[zerodegreec]

I was looking around the tubes for the last hour, Can a person just buy the encoder strip (The tape)? Custom make any size encoder?

[Al_The_Man]

Mitotoyo used to sell a strip with read head, you could cut to length.
Al.

[ozzb]

Yes you can Mitutoyo makes 17" strips that glue to their bar. The bar is extruded aluminum can be cut to length. You will need to use their head to read it.

[zerodegreec]

Good to know... I was hoping to find the "Chinese scale" type...

[thebodger@roger]

Try this website US Digital | Products » LIN Transmissive Linear Strip

[acondit]

Good to know... I was hoping to find the "Chinese scale" type...

The Chinese scales don't use the same kind of encoder strips. The strips on the Chinese scales are capacitive PCBs. Optical encoders generally use glass or plastic strips, like those sold by US Digital.

Alan

[zerodegreec]

What I am looking for is this stuff

[acondit]

What I am looking for is this stuff

That is what I was talking about. That is a capacitive strip PCB.
Somebody may sell it but I am not aware of anyone selling it separate from the scales. You can buy scales at least up to 24" long.

Alan

[devers6]

Check out this link:

Wixey.com - Saw Fence Digital Readout - Spare Parts

Read down until you find item "WR7003 Sensor Strip Set". $35 is not a lot to spend for 63 inches worth of this strip.

I own this product (it is from a table saw rip fence encoder readout system) and it works great with the reader head that comes with the kit. Whether it would work with anything else is a gamble; and I have always hoped somebody would give it a shot so that I could find out if there was a way to get the signal into a Shumatech DRO system. I thought by now somebody would have taken the plunge to see whether it could be made to work with some cheap reader head. It's over my head or I would do it myself.

[zerodegreec]

Hummmmm. nice find.

I wonder what the dimensions of the strip is.... This does look promising.

[zerodegreec]

Can you measure the dimensions?
Height, width and size of the copper inductance strip? Or is this strip larger than typical?

If the copper sections are the same size as a normal encoder (digital caliper) a person could make this work

Can you measure your table saw strip? And or take a picture of it with a ruler next to it?

[devers6]

I will try to post some photos and measurements tomorrow. Just off the top of my head, the strip is about 3/4" wide, and the "square wave" etched pattern is about 1/2" high and about 1/4" wide. But I'll measure them to be sure.

[devers6]

These were just quick measurements I made with a pair of calipers, but they should give you an idea of the rough size:

Strip Overall Width: 0.550"
Pattern Height: 0.300"
Pattern Width: 0.100"

These are probably within .010"

Hope this helps.

[zerodegreec]

Thanks... I think I may get this to work... I am ordering a set as of tonight... stay tuned.

[CyborgCNC]

Did you ever get this to work, or made any modifications to it??

[zerodegreec]

I have been trying to order the Wixey encoder but they will no longer sell to Canada as they have a new dealer up here. Canadian woodworker. Just so happens that they have a store here in Calgary. I have been trying to get them to bring one in for me but either they have NO interest in doing it or dont care about "customers" I have been waiting for over a month and NOTHING. I even went into the shop to talk to the manager and I got the run around.

SOOOO if anyone is willing to buy or get some of the wixey encoders I would be happy to pay for them and the shipping up here to Calgary.

[goingincircles]

"I have been trying to order the Wixey encoder but they will no longer sell to Canada as they have a new dealer up here. Canadian woodworker. Just so happens that they have a store here in Calgary. I have been trying to get them to bring one in for me but either they have NO interest in doing it or dont care about "customers" I have been waiting for over a month and NOTHING. I even went into the shop to talk to the manager and I got the run around.

SOOOO if anyone is willing to buy or get some of the wixey encoders I would be happy to pay for them and the shipping up here to Calgary."

Sorry, I got here as quickly as possible. I just placed an order for the strips and reader. If/when delivered I'll test some of my different caliper readouts on it and see if they work.

I was hesitant but after reading all their policies, there is a statement that they don't ship to Canada. Keep your fingers crossed that they at least can come through for the U.S.

With others spending outrageous amounts for DRO's I'm more than willing to stick my neck out for you guys on this forum and give this a try...

Took me three weeks on Google to stumble across this post... details on these things are the best kept secret on the internet. They are extremely simple in design I just need to find someone who can tell me what that square sine wave looking pattern is made of.

Many say it's an possible iron oxide coating but I've use multi-meters and even micro-ohm to check it and I get nada. To me it looks like Copper back, with copper on the front cut into that pattern but no idea if there is anything sandwiched in the middle.

GC

[Al_The_Man]

In Canada Busy Bee is the distributor, in the US it shows a few.
Wixey.com - Where to Buy Wixey Products
Al.

[devers6]

I had forgotten all about this post, after contributing some info in the past. If you can't get any of the strip in Canada, I will get you some and ship it to you. I'd really like to see if this long strip can be utilized.

Send me a PM if you need me to get you some.

[BobyKeen]

"I have been trying to order the Wixey encoder but they will no longer sell to Canada as they have a new dealer up here. Canadian woodworker. Just so happens that they have a store here in Calgary. I have been trying to get them to bring one in for me but either they have NO interest in doing it or dont care about "customers" I have been waiting for over a month and NOTHING. I even went into the shop to talk to the manager and I got the run around.

SOOOO if anyone is willing to buy or get some of the wixey encoders I would be happy to pay for them and the shipping up here to Calgary."

Sorry, I got here as quickly as possible. I just placed an order for the strips and reader. If/when delivered I'll test some of my different caliper readouts on it and see if they work.

I was hesitant but after reading all their policies, there is a statement that they don't ship to Canada. Keep your fingers crossed that they at least can come through for the U.S.

With others spending outrageous amounts for DRO's I'm more than willing to stick my neck out for you guys on this forum and give this a try...

Took me three weeks on Google to stumble across this post... details on these things are the best kept secret on the internet. They are extremely simple in design I just need to find someone who can tell me what that square sine wave looking pattern is made of.

Many say it's an possible iron oxide coating but I've use multi-meters and even micro-ohm to check it and I get nada. To me it looks like Copper back, with copper on the front cut into that pattern but no idea if there is anything sandwiched in the middle.

GC

Is just a PCB board- copper on fiberglass. You can actually get a PCB manufacturer to etch it for you and even cut the strips. On calipers, are just covered with a plastic foil. Since is a capacitive system, the only important thing for acuracy is the homogenous pattern, not the isolation width or height. It can be done. It is done; a 6 inch caliper is less than 8 bucks. I guesstimate the PCB is 2 cent ) If you don't need a very precise (less than 0.02 mm) system, is fine. If you need a very precise one, maybe an optical encoder is the answer. But it will cost much more for sure.