Digital Read Out for Planer

[William A Johnston]

I just received a new Grizzly G1033x 20" Planer and I was wandering if anyone knew of a digital depth readout that would fit this machine. I have done a lot of google searches and Wixley has one available but this model number of the planer is not listed.

Has anyone on this Forum installed one on this planer and if so can you let me know what the make and model number is please.

Thanks so much,


Bill

[Dimitrios Fradelakis]

I have this Wixey installed on my Delta DC-380 yet it's not listed as being compatible with said model.

http://wixey.com/remote-planer/index.html

It doesn't require any special mounting location that's unique to X type planer(s). If you download the user manual for this model height gauge you will see what I mean. It's made to fit any type of planer as long as you can find a suitable mounting location. Mine is attached next to one of the columns and it works just fine.

[William A Johnston]

Thanks so much Dimitrios, I am sure I can figure out something to get this attached to my machine.

Is it pretty accurate? and easy to calibrate?

Bill

[George Bokros]

Deleted my post.

[Dimitrios Fradelakis]

Your welcome Bill.

Very accurate and yes, easy to calibrate. It has been a great addition to an already wonderful machine. Just remember to always turn the gauge on prior to raising or lowering the head or else it'll need to be re-calibrated.

[William A Johnston]

Perfect, I did look at the link for the NC Woodworker and he said he fabricated a bracket for the digital read out. That won't be an issue. Im really itching to get this machine fired up and see how she can eat some wood.

[Leo Graywacz]

Put it on my Jet 15" planer. Love it.

http://www.fototime.com/AFDDDA0A7852EF5/orig.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/9BEB8B0F9B6EB2D/orig.jpg

[David T gray]

igaging dro are way better then the wixley, easier setup and they plug into a outlet. i use the 12'' version of this http://www.igagingstore.com/24-Absolute-Digital-Readout-DRO-Stainless-Steel-S-p/205481.htm. i added the igaging to a different tool and replaced the wixley on my planer after likeing the igaging much more.

[Roger Feeley]

+1 on the Wixey. The website has a bunch of mounting examples. I had one on my Delta lunchbox planer for a long time a loved it. Calibration is a snap with these things. You just take a board out of the planer, put it under the DRO and push calibrate. When the spring loaded rod snaps down, it reads the thickness of your board.

[Leo Graywacz]

The newer version is even better. You plane the board, use a caliper and measure it and then just set the gauge at the exact number.

You can also do it the way you mentioned if you'd like.

[Bill Space]

David,

Can you tell us a little more about why you like the Igaging unit better than Wixie?

Hope so, and thanks!

Bill

[David T gray]

David,

Can you tell us a little more about why you like the Igaging unit better than Wixie?

Hope so, and thanks!

Bill

biggest thing is the lack of needing a battery . the screen is way bigger prob 4x as big . to zero it u just plane a board measure it with caliper and enter that number into the dro much easier. it also feels better how it slides on the rail is much smoother. also each button does a different thing on the igaging, on the wixley i reset mine once or twice just trying to get to to turn off so it doesn't waste batterys.

[Leo Graywacz]

The new Wixey uses AAA batteries and they last a good long time.

[Bill Space]

Thanks David! Good info!

Bill

[Curt Harms]

I too have the iGaging 12" DRO on a Jet JJP. The batteries (2 CR2032) last about 2 years. The tricky part for me was figuring out how to calibrate it. I had a Wixey previously and the calibration was slick but it needed to be - it had the .20" jump ailment and I could never fix it. Here's what I wound up with on the Jet:

332501

It holds calibration well, the only time I had to recalibrate is when I changed the batteries.

[Leo Graywacz]

My original Wixey never ever once jumped calibration on the planer model. The new one did the very first time I used it. Hasn't done it since. But it has froze on my twice. It's annoying, but easily fixed. The new tablesaw gauge has been holding calibration for a few months now. I like that.

[David Kumm]

Accurate Technologies Proscale is a more industrial unit, and easy to calibrate. Dave

[glenn bradley]

I have Wixey's on other machines and have been very happy. Most of the problems people report have to do with poor choices in batteries or battery sources. I used to make the same poor choices but, now just buy fresh, name brand batteries and all those issues disappeared and have never returned.

I have the iGauging on my planer just because I wanted to try something different (or maybe it was on sale, can't recall). Once calibrated, it remains true until I change the battery (the interval is so long I don't recall that either). Simple mods can fit these things to almost anything.

332503332504

[Jim Becker]

I put one on my J/P years ago, but honestly have forgotten to keep a good battery in it. It's great for "exact" repeatability, but I guess not using it hasn't affected my work enough to kick me and deal with changing the batteries. :o

[William A Johnston]

Thanks for all the responses. I might get this machine fired up this weekend and use it for a little while then decide about the DRO. I did look at the machine and I can see it would be very easy to attach one. I guess my mind changer was from Jim Becker, It could always be added later and after ordering the plumbing hook ups for this my cash is getting slim.

Bill

[Marty Tippin]

I put one on my J/P years ago, but honestly have forgotten to keep a good battery in it. It's great for "exact" repeatability, but I guess not using it hasn't affected my work enough to kick me and deal with changing the batteries. :o

I guess I'm the exact opposite: I can't imagine using my planer without the digital readout. The time it saves is incredible - just dial up the thickness you want and go to town; no need to stop and measure to see where you are after each pass. Need to reproduce an exact thickness? Just dial it up. If folks can routinely do that without the DRO, I'm impressed.

Installation on a Grizzly 20" planer should be trivial. A few minutes of initial calibration and away you go.

[Bill Space]

This thread convinced me to order one of these DROs for my Planer. :cool:

I think I am going to go with the iGaging unit. For me the straw is/was the ability to measure the thickness of a board coming out of the planer, and just entering that number in the iGaging unit to calibrate it.

If my understanding is correct, to calibrate the Wixey you have to use a piece of the material to calibrate it. Of course that eliminates the need to measure the material...but I think possible material measurement errors will be offset by position errors, which could happen when placing the sample for the Wixey to read, so this becomes a non issue.

Bill

[David T gray]

just make sure u get the newer ones the absolute origin ones they have bigger screen and can be used with a power supply.

[Marty Tippin]

If my understanding is correct, to calibrate the Wixey you have to use a piece of the material to calibrate it. Of course that eliminates the need to measure the material...but I think possible material measurement errors will be offset by position errors, which could happen when placing the sample for the Wixey to read, so this becomes a non issue.

Nope, on the Wixey you run a piece through the planer, then put that piece between the "feet" at the bottom of the gauge and hit the zero button and you're done. The gauge is calibrated from that point onward. The lower "foot" should be aligned with the top of your feed table, so all you really do is lay the piece you planed on the infeed table, lift the upper "foot" and slide your piece in then let go of the foot. It's a lot simpler to do than to describe and no more error prone than trying to get an accurate reading from a caliper.

Calibration really shouldn't be a decision-making point however, as you only need to calibrate once in a great while - I honestly can't say when I've calibrated my gauge last but it's been at least a year and probably more. And it's still accurate.

The iGaging gizmo may work just as well as the Wixey; I've never used one so can't say.

[glenn bradley]

If my understanding is correct, to calibrate the Wixey you have to use a piece of the material to calibrate it. Of course that eliminates the need to measure the material...but I think possible material measurement errors will be offset by position errors, which could happen when placing the sample for the Wixey to read, so this becomes a non issue.

Bill

I don't know how the Wixey videos could be any better but, this is an often misunderstood thing. I wish I had the Wixey for the easy calibration. As I said, I have other Wixey's on other things and had one on my lunchbox planer before it found a new home.

There may be a different iGauging unit than the one I have. Mine has a zeroing feature but, no other calibration. The calibration method for mine is:

- Plane a board
- Caliper this board to get a decimal thickness.
- Zero the unit.
- Loosen the head and move it this exact distance in one direction.
- Re-zero the unit and move the head back this exact distance and tighten down the head.

The unit now reads the exact thickness and will read correctly until its time to change batteries.

On the Wixey you:
- Plane a board
- Lift the spring bar and slip an edge of the board under it.
- Release the spring bar.
- Zero the unit.

Nothing to loosen and re-tighten (and possibly move during tensioning). The iGauging is quite satisfactory as it never need to be re-zero'd (unless you accidentally push the 'zero' button when you don't mean to, DAMHIKT) and it stays calibrated.

[David T gray]

Nope, on the Wixey you run a piece through the planer, then put that piece between the "feet" at the bottom of the gauge and hit the zero button and you're done. The gauge is calibrated from that point onward. The lower "foot" should be aligned with the top of your feed table, so all you really do is lay the piece you planed on the infeed table, lift the upper "foot" and slide your piece in then let go of the foot. It's a lot simpler to do than to describe and no more error prone than trying to get an accurate reading from a caliper.

Calibration really shouldn't be a decision-making point however, as you only need to calibrate once in a great while - I honestly can't say when I've calibrated my gauge last but it's been at least a year and probably more. And it's still accurate.

The iGaging gizmo may work just as well as the Wixey; I've never used one so can't say.


used both, the new igaging is much better just b/c of the screen and it plugs in.

[Edwin Dodds]

I put the 1st generation igauging DRO on my drum sander, and love it!

http://www.igagingstore.com/6-Magnetic-Remote-Table-Mill-Saw-Fence-Digital-p/203926.htm

Even if I move the head with the unit turned off, it knows the new location when it's turned on so no need to re-calibrate.
This unit can only be zero'ed - you can't input a dimension into it, but it's not hard to get it set up.

Ed.

[David T gray]

I put the 1st generation igauging DRO on my drum sander, and love it!

http://www.igagingstore.com/6-Magnetic-Remote-Table-Mill-Saw-Fence-Digital-p/203926.htm

Even if I move the head with the unit turned off, it knows the new location when it's turned on so no need to re-calibrate.
This unit can only be zero'ed - you can't input a dimension into it, but it's not hard to get it set up.

Ed.

yeah anyone who buys one of these buy the newer absolute origin ones

[Mike Chalmers]

I have Wixey's on other machines and have been very happy. Most of the problems people report have to do with poor choices in batteries or battery sources. I used to make the same poor choices but, now just buy fresh, name brand batteries and all those issues disappeared and have never returned.

I have the iGauging on my planer just because I wanted to try something different (or maybe it was on sale, can't recall). Once calibrated, it remains true until I change the battery (the interval is so long I don't recall that either). Simple mods can fit these things to almost anything.

332503332504I mounted the same unit on my CX20 (Busy Bee equivalent) in pretty much the same place. I have had it for almost two years, and could never get it to remain claibrated. It jumped like crazy all the time. A few days ago I read an article that suggested that my issue was being caused by stray electrical fields. I moved it to a new location on the back of the planer away from the magnetic switch and it now works like a charm.

[Mike Chalmers]

There may be a different iGauging unit than the one I have. Mine has a zeroing feature but, no other calibration. The calibration method for mine is:

- Plane a board
- Caliper this board to get a decimal thickness.
- Zero the unit.
- Loosen the head and move it this exact distance in one direction.
- Re-zero the unit and move the head back this exact distance and tighten down the head.

The unit now reads the exact thickness and will read correctly until its time to change batteries.

I do not understand your method. After you determine the thickness of the material, why don't you just set that measurement on the control unit? No need to move the head, re-zero etc.

[David T gray]

I do not understand your method. After you determine the thickness of the material, why don't you just set that measurement on the control unit? No need to move the head, re-zero etc.

the old ones don't have the option of inputting a measurement.

[Mike Chalmers]

the old ones don't have the option of inputting a measurement.


That sucks.

[glenn bradley]

I do not understand your method. After you determine the thickness of the material, why don't you just set that measurement on the control unit? No need to move the head, re-zero etc.


the old ones don't have the option of inputting a measurement.

Do you guys have a link to the model that you can set in the manner you describe? So there is a button to increment the setting to .753" or whatever? Cool!

[David T gray]

http://www.igagingstore.com/category-s/1825.htm the ones on this page are what u want

[John TenEyck]

When I look at the iGaging info. I don't see that it can be plugged in to an AC outlet. I thought some of you said the new models can be AC powered. What am I missing?

John

[David T gray]

http://www.igaging.com/page19.html their site is total shit i didn't think it could get worse then it was before but they did it.

[Bill Space]

When I look at the iGaging info. I don't see that it can be plugged in to an AC outlet. I thought some of you said the new models can be AC powered. What am I missing?

John

Somewhere on their site I did find a small AC power supply that can be used with their units. It. Is not immediately obvious where it is and it costs something like $18 or $19 if I remember correctly.