Got my new Wixey height gauge

[Bill Huber]

I got the Wixey height gauge and it is really great.

I set the router up with it and it was so nice to get it set right and easy at that. I used it to set the fence and then used it to set the depth of the bit.
I then used it on the table saw to set the blade height and just cut a 3/8 groove down a board and then checked it with my calipers, spot on.

The unit is made very well and works as well as its made, sure beats my little horseshoe thing with the ruler in the center.

http://www.wixey.com/heightgauge/index.html

Image from Wixey's web site.
72701

[Gary Keedwell]

Bill...that looks interesting. I followed your link and it says battery life is 6 months with automatic shut-off. With the relatively short time the battery will actually be on...it seems like a short life? I don't know..I know it is a minor issue but you would think it would last longer.:confused:

Gary

[Bill Huber]

I know what you mean, I never thought that I would every have to worry about keeping a stock of batteries in the shop.

I have a little bin in one of my drawers that has noting but batteries in it. Even my dial indicator has a battery, well I guess its not a dial indicator anymore, its a digital indicator.

[Carl Crout]

The battery is actually being used all of the time (even with the unit off) to hold memory. I don't know about this one but my planer one has to be calibrated. This calibration is held by the battery voltage even with the unit off.

[Gary Keedwell]

Well, I have a digital verneir and the battery lasts for at least a couple years. Doesn't need to hold calibration because you press the reset button every time you turn it on, to go back to zero when it is closed.:)
Gary

[Bruce Wrenn]

I built the horse shoe thingie that was in either Shop Notes, or Woodsmith a couple years back. I uses the HF $7.99, plastic digital calipers. Only measures to 1/100 of an inch though. Wait, this is wood that I'm working with, so why am I complaining. By measuring in milimeters, I can get an even smaller unit of measurement. It also goes to 1/10 of a MM. The real beauty is it uses the common AG-13 battery that I can get at the dollar store. A card of eight is only a buck. Original battery lasted over a year.

[Ravi Narasimhan]

Can the Wixey be used to scribe lines onto wood? I'm looking for alternatives to marking gauges. I've used height gauges with scribers in machine shops but can't tell if the woodworking tool has the same capability.