Wow... so many interest huh... My apology for this delayed response. Was on the beach last weekend so didn't managed to get anything done...
First, some comments...
1. Peter: I'm aware of the MPG at your site. Yes, the price is reasonable and within my reach. I will probably buy one later when I'm in need of real MPG. For now, I running a Sherline, I can live with DIY MPG for the moment. I enjoy tinkering with stuff for the learning process and knowledge, even though sometime I ended up buying the 'off-the-shelf' solution. :-)
2. Using opto interrupter from mouse: Tried that before. Real PITA trying to align it properly once you take it out from the PCB. Doing a DIY disc, regular opto interrupter, etc normally result in a larger unit than I want... ;-)
3. The unit from Mouser is nice. Farnell Malaysia is selling it for about USD8... :-(
My overall goal is to have a small unit so I could make a pendant that can be operated with one hand... Need the other hand for other thing... :-)
Stupid questions make me smarter...
See how smart I've become at www.9w2bsr.com ;-P