2nd best use for DRO in the woodshop?

[Bill Space]

Hi,

To me using a DRO on the thickness planer is the best application. At least in my case I’ve come to that conclusion. But I’m wondering where I might apply a second DRO, if I would choose to.

I’m thinking maybe on my small 12-inch two-drum thickness sander.

Some here have posted that they were not impressed with using a DRO on their table saw fence, I think due to the difficulty in making fine adjustments.

Do you have more than one DRO in your shop? What do you find the most useful applications to be?

Bill

[Bruce Page]

A DRO is also very useful on a router lift.

[Cary Falk]

I think the thickness planer is #1 and a router table/shaper is #2. I had one on my table saw and hated it. The problem I have with putting one on a drum sander is that you can send a piece of wood through the sander 4 different times without changing the thickness and get a thinner board each time.

[David Kumm]

I put a Proscale on my WB. I have it matched with the planer so I can go from the planer directly to the WB and not have to test. Only works with one grit or I have to re calibrate but still handy. Dave

[Andrew Seemann]

I've thought of putting one on my tenonning jig. I have a dial indicator with a Mighty Mag that I use now on it, not so much for the precision although it helps that, but to reduce the number of test cuts. It would be nice to use an absolute number rather than a relative one.

[Derek Cohen]

For those that dislike a DRO on the tablesaw, it is possibly a reflection of the tablesaw fence, per se. My old tablesaw Beisemeyer clone fence was sloppy until locked down. The Hammer K3 is pretty solid. There is a fine adjuster available for it, which I do not have. I just tap with a finger tip. I have used this Wixey for several years. It was not great on the old tablesaw. It is stable and remains very accurate on the K3.


https://i.postimg.cc/cHpwfJ0f/1a.jpg
Regards from Perth

Derek

[Carl Beckett]

For me #1 is the widebelt (or drum) sander. Yes it is great on the planer, but on my sander the thickness adjustment goes in very fine increments .008" per turn). So to 'get started' I need to be close to the right thickness of the starting material. Sneaking up on it takes a few passes (and time). With the DRO I get very close to the desired starting position first time.

And yes you can run through multiple times and it keeps removing material, but still useful to know the sander setting.

The other place I have them is on the WoodRat. I put one on both axis of this device. Makes it pretty brainless to churn out whatever cuts you want. Per Andrews comment it does exactly this for tenons - just chase it around with any bit size while doing the math and you have any size tenon you want. Then ditto on the mortise side.

Ironically, on a router table I dont use it the same way, although if I were adding it I might try adding it to the router FENCE before the lift (the fence would need to be the right design for it though)

I would put one on my tablesaw but mine is a combo machine and the fence goes on and off too often. For some sliders I have seen fences with DRO added to the sliding table side... might try that at some point.

[Charles Lent]

I added a Wixey DRO to the Unifence of my Unisaw ten or more years ago. I used some 1/2 X 1/2" square steel tubing to make some short extensions to cantilever out from the bottom of the Unifence rail, and then mounted the Wixey extrusions to them with the extrusions actually mounted upside down, then installed the read-out strips right side up in the extrusions. Since the main casting of the Unifence is aluminum, I cut the flat rounded end piece of steel that was provided, in half, drilled a hole in one end of each half and bolted them on each side of the Unifence casting where the magnets on the DRO module make contact with the Unifence casting. I purchased an additional Wixey extrusion and read-out strip later, and extended the ones on my Unifence so the DRO now works over the full length of my Unifence rail.

In use, I have no problem repeating a prior fence position setting. The fence is a little sloppy when not locked in position, but moving the lock lever part way takes the slop out of the fence, but still lets me move it. Once on the position that I want I then move the lever the rest of the way to lock the fence on that position. I can set the fence to a position of say 1" and rip a piece of hardwood. Then move the fence and make other cuts. Then move the fence back to the 1" position again and rip a second piece of the same hardwood. Then, using a digital caliper I can measure both of the pieces of hardwood and they will be within about 0.004" of each other. That's more accurate than I usually ever need. I'm very happy with the Wixey DRO on my Unisaw. I also have one on my router table, and one on my DeWalt 735 planer.

Charley

[glenn bradley]

Lots of valid answers for valid reasons as we all do things differently. The DRO on the planer is #1 for me. My whole approach to joinery on the tablesaw expects the DRO to be there; it is my #2. I had one on the Beisemeyer . . .

406850

and moved it to the Saw Stop when I changed saws . . .

406851

We can all adapt to new things but, when I am percolating on a multi-step tablesaw operation, I factor in the DRO's presence as part of the process. I would not want to do without it.

Having enjoyed the benefits of the first two I added one to my router table; I never use it. I thought I would be all over it like on the tablesaw but, the benefit to process ratio just isn't there for what I use the router table for. I expect the same would be true on the DP (I use setup bars on the stop mechanism) but, have not gone there yet.

[Bruce Page]

The priciest DRO in the shop is the one I installed on my milling machine that uses glass scales. It’s probably worth more than the mill is. :rolleyes:

[Frank Pratt]

I recently got a DRO for my table saw, primarily to compensate for eye site that isn't quite as good as it used to be. I use the cursor to get close & then the DRO to dial it right in.

For those who complain of the fence moving when you lock it down, this is my solution to that. I push the lock down so the fence is snug, but not fully locked, then use a wooden mallet to tap the fence to the final position. You can get far more accurate nudges that by using the hand.

[Cary Falk]

My issue with the DRO on the table saw fence is that the fence doesn't have a microadjust on it. I went crazy trying to bump the fence to the nearest thousandth.

[Martin Wasner]

Planer, widebelt, shaper spindle height, shaper outboard fence, cut off stations.

I've always wanted to try a Tiger Fence on a tablesaw and the rip saw

[Frank Pratt]

My issue with the DRO on the table saw fence is that the fence doesn't have a microadjust on it. I went crazy trying to bump the fence to the nearest thousandth.

That's where the wooden mallet comes in. I was getting very frustrated with trying to get to the exact dimension by bumping with my hand. Try it, you'll like it.

[Alan Lightstone]

My issue with the DRO on the table saw fence is that the fence doesn't have a microadjust on it. I went crazy trying to bump the fence to the nearest thousandth.

I just added a General International microadjust to my SawStop fence, and problem solved.

[Jacob Reverb]

That's where the wooden mallet comes in. I was getting very frustrated with trying to get to the exact dimension by bumping with my hand. Try it, you'll like it.


I just added a General International microadjust to my SawStop fence, and problem solved.


I like the Beise-style fence on my Powermatic 64 but wish it had the rack and pinion gear arrangement of my father's old Craftsman...my hand gets sore from beating on it after a while! :p