SawStop and Wixey Table Saw Fence DRO– A Problem Solved (pics)

[Glen Blanchard]

There may be some SawStop owners who have purchased the Wixey table saw fence digital read-out, who have encountered a problem with not being able to adjust the blade height once the blade is tilted past approx. 38 degrees. I ran into this issue myself, and after some help from Barry Wixey, I have solved the problem. With his permission I am posting (via link below) a description of the problem, along with 2 possible solutions for those who might have encountered the same problem, for those considering the purchase, or for those with an interest.


http://smilesrus.com/wixey/

(http://smilesrus.com/wixey/)

[Don Bullock]

Glenn, Good work. I'm glad to see that you solved the problem.

[Charles Jackson III]

Nice work!

[Doug Shepard]

So how do you like the readout? I've been considering one for a while. After numerous retina and cataract surgeries my eyesight is pretty shoddy. I'm thinking a readout might be a whole lot easier to see than little ruler marks. One thing I've wondered about is whether the display gets washed out if direct sunlight hits it. During warmer months my TS is usually near the open garage door when wheeled out for use.

[Norman Krasner]

I just purchased the Wixey DRO and installed it just under the Sawstop rail in a manner upside down, just as in the earlier post. However, rather than go through all the hassle of using the various brackets and screws, I simply drilled four holes through the DRO mounting readout track and the saw rail (after clamping the bar to the rail). Then I used a tap to make screw threads in the holes beneath the rail and I enlarged the holes in the readout track to allow the screws to pass through the bar and into the rail from below. Lock washers and regular washers kept the screws in place. Before drilling the holes I made sure that the DRO readout was clear of the rail by about 1/16" all across. As in the original post it was necessary to install the sensor strip in a manner that is upside down relative to the instruction booklet (because the readout track was installed upside down).

Above worked like a charm and was easy.

I also mounted the magnetic bracket, to which the readout display is attached, to the right of the fence on the bolt that holds the handle. I had to saw off a little lip on the bracket to allow this. I believe the readout can alternatively be mounted to the left of the fence on this same bolt, without modification.

Hope this helps anyone wishing to purchase this DRO for Sawstop. Incidentally the tape on the fence appears to track the DRO very accurately.

[Rob Blaustein]

Thanks Norman (and Glen). I've been saving the link to this post in preparation for mounting my Wixey on my new Sawstop. The Wixey has been sitting in my shop for months now and I just never got around to attaching to my old saw. Any chance of adding some pics Norman?
--Rob

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

Norman, would you place a pictures of your setup.
Ed.

[Norman Krasner]

Since several people have requested photos of my installation I have attached two, the first showing a bottomview with one of the screws (with washers) directly screwed from below into the mounting rail and then into the sawstop rail. The second picture shows the DRO mount from above. Read my prior submission for details on these installations.

[Mike Goetzke]

Looks similar to the solution I had to use on my Unisaw a while back except I flipped the extrusion over to get it just a tad higher. My problem was a drawer in the storage cabinet under my Uni hit the bar at first:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/My%20Tools/Wixey%20TS%20Gauge/th_IMG_1668_5.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/My%20Tools/Wixey%20TS%20Gauge/?action=view&current=IMG_1668_5.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/My%20Tools/Wixey%20TS%20Gauge/th_IMG_1666_2.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/My%20Tools/Wixey%20TS%20Gauge/?action=view&current=IMG_1666_2.jpg)

[Dave Bureau]

Has anyone mounted one of these on an Incra fence?
DAve

[Chris Padilla]

Dave,

I have an Incra fence but no Wixey DRO. Seems to me that it could just be added to the rail and end of the fence? Kind of like as if the Incra fence had a handle like the Bies clone fence.

[Tim Hernly]

Thanks for the great ideas guys.

Glen, did you use the factory brackets? Did you have to bend or redrill them. Mine don't quite reach from the bolts under the rail to the front. About 3/8" too short. Debating whether to bend my own brackets or just screw the DRO directly into the rail. Thanks.

Has anyone with a Sawstop ICS tried mounting the DRO higher, as Mike did? Does the fence clear it?

[Glen Blanchard]

Thanks for the great ideas guys.

Glen, did you use the factory brackets? Did you have to bend or redrill them. Mine don't quite reach from the bolts under the rail to the front. About 3/8" too short. Debating whether to bend my own brackets or just screw the DRO directly into the rail. Thanks.

Tim, It has been quite some time since I installed the Wixey and I have slept once or twice since then. That being said, I don't remember using anything other than what came with the Wixey, although I may have used some different bolts. Apparently the details of the Wixey installation got kicked out of my head when I had to memorize a new home phone number.