Oh my

[Keith Christopher]

I have the jointech system for my router and I got this mailing. I think this is too cool ! http://www.jointech.com/smartliftdigital.htm

[Jason Tuinstra]

I agree, it looks pretty cool but I wonder how well it works. Feel free to get one and report on it later :D :p

[Keith Christopher]

Jason,


Oh I wish ! maybe someday if I do, I will be sure to post it.

[Jim Becker]

Very interesting and I'm actually happy to see this. To be honest, there really should be more of this happening given the low cost of electronic components these days. Another one to look at is Digi-Fence (http://www.digi-kit.com/digifence.htm)shown below. Marlen Kemmet of WOOD Magazine called my attention to this a couple years ago at IWF and since then, my friend Russ has purchased it and has derived great value from it in his small pro shop. If the cost could come down a bit more, I think that more folks might be willing to adopt things like it. Delta/PC has done a good job with putting the laser guide on affordable CMS already...what's next in the industry?

http://www.digi-kit.com/images/digikitinstalled.jpg

[Dennis Peacock]

what's next in the industry?

Why not motor drive for fence movement to the exact dimension you key in as well as exact blade height you punch in on a key pad? The thing that makes me wonder about all these "gizmo's"? Wood dust and abrasiveness of the dust wearing on the sensors.

Why not linear bearings on a tight fitting TS fence that stays perfectly in alignment even while moving the fence.?

[Jim Becker]

Dennis, I think some of the Euro machines, such as Felder, do offer blade height adjustments that way, but I could be wrong. Ching...ching...

[Ian Barley]

Dennis, I think some of the Euro machines, such as Felder, do offer blade height adjustments that way, but I could be wrong. Ching...ching...


They absolutely do. Just been to Woodmex 2004 in Birmingham (the real one!) where tablesaws of aircraft carrier dimensions ahve all of their adjustments done electronicaly. Also saw the Tiger Stop system does the same thing for crosscut saws.

[Roger Barga]

I had the opportunity to see a digital euro saw at work in a small cabinet shop in california and was very impressed. The operator could punch in a measurement and the fence automatically slid over to adjust for the cut. Apparently there was an option, which he didn't purchase, for an autofeed that would pull (push?) the workpiece through the blade. Just imagine what we prosumer (pro/consumer) customers have to look forward to in a few years as these options trickle down into the PM, Jet, Delta machines that we use.

[Chris Padilla]

I wonder if the plastic (or whatever it is) protecting the digi-readout will get all scratched up?

I have a Woodpecker PRL and absolutely it does suffer from build-up and need to be scrubbed/blown-out good about once or twice a year. As to backlash, well, the PRL seems good to me. I get quite precise adjustment on it and am thrilled with its performance.

Still, one does need to measure the height with a '3rd party' measuring device and remembering where you are if adjusting the height is a matter of counting the revolutions of the dial. Very easy to miscount and thus a measurement is often required. It would probably be pretty nice...pricey...but nice. :)

[Jim Becker]

Chris, I suspect that virtually all of us ultimately do our height adjustments "by eye", but the one thing I really see of value with a setup like this is potentially repeatability on critical things like rail and stile, lock miters and so forth...provided, of course, it's possible to position the cutter precisely at the same height in the chuck. The new Porter Cable bits seem to be addressing that with the new shoulder design and if I'm recalling clearly from a show, I think some CMT bits have some provision for insertion in the chuck at exactly the same height.

[Charles McKinley]

I would expect it to be perfect if it is comming from Jointech.