Thread: Well, that was boring.

I suspect you'll end up using it a lot more than you currently think.

eg. I probably use mine to check fences after adjustment more often than I check the blades. It's rare that they're out, but I move fences more than I change tilt and some of the more... modern fences can be thrown out by wood chips in the wrong places.

I've got a few different digital measuring thingies and while I don't use them often, they're worth their weight in rocking horse poo when I do, either for precise measurement or for piece of mind. I take the batteries out between use as they tend to go flat coz you can't actually turn them off. It might take an extra 30 sec to install the battery but it's better than having to whip down to the shop for another one.

Cheers

Bryan

Since I purchased a Wixey about 6 weeks ago, I find myself using it all the time.

Angle of the blade on my mitre saw, regularly checking fences including sacrificial fences that I put a small rare earth magnet in, etc.

I use my digi-align guage much less, but the Wixey is used almost weekly (as a weekend woodworker).

In
My latest plane build I had a light bulb moment, that in its self is extremely rare by its self.

But having the Wiexy made setting my blade support so easy.




Cheers Matt.

I have two digital angle finders (DAF, Wixey and a Tiltbox)), plus a digital protractor that works on Horizontal angles and an Empire digital level. The later has two readouts, one on the top and one on the side you you don't have to contort yourself to see a display on things that are down low or two high. This is the ducks nuts for checking out the myriad of angles that need to be checked on a large machine like a BS mill.

Back to the DAFs.
As well as saw blade and saw/grinder fence/table angles I use mine for the following.

Checking drill bit to drilled surface angles. They're not always 90º.
On the metal mill to check various angles
To set my chainsaw raker angles.
Checking log rails are not twisted when chain saw milling.
Checking the degrees of twist and bowing of slabs and boards.
Checking things are squared up before welding - especially on sections where a Square cannot fit.

I've gone through 3 DAFs since I bought my first one in 2007, a cheap chinese DAF that barely lasted outside warranty, a Wixey I dropped a from a height of about 3m - it bounced but didn't work too well after that. My first Tilt Box died late last year after 14 years of rough rough handling (It was the one I used on the BS mill) but now I have the Empire for that. I was so impressed with the Tilt Box I bought another and it had to come from the US so it was not cheap but I reckon they're worth tif they have to be used in a rugged situation.