Replies

1. 
   colebearanimals | Jan 06, 2008 04:11am | #1

   Hi Brian,

            Run, don't walk to your nearest Wixey dealer.

            These things work great. I installed one on my 15" Delta planer a few months ago. Wow. Extremely accurate.

            Installation was a bit of a bear on my Delta. Had to drill,tap,shim and so on but worth the effort. The Wixey site was helpful with photos of a similar installation. But on your Dewalt it should be very straight forward.

            Coupled with a dial caliper it makes for very quick, accurate, and repeatable planing.

                                                                    Paul

1. 
   xmike | Jan 06, 2008 06:03am | #3

   "Coupled with a dial caliper it makes for very quick, accurate, and repeatable planing."

   Wut?  (Kentucky for inquiring minds need to know). 

   Can you expand on how you use said dial caliper in addition to the Wixey for quick, accurate, and repeatable?  What does the dial caliper add?  How are you using it? 

   Mike D

   Edited 1/5/2008 10:05 pm ET by Mike_D

1. 
   colebearanimals | Jan 06, 2008 11:45pm | #5

   Hi Mike,

           I just use a caliper (it doesn't have to be a dial type, that's just what I have) for measuring my wood thickness before and after planing. It's easy to use the reading for repeat milling. Your wood can be measured with the Wixey. I just find it easier with a handheld device.

                                                                   Paul

1. 
   xmike | Jan 07, 2008 12:33am | #8

   Hi Paul,

   Yep, a caliper makes sense to me - I was thinking "dial gauge" literally, and I couldn't figure out how to use one here.

   I like your idea of measuring the finished piece with a caliper to achieve consistency.

   I find that if I try to rely on using the Wixey and it's "ABS/IND" scale, I get a thou or so difference between what the Wixey's meter says it's plane-ing, and what it says it's planed when I measure the finished piece by placing it between the Wixey's base reference point and it's movable scale, and punching the ABS/IND button as suggested by the directions.

   I've tried making small adjustments to make those two numbers come out the same and I can't seem to zero in on it.

   Mike D

1. 
   forestgirl | Jan 07, 2008 01:00am | #9

   "I like your idea of measuring the finished piece with a caliper to achieve consistency."  I'm probably stating the obvious, but if you run all the pieces through on the same planer setting, they'll automatically be consistent in thickness.

   "I get a thou or so difference between what the Wixey's meter says it's plane-ing, and what it says it's planed when I measure the finished piece by placing it between the Wixey's base reference point and it's movable scale, and punching the ABS/IND button as suggested by the directions."  A thousandth is very, very, very tiny amount and the smallest movement of the far end of the board, or whisper of air by the stock (kidding here) will influence that measurement.  As many of the old-timer pros are fond of reminding us, we're not milling metal here.  Most of the time, the dimension doesn't need to be that accurate.

   Personally, I don't think of that ABS feature as being something to use for precise work.  Sticking the stock under that foot and checking for thickness is for me more a beginning-of-the-process thing, to get a rough idea of what my starting point is.  More likely, actually, to use a rule or calipers, it's just easier than balancing a board to get a true reading off the foot of the Wixey.

   If I really do need a piece of stock to be as close to a particular measurement as possible, I check the last pass with calipers, and then adjust the Wixey by the difference I'm looking for (say .004) and leave it at that.  It's easy to get hung up on the mechanics of such a sweet little device, but not a great use of time.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

   Edited 1/6/2008 5:02 pm by forestgirl

2. 
   xmike | Jan 07, 2008 01:32am | #10

   How true, Forestgirl.

   We retired engineers (well, me anyway) get tangled up in minute details at times.  If the darn thing reads to 3 decimals, I fall of the edge of the earth and try for that!

   Anyway, I intend to run all my lumber for a project all at once but I'm not that organized in my shop yet - I get enough run to do the next step, and get all excited and do the next step.

   However, the Wixey saves me from my folly.  Using it I can't see, or even feel the difference from one run to the next.  It's a great addition to the shop.

   Mike D

3. 
   forestgirl | Jan 07, 2008 07:14am | #14

   "However, the Wixey saves me from my folly.  Using it I can't see, or even feel the difference from one run to the next.  It's a great addition to the shop."  Amen to that!  Yep, I've done the same thing -- "Oh, cr*p, I've gotta make another piece!"forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

4. 
   BriMcG | Jan 07, 2008 05:00am | #12

   Guess who! Remenber what you paid for it? Woodcraft has it for $44.99 + shipping.

   Brian

2. 
   forestgirl | Jan 06, 2008 06:06am | #4

   Paul, do you have the 12.5" Delta??   I ran into a little "fitting" problem tool.  Here's how I solved it.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   colebearanimals | Jan 06, 2008 11:57pm | #6

   Hi Jamie,

              My planer is the Delta 380 15". I ended up having to fabricate a mounting bracket similar to the one shown on the Wixey site. That helped a lot seeing a similar installation.

              But don't these things work great? I first heard of Wixey reading one of your posts awhile back. Thanks for the tip.

                                                                   Paul

1. 
   colebearanimals | Jan 07, 2008 12:24am | #7

    

          Here's a photo of my set-up.

                                              Paul

      ps      I'm a complete computer moron. Sorry for the file size.

   
1. 
   BriMcG | Jan 07, 2008 04:57am | #11

   Hi Paul, Thx for the info. Hopefully I won't have the fitting problem. The ad for the Wixey that I saw had a DeWalt planer as a demo. I have the 735 so I hope I will be lucky. If not doesn't look hard to retrofit.

   Thought you might like to check out IrfanView for resizing uploads. A lot of folks on Knots swear by it. It's free and easy to use.

   Brian

    

3. 
   BriMcG | Jan 07, 2008 06:43am | #13

   Hi Paul, Ordered it five minutes ago from WoodCraft (44.99 + shipping=$53). Can't wait to get it.

   Thx for the help. Brian

2. 
   forestgirl | Jan 06, 2008 06:03am | #2

   Brian, jeeeeez we're talkin' alot these days, eh?  Did you post the same question over at WWA, or is that someone in a parallel universe?  I have had the Wixey for several months now, and love it!!!  Has made milling lumber go much more quickly and pain-free than before.  I have it on a Delta 12.5" planer.  If you have specific questions, fire away, I'm late for a dinner date!

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)