[HELP] DRO Questions

[Cross Slide]

I just finished installing a DRO on my lathe and my mill.
I have not had a chance to do any machining using the DROs yet. 
Since I'm new to machining I still learning the terms and procedures. 

The DRO I installed is a BLU-DRO which is a Bluetooth setup using the Touch DRO app on a android tablet. The scales are Igaging scales. 

The first question I have is the Absolute / Incremental button. 
What does each mean and when to I want to use one over the other?

   

Thanks
Trevor

[TomG]

Think of the absolute mode in a literal sense. You would zero the display on the corner, or center of a part and use that as a reference for other features. You could then move to another location on the part, the center of a hole pattern or pocket for instance, switch to incremental mode and re-zero the display. This could be done as many times as necessary, for each feature on the part, always referencing back to that absolute zero point you set when you started.

Tom

[Cross Slide]

Thanks Tom. 
If I’m getting what your says. 
This would be used on your kneeling tool where the main body has all the measurement set off the center point?
Trevor

[Highpower]

Here is more of a visual if it helps.

http://www.mmattera.com/g-code/abs-inc.html

[Cross Slide]

Thanks Willie.
That defiantly helped.
Trevor

[TomG]

(03-25-2018, 08:42 PM)Cross Slide Wrote: Thanks Tom. 
If I’m getting what your says. 
This would be used on your kneeling tool where the main body has all the measurement set off the center point?
Trevor

Wherever your measurements are taken from is absolute zero on the part.

Tom

[Cross Slide]

That now makes complete sense. Thanks for the info guys.
I believe that was the only thing that I didn't understand on the lathe setup.
The DRO on the mill has a bolt circle and grid pattern function that I want to learn how to use.
I haven't looked at how to set them up yet. Not sure if it's a easy task or not.
Trevor

[Highpower]

Trevor, it took me several tries to get mine figured out. It seemed to work just the opposite of the way I expected it to. It turns out I had my scales set to read in the wrong direction at first.  

Once I corrected that my next hurtle was figuring out where the correct starting point was. I assumed it would be the 12:00 position as a default. Again I was wrong, as the default on my DRO is at the 3:00 position.  

Yours may be different. My point being... try doing a few dry runs with a piece of paper on the table and a Sharpie in the drill chuck. Just bring the quill down to 'spot' your pattern on paper to check to see if it comes out right. When it does all of a sudden you will 'get it' and it will be dead simple to do after that. At least that's how it happened for me.  

   

[kwoodhands]

(03-25-2018, 08:57 PM)Highpower Wrote: Here is more of a visual if it helps.

http://www.mmattera.com/g-code/abs-inc.html

Willie and Tom, thanks for the drawings and video. I have the Igauging digital scales, not really a DRO but works for me. I never understood the two terms til now. 
thanks.

Mike

[Cross Slide]

Thanks for the tip Willie.
I will give it a try with your paper and a sharpie idea.
By the way. Very nice mill you have. I wish I had a knee mill. Mine is a Mill Drill that always seems to require moving the head up of down to do different opperation. Which then requires indicating the Vise. Maybe some day I will be able to find myself a used knee mill in good shape.
Trevor