Recommendations for Router and Table Saw Digital Height Gage

[Eric Arnsdorff]

I want to buy a digital height gage to use for setting my router and table saw heights. I have digital calipers but I'm looking for something easier and quicker to use.

I see Wixey makes a low cost unit but it looks lightweight and by router top is phenolic. I've seen a few others but wanted to know what others are using.

I'm thinking maybe it's best to get a good quality metrology height gage.

TIA

[Mike Cutler]

I use an iGage digital height indicator to set my shaper cutters. It should work fine for your application, as long as both machines have magnetic surfaces.

[ChrisA Edwards]

This is my favorite from iGaging, although I did replace the foot with a slightly wider one to find the top are of a tooth on my table saw..


https://www.rockler.com/igaging-snap-check-pro-analog-height-gauge-for-woodworking-machines?country=US&sid=V91040&promo=shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&tid=pla&gclid=CjwKCAjw9vn4BRBaEiwAh0muDIKGgfbqTT12WYok0EwG XPztKqFoPdNomlP54XkrN6sEEOEcwE6EdBoCkcsQAvD_BwE (https://www.rockler.com/igaging-snap-check-pro-analog-height-gauge-for-woodworking-machines?country=US&sid=V91040&promo=shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&tid=pla&gclid=CjwKCAjw9vn4BRBaEiwAh0muDIKGgfbqTT12WYok0EwG XPztKqFoPdNomlP54XkrN6sEEOEcwE6EdBoCkcsQAvD_BwE)

https://www.rockler.com/media/catalog/product/cache/ecd051e9670bd57df35c8f0b122d8aea/6/5/65355-01-1000.jpg

[Eric Arnsdorff]

Chris is the handle aluminum?

[Bruce Wrenn]

This is my favorite from iGaging, although I did replace the foot with a slightly wider one to find the top are of a tooth on my table saw..


https://www.rockler.com/igaging-snap-check-pro-analog-height-gauge-for-woodworking-machines?country=US&sid=V91040&promo=shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&tid=pla&gclid=CjwKCAjw9vn4BRBaEiwAh0muDIKGgfbqTT12WYok0EwG XPztKqFoPdNomlP54XkrN6sEEOEcwE6EdBoCkcsQAvD_BwE (https://www.rockler.com/igaging-snap-check-pro-analog-height-gauge-for-woodworking-machines?country=US&sid=V91040&promo=shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&tid=pla&gclid=CjwKCAjw9vn4BRBaEiwAh0muDIKGgfbqTT12WYok0EwG XPztKqFoPdNomlP54XkrN6sEEOEcwE6EdBoCkcsQAvD_BwE)

https://www.rockler.com/media/catalog/product/cache/ecd051e9670bd57df35c8f0b122d8aea/6/5/65355-01-1000.jpgAnd how long would it take to make this out of some scraps? ShopNotes / Woodsmith several (many) years back in the tips section showed one using a plastic digital caliper. Look at photos in the reply above for picture of jig. Because, over the years, I have made several, I made a set of templates to make the body.

[ChrisA Edwards]

Chris is the handle aluminum?

The blue part is anodized aluminum, but has magnets press into the base so it holds fast on a cast iron surface.

[glenn bradley]

Cannibalized a digital caliper and made this.

437755

Good for many height adjustments. Also good for distances.

437756

[Eric Arnsdorff]

Great options! Seeing the DIY stuff got me to thinking that may be the best option for me. I didn't even have to make anything for it.
I recalled I had an old digital gage in a box somewhere and I dug it out.
I stopped by Harbor Freight and got a magnetic base for indicators.
This is what I ended up with. It ended up being less than $20 but that's just because I happened to have a very nice digital gage.
437814
I like the idea of modifying a caliper. This could be useful for other measurement setups. Harbor Freight has some nice ones for cheap (some of their stuff is hard to beat - not always the case).
The iGaging option is also appealing and it looks like good quality for the cost.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

The modified caliper idea is great!
For less than $20 I can make a digital height gage for my planer!

437815
437816

[Alex Zeller]

I have one of those horse shoe shape igaging tools. It's very cheap and works fine. It's not what I would call a quality feel tool since it's made out of plastic. It would be nicer if it was spring loaded which is why I still use my dial indicator. I stick the magnetic base to a piece of 1" thick steel from my hydraulic press. It's more than heavy so it doesn't fall over. It's over kill. I'm sure a thinner piece of steel would work just fine.

[Lee Schierer]

I have and use the wixey digital height gauge. It is perfectly adequate for woodworking. My router plate is phenolic and my throat plate is aluminum, so the magnets don't stick.

[roger wiegand]

I use this one from igaging (https://www.infinitytools.com/digital-height-gauge). I like the magnetic base and that it doesn't need to straddle the thing I'm measuring-- fences are often in the way of the horseshoe shaped ones.