Digital read out for jointer-planer

[Mr Eddie]

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."

I don't know how it can take longer.  You either look at the digital readout or look at the ruler/gauge on the planer.  Either way I would think you are going to measure with a caliper to verify the thickness.

George, I see I'm going to have to come down to your shop.  After we get done dialing in your chop saw we can fix your Wixey! 


 

Lonnie

[bcw]

I use one, it's very accurate, If I dial up 0.75 on the wixley it's 3/4 inch on my calipers.  I haven't had to adjust it for a couple years, but I am careful not to whack it with anything.  Way more accurate than the scale and needle on the planer.

[Steve N]

"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."

Always good to see that a person's experience is wrong, if it doesn't match the fantasy you have in your mind. I evidently am not alone in thinking it takes 3x the time to use this product. Possibly if you read about it, and look at a clock, you will see I am more correct than you are imagining.

Meanwhile take that hook outta yer mouth it makes ya look silly.

[Carl10]

Hey Steve,

Clearly you like to fish, and we all know about fish stories...so if it takes you 3x to use a tool that everyone else seems to take less time then in fish story terms it actually takes you less time to use the Wixey!

Seriously, other than trying to make people feel bad about something that seems to help them, please tell us specifically how it takes 3x the time to use (apparently only for you).

I was considering one of these and after I read the instructions you suggested we read, I could only imagine a faster more accurate process. And all I can 'imagine' is that in reality it will save 1-2 passes as I will get a more accurate height adjustment with a Wixey and not have to creep up on the final thickness.

Please enlighten us,

Carl

[Roly]

Once the Wixley it is set up and calibrated there is no need for a caliper.  It is to that size.    It is very good a returning to a setting after having to change it.   Works as it should.  Roly

[Handplanesandmore]

Once the Wixley it is set up and calibrated there is no need for a caliper.  It is to that size.    It is very good a returning to a setting after having to change it.   Works as it should.  Roly

While I am sure those who have found this digital read-out device useful or helpful in their shops are telling a true story. I would not install a digital read-out in my planer as I have never found the need to work to that kind of precision in woodworking.

Of the thousands of board feet that have gone through my latest planer (mostly 3/4" and 1/2"; sometimes 1/4"), I relied on on the built-in pre-set thickness gauge. I never even bother to check planed stock with anything, let alone a caliper.

I am a hobby woodworker, not a machinist, and I find wood much more forgiving. Gluing up two boards with a difference of 0.002" in thickness or more has no consequence in the outcome of my work.

Simon

[Rick_B]

While I am sure those who have found this digital read-out device useful or helpful in their shops are telling a true story. I would not install a digital read-out in my planer as I have never found the need to work to that kind of precision in woodworking.

Of the thousands of board feet that have gone through my latest planer (mostly 3/4" and 1/2"; sometimes 1/4"), I relied on on the built-in pre-set thickness gauge. I never even bother to check planed stock with anything, let alone a caliper.

I am a hobby woodworker, not a machinist, and I find wood much more forgiving. Gluing up two boards with a difference of 0.002" in thickness or more has no consequence in the outcome of my work.

Simon

I agree with Simon - I am finding more and more that it isn't the speific mesurement that matters.  It is the consistency across all material.  For example - 1/2" drawer stock - it doesn't matter much of the material is ,500, .495 or .5109 - as long as all the material is the same.  Clearly there are going to be instances where precision maybe critical but at that level you will  likely use different tools todial the fit in.

[barryvabeach]

I understand the thought that you don't need precision to .01  when working with wood.  However, with a  Jointer Planer,  having a Wixey can really help.  Say I am making rails and stiles for a panel, I joint the face and one edge of each of the rails and stiles.  Then convert to Planer mode, and plane the back till I get a smooth face on all 4 pieces, and they are all the same width, then flip over and run one final cleaning pass on the front of each piece and note the dimension on the Wixey.  When I am done planing, I always convert back to jointing mode, which means I move the planer table back to the resting position.     Say while I am doing the molding or some other operation on one of the rails, I get a defect, and want to make a new piece.   I joint the front face, then convert to planer mode, using the readout on the Wixey, I can set the planer table back to take moderate cuts till I am a few thousands stronger than the last reading, dial  a thousand or so for the cleaning pass, and my new piece is exactly the same thickness as the original.  If you have a separate planer,  you probably would have a different approach, you may be able to just raise the table one turn, rough plane to get it close, then turn lower one turn and you would be in the same place as the last piece you ran through, but on most J P ,  you have to completely lower the table to change modes.   So I need the readout to be precise to be able to do that.  If , as most of us have found, the Wixey is accurate as well as precise, I don't even have to note the last reading,  I just have to use calipers to measure one of the good parts, and use that to mill the replacement.    It doesn't happen all that often, but it can be pretty handy.

[Steve N]

Hey Steve,

Clearly you like to fish, and we all know about fish stories...so if it takes you 3x to use a tool that everyone else seems to take less time then in fish story terms it actually takes you less time to use the Wixey!

Seriously, other than trying to make people feel bad about something that seems to help them, please tell us specifically how it takes 3x the time to use (apparently only for you).

I was considering one of these and after I read the instructions you suggested we read, I could  only imagine a faster more accurate process.  And all I can 'imagine' is that in reality it will save 1-2 passes as I will get a more accurate height adjustment with a Wixey and not have to creep up on the final thickness.

Please enlighten us,

Carl

Carl

Perhaps I should just say I am 3x faster than you working stock, not having to play with a toy, which I have found to be wildly inaccurate. Unfortunately you'll never see that, because you no doubt trust your work to a gizmo. Next time the parts don't seem to fit, well they won't being so many different sizes. I still have no idea how that has anything to do with angling


Perhaps you can point out where I hoped you felt bad as well, Hyperbole much??

[Admiral]

Wow, this is starting to sound like a SawStop thread...........