I'm no Luddite but

[dennis thompson]

I'm no Luddite but are we getting carried away with technology in our woodworking ? I just saw an ad for a Wixey digital angle gauge with Bluetooth that talks to you ,and can be controlled by your phone. Do we really need that to measure an angle?
Ok,maybe I'm a Luddite;)

[Frederick Skelly]

Well, I dont need all that, for sure. I have a basic Wixey gauge a love that thing just as it is.
Sometimes it seems like they add bluetooth and a phone app just to appeal to the folks who love gadgetry (many folks do).

[Pete Staehling]

I haven't even gone digital yet for angle gauges, but I can see where it could be handy to read the gauge from somewhere that it is hard to see while setting the angle when setting up some saws. The spoken angle or the phone screen could be handy for that.

On the other hand sometimes i think there are phone apps and other technology applied just because it can be done and not because it should.

[Lee Schierer]

I have a Beall angle gauge that I routinely use when setting angles on my woodworking equipment because the fat metal fingers pointing at 5 or 10 degree increments on the scales provided by manufacturers are not adequate for the task. However, I do not need one that talks to me because my eyes are able to read may angle gauge.

[Bill Dufour]

This guy needs a gauge that talks to him. To be honest he probably uses a adjustable square and matches a existing angle to mate up.
Bill D.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/dec/29/alternate-vision/

[Jim Becker]

What does "need" have anything to do with it? Products like you describe will appeal to some folks and not to others. I'm digital all the way when I can be, but yea, I don't need the Bluetooth read-out, although given it would play in my hearing aids, I'd at least not feel all alone in the shop... :) :D

[Andrew More]

Maybe? I guess it depends on the goal. Saw one guy who decided to hand plane an entire wooden floor, rather than using a normal powered sander. To him we're probably the guys with the crazy tech. I feel similarly about CNC. I'm fine with cutting things out on my bandsaw, and don't see any need for a CNC to do it.

But I'm just doing this mostly for my own amusement, if I had a production shop, I might think differently (or I might find the CNC is actually slower than the bandsaw).

There are lots of tools that have at best niche applications, or could be done dozens of ways, or are simply not practical.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I use a dial indicator when setting the height of my saw blade for dado's. I can only read the fine needles on the gauge if I get down on my knees. Likewise for tilting the blade, I use a magnetic Wixey gauge, although that is digital, I can only see the screen when down on my knees.

I can see where seeing the setting on my phone might be easier.

[Mark Bolton]

Not sure about interface with the wixey bt all that digital/bluetooth angle/distance/height stuff seems unnecessary though it is a major game changer for guys doing field work. I ran a bluetooth setup for measuring jobs and the speed and time savings for being able to walk into a space and snap measures, they go straight it a drawing, angles, height adjustments (as many as you want), and so on.

The mere speed and elimination of paper/written notes where things are missed, transcribed errors, and so on, are night and day for someone willing to make the change.

My guess is the wixey has pretty much zero interface with any outbound apps/software so im not sure why you'd want to look at your phone instead of the onboard display.

My guess is adding bluetooth likely costs very little in todays money so gimick. But a lot of the interfaced measuring devices out now even at the consumer level are super handy.

[Mark Bolton]

I use a dial indicator when setting the height of my saw blade for dado's. I can only read the fine needles on the gauge if I get down on my knees. Likewise for tilting the blade, I use a magnetic Wixey gauge, although that is digital, I can only see the screen when down on my knees.

I can see where seeing the setting on my phone might be easier.

Mabe you need to invest in an inexpensive back plunge indicator so your dial is facing up?

[John K Jordan]

I'm no Luddite but are we getting carried away with technology in our woodworking ? I just saw an ad for a Wixey digital angle gauge with Bluetooth that talks to you ,and can be controlled by your phone. Do we really need that to measure an angle?
Ok,maybe I'm a Luddite;)

I think companies add things like that just because they can do it at an insignificant cost. It may convince some people to part with their money. I have the "dumb" Wixey but a generally prefer the Starrett protractor head with a bubble level. The battery is always at full charge.

JKJ

[Erik Loza]

We offer Bluetooth calipers as an option on some of the widebelt sanders and edgebanders. Have not personally used or sold one with that option but looks to me like your pretty standard set of digital calibers (obviously) with BT ability. I think it adds a couple of hundred dollars. Just like the auto industry, "connectivity" is probably a big value-adder.

Erik

[Doug Garson]

I often use the camera on my phone to look at something where I can't get my head in the right position to see. I can guess there may be situations where you need to measure an angle where you can't see the angle gage. You might also not have a free hand to hold a phone so getting an audible reading of the angle thru your phone might occasionally come in handy. With technology today not sure it would add more than a few bucks to the cost. You can buy a stand alone Bluetooth transmitter for under $10.

[Jim Becker]

I often use the camera on my phone to look at something where I can't get my head in the right position to see. I

LOL...I actually had to do that the other day to get the serial number off my J/P...which was on the back toward the wall in a space not compatible with my, um...head....

[Bert McMahan]

This would be useful if you were, say, adjusting the leveling legs of a saw or table or something and had the sensor on the base. You could sit on the floor with your wrench and watch the readout on your phone. If I was buying one I'd pay an extra $10 for a Bluetooth connection option.

The last multimeter I got has Bluetooth on it. I haven't had a use for it yet but being able to stick the meter on something and monitor it from somewhere else has the potential to be incredibly useful, even for something like finding a breaker (though I have a breaker sniffer for that!)

[John K Jordan]

I often use the camera on my phone to look at something where I can't get my head in the right position to see. ...

I've used my phone to magnify something tiny when I didn't have my old man glasses handy and/or the lighting was poor.

As for the bluetooth calipers, I can see a real value in some settings. I have a quality Mitutoyo digital caliper with an RS-232 port. A manager from Coors Ceramics gave it to me (the data port was flaky on that one). They used them for QC on the production line for data acquisition and analysis to monitor the dimensions of fired ceramic parts for aerospace applications.

JKJ

[David Zaret]

no comment on angle gauges... but, today my friend, commenting on my new Mirka Deros sander, said, "hey, have you downloaded the app for your phone?" i double-blinked at him like he's an idiot. why the heck would i need an app on my phone for my sander?

[johnny means]

There's guys who build cars for track day and there's guys who restore cars to be sculptures. Both are fine hobbies.

[Mark Bolton]

no comment on angle gauges... but, today my friend, commenting on my new Mirka Deros sander, said, "hey, have you downloaded the app for your phone?" i double-blinked at him like he's an idiot. why the heck would i need an app on my phone for my sander?

I hope they dont go the route of john deere et al and make it mandatory and then further hope they dont have an accelerometer in the tool to count how many times if falls off the bench to count against warranty lol. I have a couple really old Cero's sanders that I pray run forever.

[Bert McMahan]

no comment on angle gauges... but, today my friend, commenting on my new Mirka Deros sander, said, "hey, have you downloaded the app for your phone?" i double-blinked at him like he's an idiot. why the heck would i need an app on my phone for my sander?

My new Milwaukee drill and impact driver have an app you can use to set torque and speed profiles. For example, you can open up the app and set the drill to "2 1/5" bimetal hole saw in wood" and it'll adjust the speed for you. Similarly for the impact driver- it can auto detect its own torque output, and have it do things like "spin fast until it senses some torque, then spin slow" for use when installing self-tapping sheetmetal screws. For those, you need to go fast to get it to penetrate, but if it goes too fast in "impact drive" mode you'll strip it out. Most drivers just have a "high or low" mode, which means you either have to be super careful to not strip in High mode or lean into it for a while in Slow mode. Necessary? Not at all. Cool? Absolutely :)

You can also set it up to have multiple presets. For example (in addition to the manual, standard adjustments) you can have preset 1 be a hole saw, 2 be a small wood screw, 3 to be a 3/16" hole in metal, etc.

I'd suspect a sander could benefit from similar settings regarding speeds, ramp-up time, torque limits, etc. It's probably a good benefit for more assembly line tasks as well- if you really need a slow sanding speed to get a good finish, you could lock the sander at the right speed so nobody tries to bump it up and save some time.

I bet you could also use it to actually compare different grits or brands of sandpaper over time, assuming it tracks hours in use.

Just a guess though, I'm just a hobbyist :)

[David Zaret]

well, that's interesting - didn't know my sander runs Linux. i guess my general take is that while it's perhaps possible to tune my ROS via an app, i'd prefer to not have to. and, of course, i don't have to (and won't)! i'm all about using technology, in and out of the shop, but man, i could do without an app-controlled sander.

---dz



My new Milwaukee drill and impact driver have an app you can use to set torque and speed profiles. For example, you can open up the app and set the drill to "2 1/5" bimetal hole saw in wood" and it'll adjust the speed for you. Similarly for the impact driver- it can auto detect its own torque output, and have it do things like "spin fast until it senses some torque, then spin slow" for use when installing self-tapping sheetmetal screws. For those, you need to go fast to get it to penetrate, but if it goes too fast in "impact drive" mode you'll strip it out. Most drivers just have a "high or low" mode, which means you either have to be super careful to not strip in High mode or lean into it for a while in Slow mode. Necessary? Not at all. Cool? Absolutely :)

You can also set it up to have multiple presets. For example (in addition to the manual, standard adjustments) you can have preset 1 be a hole saw, 2 be a small wood screw, 3 to be a 3/16" hole in metal, etc.

I'd suspect a sander could benefit from similar settings regarding speeds, ramp-up time, torque limits, etc. It's probably a good benefit for more assembly line tasks as well- if you really need a slow sanding speed to get a good finish, you could lock the sander at the right speed so nobody tries to bump it up and save some time.

I bet you could also use it to actually compare different grits or brands of sandpaper over time, assuming it tracks hours in use.

Just a guess though, I'm just a hobbyist :)

[Richard Coers]

I hate digital angle boxes. Some only had 1 decimal place readout. 1/10 of a degree is a ton when doing accurate work.

[Brian W Evans]

This would be useful if you were, say, adjusting the leveling legs of a saw or table or something and had the sensor on the base. You could sit on the floor with your wrench and watch the readout on your phone. If I was buying one I'd pay an extra $10 for a Bluetooth connection option.


Hadn't thought of that! That would make it worth an extra $10 for me.

I have a Bosch laser measure and I love the bluetooth connectivity with my phone for taking measurements without having to write anything down. You can also overlay the measurements on a picture taken with your phone. There are other features as well. Extremely handy.

In general I would say that bluetooth capability is so cheap and data collection so ubiquitous that you might as well include it. If the bluetooth dies, the tool still works anyway.

[Tom M King]

I could use one of those for setting the alignment on the dually. I sometimes tweak it judging by tire wear, and I do use the Wixey gauge for it. It would save so much in and out under the truck. .1 degrees is a plenty for that, and it's relative to what the prior setting was, so it works fine.

[Andrew Seemann]

I'm no Luddite but are we getting carried away with technology in our woodworking ? I just saw an ad for a Wixey digital angle gauge with Bluetooth that talks to you ,and can be controlled by your phone. Do we really need that to measure an angle?
Ok,maybe I'm a Luddite;)

I tend to be a Luddite as well when it comes to tech (that happens when you do tech for a living, you're ready to be done with it after work), but I totally could remember times when that would have been quite helpful. Not so much for shop stuff, but carpentry things or setting up machinery where I needed to level something out of sight while using two hands (crowbar in one hand, shims in the other that kind of thing).

Actually, I'm kind of glad to have found out about it now. I'm not going to run out and buy one now, but I'm going to keep it in mind for the next time I need to do something like that.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

The only bluetooth connectivity that I've found useful is on the Spectra laser, it lets my phone know if it's been bumped. It told me that the other day when a customers cows were being curious on a job site. One of our crew has that Milwaukee impact driver mentioned above, he wasted a few hours messing with it the first few days he had it, since it's just been a forgotten feature. He challenged my old trusty dumb Dewalt in a driver race with 3" framing screws, which he repeatedly lost regardless of the setting, so I think the novelty wore off quickly.

[Keith Outten]

It's a pretty common practice for a multitude of industries to use tools that were originally designed for another purpose. As Tom mentioned above we often found alternate uses for just about any tool or other material originally designed for just one industry. When I was working refueling outages we were pretty innovative and found some crazy ways to use even the most simple devices to accomplish difficult tasks, most of the time in an effort to reduce radiation exposure. We used copy machines so we could bring drawings out of radiation areas destroying the original that was contaminated. The copy was delivered to a clean area so it could be picked up after we left the radiation area. We used modifyed sand blasting cabinets with freon blasting to decontaminate both hand tools and electrical power tools so they could be safely removed and used or be discarded without the cost of disposal of radioactive materials.

I expect the collective brain power of this Community would be able to come up a thousand ways to use a Wixey blue tooth angle guage that would be impressive. On the surface some features may seem to be of little value to one group and be an amazing feature to another.

[Joe Rogers]

I could use one of those for setting the alignment on the dually. I sometimes tweak it judging by tire wear, and I do use the Wixey gauge for it. It would save so much in and out under the truck. .1 degrees is a plenty for that, and it's relative to what the prior setting was, so it works fine.
Interesting you posted this. The Gen 7 Corvettes have an adjustment requirement for rear camber with a need to maintain the spec rear caster angle.:eek:
A jig is required in combination with a digital angle gauge. Adding blue tooth to monitor the angle while making the adjustment would save a bunch of time. In this application, the features would benefit.
Joe

[Jim Becker]

I thought about this a bit, and I can imagine some circumstances where it would actually be helpful to be able to keep one's eyes on what they are adjusting while a bluetooth enabled device "counts down" to where you want it. That avoids splitting attention as well as constant visual refocusing. Is this "necessary"? No. But there's no harm in technology providing additional assistance like this, either.

[ChrisA Edwards]

Looks like the Wixey Angle gauge is the one that offers the Bluetooth capability. There's about a $15-$20 price difference, depending upon where you buy it, between the normal one and the one with the Bluetooth capability.

If I didn't already have the standard one, I'd buy the Bluetooth version if making an initial purchase, but that's just me.

[Jim Dwight]

A Wixey gauge is on my wish list but I guess I am a Luddite, I still use a draftsman's triangle when I need a 45 degree setting to be right.

Depth of cut is set with some home made wooden blocks about 4x2 inches that vary in thickness by 1/16. I have them from 1/8 to about an inch and a half. I can stack them when necessary. I made them years ago for my Skil biscuit joiner which has a crummy fence. I works fine if you use blocks like this to set the fence.

[Jim Becker]

I actually needed to set my saw blade to 10º today for a project and pulled out a Wixey digital angle thigie to do the deed. It was the mute version, however...the only voice I heard was my own...which is a scary thought :D :D

[kent wardecke]

To answer your question, yes you're a luddite. There's a support group in the Neanderthal heaven

[J. Greg Jones]

My new Milwaukee drill and impact driver have an app you can use to set torque and speed profiles. For example, you can open up the app and set the drill to "2 1/5" bimetal hole saw in wood" and it'll adjust the speed for you. Similarly for the impact driver- it can auto detect its own torque output, and have it do things like "spin fast until it senses some torque, then spin slow" for use when installing self-tapping sheetmetal screws. For those, you need to go fast to get it to penetrate, but if it goes too fast in "impact drive" mode you'll strip it out. Most drivers just have a "high or low" mode, which means you either have to be super careful to not strip in High mode or lean into it for a while in Slow mode. Necessary? Not at all. Cool? Absolutely :)

You can also set it up to have multiple presets. For example (in addition to the manual, standard adjustments) you can have preset 1 be a hole saw, 2 be a small wood screw, 3 to be a 3/16" hole in metal, etc.


i recently bought a new Bosch 18v drill/driver as well as an impact driver, and they have an optional Bluetooth module that pops into the handles to do the same thing. I don’t expect I’ll be getting the modules, but I do think it’s pretty cool technology for those who can benefit from this technology (production work, etc.).

[Jim Becker]

One interesting use for Bluetooth that works really nicely is how Festool is leveraging it to control the dust extraction from a cordless sander. With a corded tool, pressing the trigger on the tool asks for power and that, in turn, signals the vacuum to turn on. With the Cordless tool, Bluetooth is used to emulate the same...without the physical cord connection. Technology really can be useful in the shop.

[Zac wingert]

I think you’re right. For some people, there seems to be more interest in preparing for building something than actually building something. Nothing wrong with that. I have fishing friends that enjoy collecting and preparing fishing gear more than they like actually fishing.

not saying this tool is not useful, but to answer OP’s question, I think you should spend your money on some wood and make something instead. At least that’s what I always try to tell
my self when I’m trying to but another tool or accessory.