SHERLINE Mill Digital Readout
P/N 8100 (Inch)
Digital Readouts in the modern machine shop
Digital readouts are popular on full-size shop mills because they make the life of a machinist
much simpler. They make it easier to accurately set or change the table position and eliminate
errors caused by misreading handwheel increments or losing track of multiple rotations. Now
that same convenience is available on tabletop size machines with the availability of a D.R.O.
(Digital ReadOut) for Sherline mills. The kit can be installed on any Sherline mill, regardless of
age. Two-axis kits will also soon be available for Sherline lathes. The compact electronics
package and clever backlash compensation feature were designed by John Wettroth.
On expensive industrial DRO's, a sensor reads a highly accurate external scale. On Sherline's
DRO, the sensor reads rotation of the leadscrew. Because of the accuracy of Sherline's precision
rolled leadscrew threads and the short travels on a machine of this size, this system makes it
possible to provide a DRO with sufficient accuracy while maintaining a price appropriate for a
machine of this size and cost.
