(Annual Celebration) Gifts...

[Edward Oleen]

My daughter asked me a question: "What do you want for your (annual celebration)?

I haven't answered her yet, but I am strongly considering the following:

WR365 Digital Angle Gauge with Level
WR700 Saw Fence Digital Readout
WR200 Digital Height Gauge with Fractions

and possibly either the

WR410 Digital Protractor 8-inch

or the

WR412 Digital Protractor 12-inch with Set Miter

Given her circumstances I don't think the bottom line is a problem.

My question(s) is (are):
Are these items worth it?

Does anyone have any experience with any of them?

Do they stand up to normal wood shop use?

Is there better stuff out there?

Any other comments...

[J.R. Rutter]

I don't have any of the devices that you mention, but here's a general comment. Personally, I don't like fractional readouts because they are not very precise: 0.004" can make the difference between a perfect fit and a visible glue line, so I want my gauge to show me that. 1/64" is about 4x that amount.

[scott vroom]

I don't have any of the devices that you mention, but here's a general comment. Personally, I don't like fractional readouts because they are not very precise: 0.004" can make the difference between a perfect fit and a visible glue line, so I want my gauge to show me that. 1/64" is about 4x that amount.


What type of gauges do you use?

[Bill Huber]

I think I have all of them and the one I use the most and really really like is the WR700 Saw Fence Digital Readout. I don't use the scale on the fence bar anymore, just the readout, makes things so much nicer.

I have both the WR25 and the WR200, I don't use the WR200 that much but I use the WR25 on the router table all the time.

[J.R. Rutter]

I have a few Accurate Technologies ProScales. I have added them to shapers and planers. They are quite robust, though I think that the lower cost gauges have come a long way from the original Wixeys.

My crosscut and table saw fence are Tiger Stops. Even used, these are very hard to justify if you aren't making a living using them.

[Lee Schierer]

I have the Wixey Mini Digital Height gauge and it is quite useful for setting the height on my routers and table saw. It gives you repeatable results without trial and error. It reads in digital and fractional dimensions.

[Edward Oleen]

Thank you one and all: I have just been notified that my (Annual Celebration) gifts have been ordered and will be in the mail tomorrow.

Supposedly. Does anyone know where Wixey is located? If the weather holds in the current state the postal people around here will be frozen solid and thus unable to deliver anything...

[Edward Oleen]

Well, the Postman turned out to work for UPS. Now I must admit that he didn't throw the package over the fence, as we have seen on the Web and on TV, but he did leave the package standing up on end outside the front door to my house in plain sight of anyone walking by. I was alerted by our Sarah (4yo West Highland White Terrier with a complex: she thinks she owns everything for three blocks around) and made it to the door before somebody else made off with the goodies.

This is by way of being an initial review of the following:

WR365 Digital Angle Gauge with Level
WR700 Saw Fence Digital Readout
WR200 Digital Height Gauge with Fractions
WR412 Digital Protractor 12-inch with Set Miter

In general, the tools look and feel well-made. They are solid: nothing plastic y about them, even though they do contain a lot of plastic. The individual items are also well packaged. The readouts are clear and sharp, with good contrast, not washed out like some things I have seen. The very limited tests I have made reveal that they are accurate - as far as I can test them. Time and access to some lab-grade equipment will be definitive. I have very occasional access to this stuff: not that I touch it, since it is in a "clean room", but I can at least watch thru the glass while a buddy's employee puts them through their paces.

That said, here are some general quibbles.
(1) The INSTRUCTIONS: Apparently paper is a very scarce resource where the tools are manufactured.

For the WR200 Digital Height Gauge with Fractions, the ONLY instructions are on the box...

For the WR412 Digital Protractor with Set Miter Function, the instructions are on a cardboard fold-over thing that is the backer for the instrument, since it is sold in a clear plastic enclosure. The enclosure is NOT sealed to the point of needing to be destroyed in order to open it: is is secured with two normal, office-type staples. However: there are instructions also printed on the arms in very legible type, with understandable illustrations.

For the WR365 Digital Angle Gauge with Level the instructions are in miniscule type on a small sheet of paper.

The WR700 Saw Fence Read Out, on the other hand, is properly packaged up: three boxes and two space fillers, to keep things from rattllng around, all enclosed in an outer box.

All units are, of course, battery operated. Two - the WR365 and WR700 each us three triple-A batteries, not supplied.

The WR200 and the WR412 use CR2032 3-volt batteries, which ARE supplied.

ALL the battery compartments are (a) well concealed, and (b) difficult to open: I had to use a sharp knife blade to get them started. They are also not the easiest things in the world to put back in. On the other hand, they don't look as if they will simply open up by themselves in the shop, and they won't let even the finest sanding dust in. These are definite pluses: I need to keep my calculator (a TI unit which does fractions) inside a box with a clear cover and a guarded opening through which I can stick my hand in order to operate it.

All in all I am, so far, mostly satisfied with the (Annual Celebration) Gift. This may change. In going over the instructions for the WR700 I noticed a boo-boo: the schedule of parts and diagram lists two CR2032 batteries, which is very odd indeed, since the unit is powered by a pair of AAA cells. Also the mag track which the unit reads needs to be installed on the aluminum track sections, which isn't specified in the instructions either. I did put the read-out unit on the track with the (unstuck-to-it) mag strip and I find the readout to be be excellent. It does display fractions very nicely, and only over a very limited range. It easy to overshoot the fraction display, which means that I'm going to be using the fine adjustment on my Vega-made fence a whole lot more. (My Powermatic Model 63 Artisan's Saw came with a fence which says Powermatic, put which was made for them by Vega. It has a very nice fine adjust which beats beating on the fence with a feather duster to make that final correction. Just one more reason why I want to stick with Powermatic for major tools. Anyone out there with A '66 saw going for a reasonable price??? :o)

I intend to post or otherwise send copy of this initial review, along with more detailed comments/complaints, to Wixey. I may post their reply, of lack of same.

If anyone is interested watch this for further updates as I get to actually use the stuff.

[Edward Oleen]

I sent my review off to Wixey, as I promised, and got a nice response. He acknowledged problems - like with the shipping, and corrections are already in the works: I happened to get one of the last of that method of shipping.

He acknowledges that instruction sheets aren't his particular forte - we can't all be good-to-great at everything.

I still have no solution to the tape-on-the-rail for the WR700. I'll have to mount it tomorrow - today is already shot with Better-Half tending...