Wixey Wr-500 & Ridgid TP1300

[Dave Richards]

Expert advice or at least a few shots from the hip requested.

After seeing the thread about the Wixey DRO a week or so back, I bit and ordered one for my Ridgid planer. Yesterday I installed it. Cool add-on for the planer. That's for sure.

I went out to the shop a few minutes ago (playing hookie today. :D ) and noticed the foam tape is coming loose from the planer. I did use a degreaser and cleaned up the planer case before installing the DRO but the tape is clearly not going to hold this thing on.

While installing this thing yesterday I looked carefully at installing screws but the moving part of the planer runs up just inside the plastic cover and there's no clearance for a screw in there.

Any ideas of how I can mount this more securely? Has anyone mounted one of these DROs on a Ridgid planer already? Any help would be appreciated. TIA.

Dave

[Barry Wixey]

Dave;

One thing I have suggested to people who want to screw this to the side cover is to carefully drill through the cover with readout mounted in the proper position using the holes in the sheet metal frame as a guide.

Then remove the cover and countersink holes from the back side of the side cover for flat head screws. Now just insert the screws from the back side and use nuts on the front side. I have also wondered how pop rivets from the back side would work.

I am not sure what happened to your foam tape, it has been pretty reliable, but you can aslo buy some 3M foam tape from any hardware store or office supply place and it will work just as good or even better.

Hope this helps. I would be interested in any other ideas folks may have. If you have a digital camera some photos of what you end up with would be really helpful.

By the way, questions asked through the wixey website are answered pretty quickly.

Barry

[Jim Bills]

Try to find some 3M #6380 two side attatchment tape I pay less than $40.00 for a large roll. An independent collision repair shop should stock this and will probably sell you a small quanity for very little money (heck they might even give you a small amount if you offer to buy it first).

[Dave Richards]

Barry and Jim, thanks for your replies.

I did a quick look at my planer and I think getting the plastic side piece off looks like a pain in the posterior and I'm concerned about loosening the screws into the vertical support rods.

Another sort of tape might be a good idea. I have some double stick carpet tape that might actually work for this. I'll look at it again because I like the idea of a solid support for it.