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Ditron DRO Sale on Ali

Anyone have an idea where the Ditron selller is located? I will be in Shenzhen in December. A visit maybe in order. :) Maybe they will set up a CHMW deal.

(Taking a guess they will be in the Shenzhen area or close to it. Electronics capital of the world.)
 
Perry said:
Anyone have an idea where the Ditron selller is located?
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I believe it is Shenzhen. But that seems odd because it's at odds to low cost. Shenzhen is the highest cost area of a China. It was built specifically to outshine Hong Kong. They didn't want the English Colony to look better than mainland China so Shenzhen was built specifically to make Hong Kong look poor. I think I kept some packing. I'll take a look tomorrow - I might even have an address. I'd love to hear a report after a visit to compare the image in my mind with what it really looks like.
 
Susquatch said:
I like that idea. It would protect it even more. And the epoxy could be repolished in time if needed.

I assume you would want a really thin layer though cuz the design gap is pretty small as I recall.
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yep just a very thin layer.
architect said:
Would it be dumb to try and sell the Mitutoyo scales and just buy the complete Ditron package you posted?

I tried to see if there are any clones for the KA-200 but can't find any, and the retail price of that Mitutoyo reader is $1000 by itself...
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no it would be very wise.

I was going to suggest just dumping the old scales, then you have no worries about compatibility, or wiring connections etc
 
Hey @Perry, Shenzhen also has a street market place where you can buy Pravda, Rolex, Apple Phones etc at bargain basement prices. It's all fake, but the wife will never know.

Gotta stay at the big hotel there too. Granite ceilings and glass walled bathrooms. Amazing!
 
architect said:
Would it be dumb to try and sell the Mitutoyo scales and just buy the complete Ditron package you posted?
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Some on here would prolly say yes, but not me. I was being serious. Dump them. Maybe you can even sell them! Regardless, it will cost you more to make them work. Beyond that, magnetic scales have so many advantages...... Not the least of which is size.

Edit - I see @TorontoBuilder said basically the same thing.

The package I posted was just a starting point to negotiate from. Not saying that you should pay more, just get more for the same money.
 
@Susquatch, Always an experience over there. Shenzhen can not be beat for the electronics. Beijing is the place you want to be for "shopping".

It's changing over there so fast. At the end of the day now in Shenzhen you can not hear yourself think because of the sound from the packaging tape guns. Everything getting ready to be shipped out. Daily. It is just amazing the logistics in play. Street corners stacked so high in packages. It was never like that. The internet has changed the world.

DSC_0612.JPGDSC_0613.JPGDSC_0615.JPG
 
Susquatch said:
Hey @Perry, Shenzhen also has a street market place where you can buy Pravda, Rolex, Apple Phones etc at bargain basement prices. It's all fake, but the wife will never know.

Gotta stay at the big hotel there too. Granite ceilings and glass walled bathrooms. Amazing!
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we've been in one of those back rooms in Shanghai, similar products. quite the experience. OTOH they had a building full of knives and scissors, excellent quality and price. Another just chop sticks. Multi stories.

Wish I could go back.
 
Susquatch said:
@architect - I lied.

My quill scale is 9-3/4 including the scale mounts (measured just now). If I recall correctly, I redid it cuz I didn't like the first install. The required travel is fine as listed above, but it was too difficult to install like that. Most guys don't do quill scales, but I wouldn't give mine up. I love the combined readout cuz you can move both the knee and the quill and not have to reset your zero.

Here are my other lengths as installed (including the end caps)

X - 35", Y - 17", Z - 21"

Note that you have to clarify with the seller that this is with or without end caps and with or without the read head. Usually, you measure your total travel and they adjust for end caps and read head. But it is critically important that you are both using the same definitions.

Lastly, you specified a J-Head. But J-Heads came with different table sizes. I think both are important.

My table is 9x42.

The safest bet is to measure your travels and then let them adjust for the read head and end caps (which also vary).
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What do you mean by caps here? It's been years since I've thought about metalworking and mills...

I just measured my travels but because the head is off and there's stuff all around, I can only get the 16" vertical knee and 12" depth travel measurements.

I looked it up, and they come 36, 42, and 49" long but mine is 48". Unless the extra ends on the side is adding to that extra 1" i'm not measuring.

Anyway to determine the travel with the power feed? Looking at this listing at this listing for 48" table lists a 36" travel. Is it safe to just provide these numbers to AX seller?

PXL_20241114_020814305.jpg
 
architect said:
What do you mean by caps here? It's been years since I've thought about metalworking and mills...

I just measured my travels but because the head is off and there's stuff all around, I can only get the 16" vertical knee and 12" depth travel measurements.

I looked it up, and they come 36, 42, and 49" long but mine is 48". Unless the extra ends on the side is adding to that extra 1" i'm not measuring.

Anyway to determine the travel with the power feed? Looking at this listing at this listing for 48" table lists a 36" travel. Is it safe to just provide these numbers to AX seller?

View attachment 54424
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just tell them the measurements I gave you. trust me

The end caps are the brackets that the aluminum scale is fastened to the machine with.
 
architect said:
Your numbers seem different compared to my travels? You have 450mm (~17.7") Z travel but mine measured only 16". I also have a 48" table compared to your 42"?
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yeah sorry I missed that you had 48" table

so you need one scale longer than the 900mm

your travel may be less but the longer scale will fit on the mill. They dont charge more for a longer scale, and you have a buffer.
 
architect said:
Anyway to determine the travel with the power feed? Looking at this listing at this listing for 48" table lists a 36" travel. Is it safe to just provide these numbers to AX seller?
Click to expand...

As others have said, just order them long. They are dirt easy to shorten. It's just a magnetic tape inside. Nothing to break. Take a cap off, pull the stainless shield, then stick em in a chop saw and go. Or a hack saw, or table saw, or or or. Just put the blade on backwards. Cut it like any aluminium extrusion. Then snip the stainless shield with tin snips or a scissors, move the end cap to the new location. Dirt simple.

There is a good video on DRO PROS.

Very small, very compact, dirt resistant, very accurate. I never did put big shields on mine. I just blow them off when I am done the job along with everything else. They can attract a little steel swarf, but the magnet is weak and they blow right off. The wipers on the read heads work real well.

Oh ya, stick the brackets they give you in your stock drawer for another job and make your own custom brackets. See my DRO install above.
 
Susquatch said:
As others have said, just order them long. They are dirt easy to shorten. It's just a magnetic tape inside. Nothing to break. Take a cap off, pull the stainless shield, then stick em in a chop saw and go. Or a hack saw, or table saw, or or or. Just put the blade on backwards. Cut it like any aluminium extrusion. Then snip the stainless shield with tin snips or a scissors, move the end cap to the new location. Dirt simple.
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TorontoBuilder said:
so you need one scale longer than the 900mm

your travel may be less but the longer scale will fit on the mill. They dont charge more for a longer scale, and you have a buffer.
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Will follow @TorontoBuilder's numbers but ask for 1000mm travel length since that is their max.

There's a $55 coupon and with my saved coins comes out to $475 before being dinged by duty at the door!
 
architect said:
before being dinged by duty
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"Duty" was a very small component in my recent purchase ($5 on $525 purchase). You will, however, almost certainly be charged HST (13%) plus brokerage. The brokerage is often where we get raked over the coals. Some couriers slap on outlandish charges (which themselves are subject to HST).

Others have pointed out that you can insist to the courier that you will handle customs clearance yourself. In that case, you probably have to go to a customs office and submit a bit of paperwork. In my recent case, the charge wasn't horrific so I just paid it. The tracking info I got indicated the amount that the courier was going to charge and I had the option to pay it online rather than at the door.

Craig
 
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