Grizzly $25 DRO Query

[Captain Jerry]

I had a similar problem but maybe not as severe as yours. Mine was intermittent. Sometime it would run wild and sometimes would just add .200 at will. I fiddled with it for a while with no real success and then it just settled down and now behaves very well. I'm not sure what the problem was or what finally fixed it. I had originally rigged an sheet aluminum swarf shield and then changed to one made of acetate film. I'm not sure that the original shield was the cause but could have been.

Jerry

 

[Troutsqueezer]

As mentioned earlier in this thread, when I first received my DRO's one of them had a loose connector where the cable plugs in, so I took it apart to fix it. The reason the connector was loose was because of cold solder joints. The solder did not wick up onto the connector pins nor the housing. This is caused by a lack of wetting action where oxides on the metal surfaces of the components to be soldered are eliminated by the solder flux so the solder can form a molecular bond with the metal. Solder only flows where the metal has been wetted. I had to hand file the housing surface somewhat to get the solder to take, but I digress.

While nosing around the PCB I noticed they did not send the PCB through a cleaning cycle to get rid of the dross (flux residue). Over time, this dross can contaminate the solder joint and cause it to fail. That is one reason why the better manufacturers run their assembled PCB's through a washing cycle after they go through the wave solder machine. But I'm still digressing. :big:

I also found a few spots where the solder did not wick up onto some of the components as it should have. The solder, when heated thoroughly, should flow up onto the legs of the components and make a volcano-shaped fillet as it does so. If it looks like a blob instead of a volcano shape, it has been cold soldered (the wetting action did not take place) and will prematurely fail. I went around the entire PCB and touched each solder pad with a fairly thin soldering iron tip (PTA7, 700 degree).

You can do the same with most any electronic soldering iron (not the gun type). I don't know if that is the cause of your malfunction but it is certainly worth the effort to rule out that being the cause of this or future intermittent behavior.

-Trout

 

[Goldigger]

Here's a few shots of how i mounted DRO's to my X and Y..never did Z but I'm considering it now.
The DRO's do make life a lot easier..

 

[Troutsqueezer]

Nice work, Goldigger.

Do you plan on installing a shield over the DRO to keep the swarf off or is that not a problem on this model?

Can you still read it when the blue vise is overhead?

-T

 

[Goldigger]

Thanks..
I never use that blue vice any more, that vice is really inaccurate so i use a 3 inch precision tool makers vice now.

I dont find the swarf on the dro's causes any problems, theres a little rubber brush on the ends of the read out that does a good job at keeping the swarf out.
I keep a brush handy and just brush swarf off the scales from time to time.

You can just see the rubber brush/flap in this pic. Here's a link to the pic so you can see it bigger
http://www.zen74279.zen.co.uk/DRO/IMAG0012.jpg

I got my scales from here http://www.machine-dro.co.uk/index.php?target=categories&category_id=16
Cheapest i could find in the uk.

 

[mzetati]

I dont find the swarf on the dro's causes any problems, theres a little rubber brush on the ends of the read out that does a good job at keeping the swarf out.
I keep a brush handy and just brush swarf off the scales from time to time.

They do, and much more does the lubricant/coolant used for cutting.

..never did Z but I'm considering it now.

Here's how it all began with mine, using some digital calipers:

Marcello

 

[mzetati]

I just finished (after several months of them collecting dust) installing the iGaging DRO's on all 3 axes on my x2 mini mill. Z and Y work great, X...not so much. It is in full speed runaway mode apparently. It behaves as if the table is in constant motion. I switched out to one of the other displays and it still does it. Apparently it is an issue in the X axis encoder itself. Has anyone else experienced this?

Had a serious jitter problem, with the scale display occasionally 'travelling' fast towards the out-of-range limit, caused by flex induced into the scale due to rigid mounting (see X axis pictures in my previous post).
Solved it by conecting the scales to the brackets through some feeler gages.

Marcello

 

[bentprop]

I have a problem with my readout in that it seems to jump up 5mm at a time.I'm sure this is because I accidentally pushed the set or ABS button.
I want to reset the display to factory default,but there are no specific instructions how to do that.
I removed the batteries for a while,and even disconnected the display from the scale,but no joy.It seems to hold the setting in memory.
Any ideas,anyone?I've emailed iGaging,still waiting for a reply.