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Hi- I have a Robland jointer-planer and would like to add a digital read out for adjusting the planer thickness. The one I've found is the Wixey WR-550. I wonder if anyone has experience with this item and are there other appropriate gauges on the market? Thanks.
-Howard
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(10-11-2017, 10:22 AM)Howard Pollack Wrote: Hi- I have a Robland jointer-planer and would like to add a digital read out for adjusting the planer thickness. The one I've found is the Wixey WR-550. I wonder if anyone has experience with this item and are there other appropriate gauges on the market? Thanks.
-Howard
I have that on my DeWalt 735 planer and love it. Dial it in and you can get very consistent results. Wouldn't be without mine.
Lonnie
PS Another good thing - I've never had to replace the battery - unlike my Wixey angle gauge which loves batteries!
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(10-11-2017, 10:22 AM)Howard Pollack Wrote: Hi- I have a Robland jointer-planer and would like to add a digital read out for adjusting the planer thickness. The one I've found is the Wixey WR-550. I wonder if anyone has experience with this item and are there other appropriate gauges on the market? Thanks.
-Howard
I've had the Wixey WR-550 on a Jet J/P for several years now and am quite happy with it. Works extremely well and the battery life with these AAA units is excellent.
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I installed the Wixey on my Baileigh 1250 jointer/planer and I really like it. It's an easy install and it is very accurate. I liked it so much I installed a Wixey on my router table lift also.
Earl
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I have the Wixey WR-510 on my Jet Jointer Planer and it works great. Highly recommend for a J P since when you switch back and forth, there are times it can come in very handy.
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I would bet more than 75% of the Wixey's in place on a planer never get used. Sounds great in theory, in use not so much. I have one on a wide belt sander, and to use it takes 3 X the time, and it get's not much in accuracy over just measuring the thickness after a pass, and adjusting accordingly. Like a really great fishing lure, it catches more anglers than fish.
Wixey owners manual for a planer use. Read about "How to use."
Worst thing they can do is cook ya and eat ya
GW
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I suspect Steve is on to something.
I just use those little brass calipers you can get for a couple bucks, and measure the material, as I get to the final cuts, then run all the material I need plus an extra board or two just in case of accidents.
Mike
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Steve,
I am confused how this takes 3x time. I read the instructions and it appears you mount it once, calibrate it once and then either run the piece through (which you would do with or without Wixey), measure with built in measure tool on Wixey (or pick up calipers and measure), hit incremental and adjust (W/o Wixey adjust using tool pointing device) On my Jet planer I have to bend down to get the scale at eye level for precise adjustments and even then I will creep up on the final thickness. If the precision is what they say I would feel more confident on the adjustment using the Wiey over the pointer on my machine (but then I also need updates to my eyeglass prescription more often) I have the Wixey TS tool and find it great for fine tuning a measurement . I would assume it is the same accuracy, but don't have one of these yet. Also, don't have any experience with how a sander thickness varies to know how well this would work.
So from my understanding this tool will speed up the process (once installed).
Carl
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I guess I think it's a good choice. I have one on my Delta, and it works just fine as long as I don't knock the calibration out (it's a piece of cake to re calibrate). this is the older model, and I probably made the mounting bracket(s) more complicated than they needed to be....but I use it all the time.
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I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
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20" griz here with the wixey. I use mine quite often. I have a notepad laying on the planner and right down the numbers for the last pass and the project name.
If I need another board, I refer to the pad.
Steve
Mo.
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