Strain gauge purchase

[oldfart]

I am a retired mechanical engineer and am interested in making a few projects involving strain gauges. These projects are primarily for personal learning. I have been trying to find a supplier of strain gauges at a reasonable cost. I can find some expensive ones from Digikey and a couple other places and found some cheap ones from AliExpress. The problem with the what I found from AliExpress is I can't find any datasheets about them and all the info is only in Chinese. Can you please help me find a place to buy strain gauges at a reasonable cost?

 

[kellys_eye]

Personally I'd purchase a few cheap bathroom weigh scales and salvage the strain gauges (and electronics) from them.

I have one set already (with older LED readout) that I originally intended to re-purpose to weigh propane tanks to indicate content.

Another one of those 'when I get around to it' projects....

 

[oldfart]

Thanks for the tip. My plan was to get some strain gauges and first put them on a simple beam to work out electronics etc. then I want to put some on a more complicated structure to measure strain (stress) at a few locations. Bathroom scales may work for a load cell type set up but I don't think it would help in my case. Anybody know a place to buy plain gauges with or without leads? A rosette would be even better.

 

[kellys_eye]

RS Components do some basic gauges ranging in price from $10-$20 - not particularly expensive and guaranteed to come with a data sheet. It should provide you with enough information to get started but I don't think sensors more complicated than the 'basic' versions will come 'cheap' no matter where you go for them.

 

[Minder]

I have bought off ebay for a couple of $$'s also load cells very cheap ($1.50).
M.

 

[kellys_eye]

I have bought off ebay for a couple of $$'s also load cells very cheap ($1.50).
M.

The OP is aware of such but lacks the data sheet information - a common problem with cheap'n'cheerful purchases from China.

 

[Minder]

The OP is aware of such

Well for a $1.50 not much is lost, for a $s couple more you get an amp attached ebay 182409854910
There is usually 4 connections, two excitation and 2 output.
The info is sometimes vague but the same principle is pretty much the same across the board.
And after a little empirical testing, the general operation comes clear.
M.

 

[oldfart]

Thanks for your help guys... I appreciate it.