Re: Different Prices - such a range!
Yes there is a big difference in prices. I know some companies take the lathe and make sure it runs OK, then put there label on it.
I have a 8x14 and have been using lathes on and off for most of my life.
The only thing I would recommend is get a 7x14 instead of a 7x12. You can upgrade things etc but changing the bed is a major job.
That extra 2" will make all the difference, as it would be so cramped in use. I'd like to hear from others on this.
Also expect to spend money on other tools as well, like a grinder to grind hss tool bits, verniers, drills DTI etc.
If you but one let us know how it went.
Lez
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Different Prices - such a range!
I am thinking of buying a new mini lathe. The prices however seem to be in a ratio of 1 to 3 from lowest to highest. This is after making allowances for what is supplied, which for a basic model, which is all I want is the gears and a 3 jaw chuck plus a few tools. Currently cheapest on Amazon Prime in the UK is around ?400 for a 7x12 no DRO. OK for what I want. Yet similar machines seem to go up to nearer ?1200 from other suppliers.
As far as I can see they look identical. I can deal with the setting up etc.?
My experiences of cheap and cheerful Chinese products with a? few exceptions is that so long as one does not expect too much one will not be disappointed. However a 1:3 price difference for obviously the same product is not usual.
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I use mag scales from DRO Pro's - nice since they are easy to cut to size. I too tried the Igaging and it didn't seem to like the LMS BLDC mill a whole lot. They'd just jump and change measurement.
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On 3/9/2022 10:24 PM, kaje7777 wrote: I have iGaging DROs on my LMS mini-mill, and they have been working OK, but not without problems. I bought my mill used with the DROs included (aluminum scales), so I'm guessing they were a year or so old when I bought the mill. They worked fine for a couple of years after I bought the mill, and then the vertical scale started acting flaky. I tried all the suggested remedies, and finally just ended up replacing it last year. No problems with the new scale/DRO so far.
Also, the latest iGaging readout is larger and easier to read than the older one. It lacks an auto-off feature, but does have a socket for a USB power supply.
One of my older readouts started getting very hard to switch on, so I replaced it with the another readout I happened to have on hand.
To sum up, I would say that my iGaging DROs worked a good five years before I began to experience problems. As another poster noted, they are plenty accurate for the work I am doing. You can pay a lot more for glass scales and get another digit of accuracy, but is your mill really going to be able to deliver that precision?
Below is a pic of my mill with the 3 iGaging readouts (newer one on the bottom, with a tachometer below that). You can see how much bigger the display is on the "E-Z View DRO".
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PXL_20220310_032043040.jpg: /g/7x12MiniLathe/attachment/115735/
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That's the style I just installed on my Smithy 3 in 1. Glad I waited!
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I have iGaging DROs on my LMS mini-mill, and they have been working OK, but not without problems.? I bought my mill used with the DROs included (aluminum scales), so I'm guessing they were a year or so old when I bought the mill. They worked fine for a couple of years after I bought the mill, and then the vertical scale started acting flaky. I tried all the suggested remedies, and finally just ended up replacing it last year. No problems with the new scale/DRO so far. Also, the latest iGaging readout is larger and easier to read than the older one. It lacks an auto-off feature, but does have a socket for a USB power supply. One of my older readouts started getting very hard to switch on, so I replaced it with the another readout I happened to have on hand. To sum up, I would say that my iGaging DROs worked a good five years before I began to experience problems. As another poster noted, they are plenty accurate for the work I am doing. You can pay a lot more for glass scales and get another digit of accuracy, but is your mill really going to be able to deliver that precision? Below is a pic of my mill with the 3 iGaging readouts (newer one on the bottom, with a tachometer below that). You can see how much bigger the display is on the "E-Z View DRO". 
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Yes. ? I¡¯ve seen this scam before tried on me.? I was corresponding with a business, and shortly after got a similar email with supposedly a password protected Word document.? I called the company and they informed me they had been hacked and this had been sent to their entire email list.? If you enter the password, you end up installing software that monitors things and periodically sends them back to the scammer. ? It¡¯s a pretty sophisticated scam and the one tried on me was a VERY legitimate looking email including a proper fancy logo of the company I was dealing with.? But my suspicion radar is always turned on and I wondered why they would send me something needing a password.? I have two forms of anti-virus software running and neither caught it, by the way.? In this one, sucked in doesn¡¯t really know it for a long time until after somebody has captured their login information to banks and such unless.? However, it is possible that a good anti-virus software might trap those stealth outgoing messages. ? Chuck K. ? Sent from for Windows ?
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From: James ThayerSent: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 10:36 AM To: [email protected]Subject: [7x12MiniLathe] Damned Scammers ? Just a warning to the Group...
This morning I received an e-mail that appeared as if it came from the 7x12MiniLathe group and appeared to be a response to something I posted to this group many months ago. I am including it below so you see what it looked like. (I've altered the link and password to keep the unwary from accidentally opening the payload of this message.)
Red flags:
1. The source e-mail address was <ia1bnr@...> and not <[email protected]>
2. The response looks like it might be of interest, but it is completely generic. No specific words that refer to the original message.
3. The use of a file password to open the file. (Now why would this be needed for a legitimate response to the message?)
4. The link points to a .Zip file that contains an Excel Binary file. Warning, Warning Will Robinson! Not the sort of file one would expect for a legitimate response to the original message. Needless to say, I did not open it to see what surprises it contained.
If you get such message, I suggest that you do as I did and flush it.
I now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion of creating swarf for fun and profit.
Best regards,
-)------ James
--------E-mail Body-------------
Re: [7x12MiniLathe] Better Way to Temper Steel
Hi again,
I have not seen any reaction regarding the documentation I directed you before. Have you received it?
In case it wasn't delivered, here I upload it one more time:
https://onedrive.live.com/download?cid=XXXXXD72C73F2A4&resid=DB053BD72C73F2A4%21107&authkey=APjjuU36irFCxAw
File password: XXXX
On Sat, Apr 3, 2021 at 11:03 PM, Miket_NYC wrote: Last night, I was heating the oil in a Chock Full 'o Nuts coffee can on a burner of my stove (with a steel plate to put on top if it caught fire. (Never came near it).? I was checking it with my infrared thermometer every 15 seconds or so.? It got to 350 degrees fairly quickly, but it took a LONG time to get that last bit to 450.? (At one point I was wondering if I'd ever get there).? So the idea that the oil will all of a sudden jump to 600 degrees seems extremely unlikely.? But I do always pay attention and always have a fire extinguisher handy.?
Yeah, I thought so too, right up until the day the oil flashed over. Mind you, I still cook with hot oil. I'm just that more vigilant about paying attention to it.
---------------------------------------- ?
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Just a warning to the Group... This morning I received an e-mail that appeared as if it came from the 7x12MiniLathe group and appeared to be a response to something I posted to this group many months ago. I am including it below so you see what it looked like. (I've altered the link and password to keep the unwary from accidentally opening the payload of this message.) Red flags: 1. The source e-mail address was <ia1bnr@...> and not < [email protected]> 2. The response looks like it might be of interest, but it is completely generic. No specific words that refer to the original message. 3. The use of a file password to open the file. (Now why would this be needed for a legitimate response to the message?) 4. The link points to a .Zip file that contains an Excel Binary file. Warning, Warning Will Robinson! Not the sort of file one would expect for a legitimate response to the original message. Needless to say, I did not open it to see what surprises it contained. If you get such message, I suggest that you do as I did and flush it. I now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion of creating swarf for fun and profit. Best regards, -)------ James --------E-mail Body------------- Re: [7x12MiniLathe] Better Way to Temper Steel Hi again, I have not seen any reaction regarding the documentation I directed you before. Have you received it? In case it wasn't delivered, here I upload it one more time: https://onedrive.live.com/download?cid=XXXXXD72C73F2A4&resid=DB053BD72C73F2A4%21107&authkey=APjjuU36irFCxAw File password: XXXX
On Sat, Apr 3, 2021 at 11:03 PM, Miket_NYC wrote:
Last night, I was heating the oil in a Chock Full 'o Nuts coffee can on a burner of my stove (with a steel plate to put on top if it caught fire. (Never came near it).? I was checking it with my infrared thermometer every 15 seconds or so.? It got to 350 degrees fairly quickly, but it took a LONG time to get that last bit to 450.? (At one point I was wondering if I'd ever get there).? So the idea that the oil will all of a sudden jump to 600 degrees seems extremely unlikely.? But I do always pay attention and always have a fire extinguisher handy.?
Yeah, I thought so too, right up until the day the oil flashed over. Mind you, I still cook with hot oil. I'm just that more vigilant about paying attention to it. ----------------------------------------
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Hi Dick,
Yep, same scales!? I cut one down to fit the Y axis on my mill.? I've read that the stainless-steel rules are a different kettle of fish -- some have resorted to using an abrasive cut-off wheel to cut them down to size.
My main issue with the 3 on my mill is their battery life.? I found that particular DRO version draws more current than more-recent designs, at least when the display is on.? I've got a solution for that but haven't completed it yet.
It's good to hear that your DROs are still working OK.
-Mark
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Mark,
From the picture it appears you are still using your original scales the same as I have. As I remember the scales can be cut to length. I am still using mine with zero issues since soldering in the resistor and I still have a spare on hand but have not needed to use it.
Dick
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Thanks!
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Sent with secure email.
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On Sunday, March 6th, 2022 at 2:45 PM, Mark Kimball <markkimball51@...> wrote:
Hi Phil,
Here you go!? The wire connects up to the DRO sensor's ground.? I made sure that there was enough slack in the wire so the joint inside the spade connector doesn't flex and break.? I also used stranded wire because it is more resistant to? bending fatigue.
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Hi Phil, Here you go!? The wire connects up to the DRO sensor's ground.? I made sure that there was enough slack in the wire so the joint inside the spade connector doesn't flex and break.? I also used stranded wire because it is more resistant to? bending fatigue. 
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On Sun, 6 Mar 2022, Mark Kimball wrote: If you can at all afford it, stay away from remote-reading igaging DROs that have aluminum scales. The scale is part of the sensor circuit and has a sliding ground
contact made to it inside the sensor box. Aluminum develops an oxide coating, making that contact resistive -- and when it does, the scale turns into a magnificent
antenna for picking up electrical noise. I think that's part of the reason that messing around with the DROs could temporarily fix the problem, but it always came back.
I have 3 igaging DROs with aluminum scales, and all 3 of them now are hardwired to the sensor's internal ground -- holes drilled in the end and a screw + spade connector
attached. For me, this was the "final solution" to my EMI problem.
As a result of my experience, when I later bought two igaging DROs to put on my lathe I chose to go with stainless steel scales. Even for them I still had to solder an
additional 1 uF capacitor across Vcc and Ground inside the sensor box.
Mark _._,_._,_ Thanks Good to know before I buy
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Mark, could you post a picture of this ground connection you made? I just got through putting three of those on a Smithy Mill/Lathe combo.
Sent from , Swiss-based encrypted email.
Sent with secure email.
------- Original Message -------
On Sunday, March 6th, 2022 at 9:10 AM, Mark Kimball <markkimball51@...> wrote:
If you can at all afford it, stay away from remote-reading igaging DROs that have aluminum scales.? The scale is part of the sensor circuit and has a sliding ground contact made to it inside the sensor box.? Aluminum develops an oxide coating, making that contact resistive -- and when it does, the scale turns into a magnificent antenna for picking up electrical noise.? I think that's part of the reason that messing around with the DROs could temporarily fix the problem, but it always came back.
I have 3 igaging DROs with aluminum scales, and all 3 of them now are hardwired to the sensor's internal ground -- holes drilled in the end and a screw + spade connector attached.? For me, this was the "final solution" to my EMI problem.
As a result of my experience, when I later bought two igaging DROs to put on my lathe I chose to go with stainless steel scales.? Even for them I still had to solder an additional 1 uF capacitor across Vcc and Ground inside the sensor box.
Mark
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If you can at all afford it, stay away from remote-reading igaging DROs that have aluminum scales.? The scale is part of the sensor circuit and has a sliding ground contact made to it inside the sensor box.? Aluminum develops an oxide coating, making that contact resistive -- and when it does, the scale turns into a magnificent antenna for picking up electrical noise.? I think that's part of the reason that messing around with the DROs could temporarily fix the problem, but it always came back.
I have 3 igaging DROs with aluminum scales, and all 3 of them now are hardwired to the sensor's internal ground -- holes drilled in the end and a screw + spade connector attached.? For me, this was the "final solution" to my EMI problem.
As a result of my experience, when I later bought two igaging DROs to put on my lathe I chose to go with stainless steel scales.? Even for them I still had to solder an additional 1 uF capacitor across Vcc and Ground inside the sensor box.
Mark
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I can only elaborate?as far as "They Work", iGaging that is. Don't know anything about the glass scales. The iGaging DROs are as accurate?as I will probably ever?need. And the price is right.
I also have the iGaging scales.? They are easy to install.? ?You can even install them with magnets if you like. They are as accurate is by cheap Harbor freight dial indicator.
But do beware there is more then one kind of iGaging scale.? Some are better quality then others.
On Thu, 3 Mar 2022, wturchyn wrote:
> I have one of those small Sieg "Micro mills" that Harbor Freight used to sell. Many years ago, I bought and installed iGaging scales on all three axes. I had separate,
> independent display units for each scale/axis. But, about a year ago I discovered the TouchDRO and interface module. I built up a home-brew version of the interface with
--
Chris Albertson
Redondo Beach, California
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I can only elaborate?as far as "They Work", iGaging that is. Don't know anything about the glass scales. The iGaging DROs are as accurate?as I will probably ever?need. And the price is right.
Ralph
On Thu, 3 Mar 2022, wturchyn wrote:
> I have one of those small Sieg "Micro mills" that Harbor Freight used to sell. Many years ago, I bought and installed iGaging scales on all three axes. I had separate,
> independent display units for each scale/axis. But, about a year ago I discovered the TouchDRO and interface module. I built up a home-brew version of the interface with
> Bluetooth RF module, and have TouchDRO running on an old ASUS 8-inch tablet. It's very slick! _._,_._,_
Can y'all elaborate on the pros and cons of the glass and igaging scales?
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On Thu, 3 Mar 2022, wturchyn wrote: I have one of those small Sieg "Micro mills" that Harbor Freight used to sell. Many years ago, I bought and installed iGaging scales on all three axes. I had separate,
independent display units for each scale/axis. But, about a year ago I discovered the TouchDRO and interface module. I built up a home-brew version of the interface with
Bluetooth RF module, and have TouchDRO running on an old ASUS 8-inch tablet. It's very slick! _._,_._,_ Can y'all elaborate on the pros and cons of the glass and igaging scales?
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I have one of those small Sieg "Micro mills" that Harbor Freight used to sell. Many years ago, I bought and installed iGaging scales on all three axes. I had separate, independent display units for each scale/axis. But, about a year ago I discovered the TouchDRO and interface module. I built up a home-brew version of the interface with Bluetooth RF module, and have TouchDRO running on an old ASUS 8-inch tablet. It's very slick!
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Here's how I did a DRO Pro's on my 7x mill...
May give you some ideas on how I mounted the slides...
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On 3/3/2022 10:23 AM, David Robertson wrote: If I may intrude¡ Yes¡ please.. any pictures or other information would be appreciated.
David Robertson
On Mar 3, 2022, at 8:44 AM, John Mattis <john.mattis@...> wrote:
?
I made my X and Y axis DROs from some harbor freight calipers.
My Z axis is a 1-inch travel dial indicator that adjusts vertically.
Photos are available if you request. I also have some drawings.
Regards,
John Mattis (john.mattis@...)
On Thu, Mar 3, 2022 at 5:02 AM fxkl47BF via groups.io <fxkl47BF@...> wrote:
Is anyone using Touchdro on a mill?
I have a PM-25MV and starting to look at dro's.
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If I may intrude¡ Yes¡ please.. any pictures or other information would be appreciated.
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On Mar 3, 2022, at 8:44 AM, John Mattis <john.mattis@...> wrote:
? I made my X and Y axis?DROs from some harbor freight?calipers. My Z axis is a 1-inch travel dial indicator that adjusts vertically. Photos are available?if you request. I also have some drawings. Regards, Is anyone using Touchdro on a mill?
I have a PM-25MV and starting to look at dro's.
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Les Orton
MZ Rider
OldToolmaker