for drilling level holes by eye - put a ring over the drill bit before you start. The ring will migrate towards the drill if you're drilling upwards, and towards the hole you're drilling if you're heading downwards. I don't think this is just gravity - it's about the way the convex surface on the inside of the ring interacts with the drill bit depending on which way it is happening.
Credit: @woodbywright's channel, but it works well.
That is one of those simple things that make sense & you wonder why you haven't thought of it. Of course you need enough smooth shank so short flutes would be a boon. Cordless drills should have level vials built in.
Another quality vid Quinn. Kudos. More complicated and involved than I considered (even after watching James Clough (James42) set up his milling machine's DRO.
I'll pay PM to set it up and pay them for their time.
I can confirm, the four holes on the back are for mounting a milling head. I have a combination machine like that sold under the Bernardo brand.
So much great stuff in this video, but I feel the need to express my appreciation for the Thunderdome reference in particular 💀
You're amazing! Would love to see you go to the NEXT step (beyond DRO) -- with a CNC machine/conversion! If I worked for a manufacturer -- I'd definitely be fighting all comers to get you a version in your shop!
Great video. Nice to see you go through the process. That touch screen is pretty cool!
DRO means digital readout. For those, like me, who didn’t know what it meant.😊
If you search UA-cam for a Milling Attachment for a Lathe, you come up with nothing except those little milling adapters for horizonal milling. It would be a GREAT idea for you to make a 3-in-1 milling adapter for a mini lathe, since you would be the 1st one to do it. As you pointed out, your mini lathe already has the mounting built into it for one
You could make it a multi-part series, like you do with those cute steam engines!
I bet there will be a ton of interest from us mini lathe owners, which want a milling machine, but blew all our money on the lathe, LOL
Thank you for this :)
I bought a dial indicator set for my mini lathe a couple of years ago and haven't really thought about how to fit it in place
But now I know :)
Thanks
I could not survive without my DRO! It's a ditron and it's great! I don't even have tool offsets set up but for small production work it's essential
Interest to hear how this goes long term... I struggle to understand how well a touchscreen would work in a shop with oily fingers
the precision matthews lathes have an option to buy with a pre-installed DRO included, that might be what the existing holes are for
Engineer's are constantly justifying themselves, especially when we are often the first to spot where the "one off" job, Should have and definitely Could have been refined & simplified. I have a tiny hobby shop and employ an R&D team, 3d modeler, and a prototype/ refine team. Last week I produced 1 absolutely perfect radiator bracket 👌
I have been toying with the idea of adding a DRO to my hobby lathe as well... and since I have a Precision Matthews PM-1127-VF LB, I have found this video you've made most useful and would like to thank you very much Quinn 😁
Well, I ordered the Touch DRO kit, really excited to get it installed and working on my lathe.
A follow up video would be nice ;-}
Robertson wood screw, this Canadian approves 👍
I’m glad that you finally installed a DRO on your lathe, it’s about time 😅. You should install the ELS that James developed. I purchased his kit when it first came available and I still haven’t installed it. Seems to that I always have a project to work on. Being that you are familiar with race cars, perhaps you can tell me where I can find performance parts for my Porsche 944 project. Great video as always. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Rubber bands and string level on drill will give you a reference point when drilling in awkward places.
I'm going all-in with the Touch DRO and making my own adapter/Bluetooth box using Yuryi's schematic. Just waiting on some components to arrive
I have 200$ TFT DRO kit on similar size Weiss lathe, all optical and i even installed scale on compound (all with printed PLA brackets which turned out are plenty rigid for this task). Optical glass scales are also very easy to cut to size. For me main downside of cheap DROs is that they can't do calculations with compound angles, so i will probably switch it to TouchDRO.
"We don't need another hero." Not expecting that in the least, and after laughing, had to explain the reference to a minion. Now we're going to watch Beyond Thunderdome tonight, so thanks!
Great video as always. +1 upvote for TouchDRO, I have one on my little mill (a Seig X3). It was easy to setup with the cheap glass scales I got from Banggood and a very old Samsung tablet I had lying around. I like the feature where it can sum two scales on the Z axis (one on the column and one on the quill). Seems like solid and reliable DRO system.
Cool DRO kit, thanks for the video showing it off Quinn. Looking forward to seeing what you'll build with it. I wonder about using it to evolve a hydraulic press into a CNC press break.
An always enjoyable watch. The Touch DRO has the ability to accept 2 more inputs, have you considered adding the quill and diagonal feed on the cross slide?
Well, this sure is fancy! Next edition: Let's make a DRO tablet mount! (I hope. I mean, there is balance to the universe and even seemingly unrelated projects can tend to chain together like different-colored socks in the dryer. Regardless, the odds seem to be in favor of getting the fancy tablet off of the precarious ledge offered by a power outlet. I hope.)
Great step by step instructions. Also useful tips and tricks as usual.
Thanks Quinn.
Thanks for explaining that whole proces again !😊
Maybe a 3D printed shield for the cross slide scale/sensor integrated into the t slot 3d print would be a good idea?
On my small old Southbend 9 clone lathe, I mounted a rotary encoder on the cross slide.
Just added a coupling on the ACME screw and some fasteners.
Very easy install, that takes up no important space, downside is that I have to keep in mind the backlash. (Just as you have to with the manual, analogue dial)
In other words, you have lost the reliability of mechanic scales while retaining the backlash.
@@erik_dk842 Yes, but on a lathe were you usually travel in same direction (reducing diameter) it's not a huge problem.
On a mill table, it another thing. imo.
Congrats on the DRO for your lathe. Don't want to do without mine. Ordered mine pre installed on my PM 1340GT about 8 years back so I've been spoiled for a while now. You're right, they're not perfect, but sure convenient :-)
That was super fun.👍 I'm not a machinist and even I more or less got it.😀 I am an every day hack/scavenger who destroys perfectly good items daily once I find them.🤨 I got the odd hand tool, and I'm in awe of how you used yours on this. 🤔I simply could not afford to try for that sort of bravery. 😆A total joy to watch this. 👍Be well.😉
Hi Quinn, great Video. Thanks for Posting this. I have to get a Better Lathe first, but plan on adding a DRO when I do.
The Mighty Quinn! Such a great channel!