Tilt Box II ??

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I am playing with the idea of buying a digital inclinometer for setting the blade angle on my table saw and SCMS.

Does anybody have any experience with the Tilt Box II sold by Lee Valley?

[Roy Harding]

I have the original Tilt Box - and I love it. The only difference I can see between mine and the Tilt Box II is the "Hold" button - mine doesn't have it.

I got it because it's getting harder for me to accurately read the scale on the plastic jig I used to use. (Yes - I also started using a calculator with a large display!)

It's a good little unit - works as advertised, and has made setting blade angles (and levelling shelves) much easier and faster.

[Dick Mahany]

Original Tilt Box user here too. I have only heard good things about the tilt box II. I think it may have magnets on an additional face. Super easy and repeatable. Makes fast work on setting the table saw, bandsaw, drill press table and others. I have used it to set angles on an adjustable crosscut sled by standing the sled vertically. Mine is quite a few years old and works perfectly.

[Roy Harding]

I just looked closer at the Lee Valley description. Dick is right - the upgrade has magnets on three surfaces, the original only on the sides. It ALSO rotates reads properly when turned upside down (the numbers invert) - now THAT would be handy sometimes.

[Bruce Page]

I've been very happy with my TB1. The TB2 looks even better. One thing that I noticed is the claimed accuracy for the TB2 is 0.2º. My TB1 claims to be 0.01º.
It's minute, just wanted to point it out.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks for pointing that out Bruce. I went to Beal's website and they state that a lot of the Tilt Box 1s did meet the 0.1 degree spec, enough didn't they felt obligated to adjust the spec on the new model to 0.2 degrees.

[Dave Zellers]

We have some typos here. Since I'm interested in this, I want to know what the real numbers are.

Bruce said TB1= 0.01º and TB2= 0.2º
Ken says 0.1º vs 0.2º

I'm guessing Bruce's 0.01º is supposed to be 0.1º?

A tenth of a degree in woodworking isn't much, a hundredth of a degree...

:)

[Peter Quinn]

I have this one (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LL0BIC/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001PTGBRQ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0HG8P89GCG59F4EQCTM3), it looks conspicuously close to the tilt box....same specs of accuracy, same functions, buttons in the same place. I'm guessing it may be made in the same factory? Anyway, I love mine. I was making roof parts this weekend, had to nail 26.6 degrees on several different machines, repeatably, go back to other set ups, return to 26.6. Real easy with the box, not so easy without the box. Anyone who has made a picture frame knows a few fractions of a degree does matter in wood working. Beyond the accuracy is the time it saves. I've used it for jobs at work where I had to nail some odd angle on several different machines, you can't set up and leave it because others are waiting for the machines, but the angle has to be nailed if you are going around a circle, for that I love the angle box.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dave,

Read it for yourself: http://www.bealltool.com/products/measuring/tiltbox.php

Scroll down to the bottom of the page where there is a note about accuracy.

[Lee Schierer]

Ken, I have the Tilt Box 1 and love it. I have used it to set my TS to bevel angles needed for square and hexagonal box sides and have not needed to fine tune the cuts to get perfect alignment in the joints. I purchased the Tilt Box over the others because it used a standard 9 volt battery. I've used mine to set up my TS, my Band saw, my RAS and my jointer. If it quits, I will definitely buy another one.

[glenn bradley]

I happen to have both. Tilt Box is beefier and has a greater surface area. Tilt Box II does have 'hold' and magnets on three sides versus two.

264988 . 264989

I use the smaller one on the tablesaw blade and the larger one everywhere else. I did an unsolicited drop test on my Wixey (which worked very well) and tried an iGaging from Rockler as a replacement (it was on sale) but, it ate batteries like crazy. They exchanged it and the second one did the same; I assume these were just a bad batch. I replace the 9volt in the Tilt Boxes about once or twice a year.

[Bruce Page]

We have some typos here. Since I'm interested in this, I want to know what the real numbers are.

Bruce said TB1= 0.01º and TB2= 0.2º
Ken says 0.1º vs 0.2º

I'm guessing Bruce's 0.01º is supposed to be 0.1º?

A tenth of a degree in woodworking isn't much, a hundredth of a degree...

:)

Yep, a fat finger typo. It should be 0.1º

[Jim Tobias]

Another satisfied Tilt Box II owner here. I use my constantly on the table saw.

Jim

[Rich Engelhardt]

Wixey here..
100% satisfied w/it.
It works just like it's supposed to.

I did pick up two digital protractors also - a 4" and an 8".
These are invaluable for making sure the TS blade and CMS blade are set to exactly 90 degrees to start.

[Dick Mahany]

I happened to look at the Beall website. The reason for the change in accuracy from 0.1 degree to 0.2 degree was based on their experience with the Original Tilt Box, where some (not all) were found to to have slightly lower accuracy than advertised. Therefore they took the high road and changed the advertised spec on the Tilt Box II to reflect reality. Now that's truth in advertising and shows a high degree of integrity IMHO. If I ever loose my original, I'll replace it immediately with the II version !

[Phil Thien]

I have an original TB but wouldn't mind a TBII instead as it is smaller.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I have had a Tilt Box II for at least 2 years. I still haven't used it other than to turn it on. I can report that the battery is still working after 2 years.

[Bob Wingard]

Original TILT BOX owner/lover here ... bought it to replace a WIXEY that died just out of warranty, with VERY limited use ... never again ... pay a few $$$ more and get the best. My TILT BOX is probably 8 or 9 years old, and it works like a charm.

[Bill Space]

Hi,

Before Ken posted this it never occurred to me to purchase a device like this.

I decided to buy the Anglecube off Amazon for $26.50 with free shipping and no tax.

Like pointed out above, it just looked exactly like the other(s) and probably is the same hardware with different labeling.

Time will tell.

Here is the link for the item I purchased:

http://www.amazon.com/iGaging-AngleCube-Digital-Level-Bevel/dp/B002LL0BIC/ref=pd_rhf_sc_p_t_1_FJ5C

Thanks Ken for the idea!

Bill