Router Table DRO

glenn bradley

Member
Messages
11,516
Location
SoCal
Here's my first pass at adding a DRO to my router table lift. I picked up the DRO late last year when Amazon had them for $26.95, seemed reasonable. This is like the one I added to my planer except it has a 6" capacity versus 12" for the planer. I used transfer tape to attach things to the lift as this is a first attempt and may not be permanent. Here's a shot of the inside area; I mounted the display to the inside of the door:

RT-DRO(9).jpg . RT-DRO(8).jpg

I have a shop made digital height gauge and will use it as a second source for readings just to test things out. I put a top bearing bit in for testing so I can use the bearing screw as a reference surface thereby concentrating on measurements and not on avoiding a cut finger:

RT-DRO(1).jpg . RT-DRO(2).jpg

Here's the view of the display from the operator's position. I crank the bit up to a random height of 19/64":

RT-DRO(4).jpg . RT-DRO(5).jpg

I double check with the other gauge and get the same reading:

RT-DRO(6).jpg . RT-DRO(7).jpg

I then moved the bit to various heights, and made test cuts double checking the readings each time. End result looks good. I'll run it for awhile and if nothing shows up that I overlooked I will make it more permanent. Once the door is closed it is out of sight. I am not concerned about the display being inside the router compartment for a couple of reasons. First, the DRO on my planer has been exposed to the shop in general since September of 2010 without any issues. Second, due to the airflow in the router compartment, the area where the display is stays clear of spoil.

RT-DRO(3).jpg . RT-DRO(10).jpg

I'll run it for awhile and see how things work out.
 
Last edited:
Very cool, Glenn. :thumb: Is there a reason you didn't mount the readout on the outside of the cabinet?

My experience with DRO's is that you don't look at them all that often. I view them during setup and then I go to work so popping the door ajar for a moment will get me through the "tryout" phase. There were a few easy places to mount the display outside since it comes with magnets and a bracket that holds the display in a few different ways but, I went for inside since it was easy (remember I am still just testing this setup out) and I didn't have to drill an access hole for the cable to run through. It is quite possible that once I am happy with things that I will choose a safe place outside the cabinet :dunno:. Time will tell.
 
Last edited:
OK, even with the pictures, I can't figure out what DRO stands for. This may be because I'm stupid, but I don't get it. I think I can see what it's for, but the acronym is beyond my comprehension.

My apologies. If I am going to use an acronym, I try to spell it out the first time I use it in a post to avoid causing this problem . . . my bad :eek:.
 
Top