# has anyone had any experience of using these?



## Reggie (18 Jun 2013)

Hi all, I've been cruising the web again and found an instructable that uses something like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-way-Macro-S ... 0920675110 to build a precision drill stand for drilling PCBs.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-p ... /?ALLSTEPS

I'm wondering if they can be adapted for other uses? It seems to be a popular instructable and if they're drilling PCBs with it they need it to be accurate, I wonder how practical it would be for using in other situations?

It looks like they could be used to move fences and jigs very accurately, adding your own imperial/metric sliding scales seems easy enough and they're already slotted to take bolts for attaching cameras so attaching to fences etc. should be a breeze.

I did wonder whether the rack and pinion would be man enough to move a fence, I have no idea on the weight of fences but I do know that a camera without a lens is about 500g, so they should be able to cope with 750g probably more with the hotshoe for flashes on there too.

I wonder if a stacked pair of the smaller versions could be modified to make a box joint jig? Or perhaps a pair could be useful for a small diy x/y milling table? they could be added to the back of a fence for micro adjustment, or added to back the infeed or outfeed side of a fence to accurately offset for jointing.

All of them have a 1/4" thread to attach to tripods, so they're made to be attached to things, they also do longer versions up to 250mm I think, I noticed that all of the scales are metric, which is a shame but it seems it would be easy enough to add your own.

Let me know if you have any ideas for these things or any experience of them.


----------



## mpooley (24 Jun 2013)

watch this guy, he uses a cheap plastic 'incra gauge' on a router fence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtGht9YmG8o


----------



## Reggie (25 Jun 2013)

I saw that but it locks you to 1/32" increments, so if you've got a slightly offsize bit then you've got no adjustment for box joint fit. might as well spring the extra money for the original incra jig.


----------

