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Thread: DRO on lunchbox thicknessers?
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3rd May 2023, 03:13 PM #1Senior Member
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DRO on lunchbox thicknessers?
I got the T13S and I love it. It gives perfect finishes, minimal snipe, and easy operation.
I do want to upgrade the inserts to carbide at some stage but the HSS inserts haven't missed a beat on some harsh Aussie timbers.
The only thing I hate is that Hare and Forbes keep emailing sales with it $50 cheaper than I got it.
My question for the peanut gallery is the merit of DROs on thicknessers. I have seen aftermarket DROs for thicknessers on IdiotTube videos as one of the "5 things you must buy".
The advantages are
* it improves accuracy (a 19 mm thick board will be 19 mm) and precision (two or more boards will be at 19 mm not 19.1 or 18.9),
* it is easier to read than the current scale
* its a DRO, it's numbers, it's the future, it's science.
My hesitations are several fold -
* is it a necessary cost or will the world rotate on my un-DRO'd thicknesser,
* does it actual improve accuracy or precision or just the illusion of those things,
* given that I am largely seeking identical relative thickness, the actual board thickness in many cases is moot, making a DRO just a number
Anthony
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3rd May 2023 03:13 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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5th May 2023, 04:37 PM #2
I get by with digital calipers. That said it is worthwhile setting up the depth of cut scale as well as you can and use the depth stop for the final pass. A DRO would likely save some time but I think they are a bit pricey. Depends how much you use it I guess.
Regards
John
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5th May 2023, 06:01 PM #3GOLD MEMBER
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Digital read out (DRO) added to carbatec thicknesser
I put a DRO on my lunch box thicknesser, i didnt end up having it too much longer before i got a combo unit.
It definitely made things alot easier and quicker once set up. Rather then sneaking up on the final dimension using callipers and multiple passes.
Made repeats alot easier as well.
You can easily get buy without one, its just a nice to have, not hard to install either.
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5th May 2023, 07:21 PM #4
I see it as great for having to thickness a replacement part for a job, and in general as a lot more accurate than the cheap and nasty scale and pointer type scales normally provided. The scale and pointer systems that I have seen rely on the pointer having mounting holes somewhat larger than the screws through them to 1mm or more range to set the pointer for an moderately accurate reading, but have the inherent issue that the pointer can be displaced by vibration in the long term, or by being knocked at any stage.
I have one of the original Wixey units on my 15 inch Triton lunchbox and the only issue is that it needs to be reset after a battery change, a simple operation because of the thought that went into making it easy and reliable during the design phase. Basically, you thickness a piece of material to a random thickness, leave the head where it was set, lift a slide and insert the finished piece, lower the slide onto it, and press the zero button. This mechanically compares the head height and finished thickness, calculates the difference and saves that as an offset that is calculated into subsequent readings. Very simple but accurate system, no mucking around trying to achieve a specific thickness by trial and error etc.
Something else I am starting to appreciate as I age is that I get a nice 1/2in/12mm display of the head height without having to allow for parallax errors or stoop to avoid them. Eyes, back and knees are also showing signs of wear and tear (abuse) as I get older.I used to be an engineer, I'm not an engineer any more, but on the really good days I can remember when I was.
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8th May 2023, 06:24 PM #5Senior Member
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Thanks all for the tips on DROs on the thicknesser. Fare and Horbes has this one on special - M733 - M733 Digital Vertical Scale | Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse which would be a great addition.
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