Thread: Problems with Wixey Digital Saw Fence

I think you will find the fence moves when being locked. I clocked mine with a dial indicator but it is easily seen by sighting down the fence when locking it the final bit on the clamp. The annoying thing to me is it used to not do it and I can't figure out why it has started too. I suspect that the clamp is not drilled perpendicular to the fence or the hole for the clamp bolt has developed a small bit of wear so it pulls the fence that tiny amount. As for accuracy I don't think .1mm is going to make a significant difference to my woodworking, it is just bloody annoying.

I agree with Chris, I think the movement is being detected by the Wixey being so accurate. Getting these accurate digital measuring devices changes the way you look at things.

I recently put a DRO on my metal lathe and it detects the slightest movement of my top and cross slide on the lathe, even halfway through a cut. The dials on the lathe haven't moved, but the DRO can detect that the actual cross slide has moved a few thou.

Having said that, I don't get that movement with my tablesaw fence as I lock it down, perhaps it is different design.

The biggest mistake I made was to put a Wixey on my thicknesser. My thicknesser is a very heavy industrial machine that is built like the proverbial brick outhouse but when it is in operation you can see the movement of the table registering on the DRO. God knows what a cheap Asian one does, it must move all over the place and significantly as well. As Fred says, DRO's can change how you see and do things, I really don't use them to be more accurate but for repeatability and speed. It has cut out the need to test cut in most cases so speeds things up.

Actually thinking about the error issue i think you are quite correct & is something that i'm going to have to 'get over'. My working background is in electronics where .1V difference can mean quite a lot. Its my very familiarity with digital meters that drew me to the wixey & all the other DRO's i have, at last count i have about 8.....
A cpl weeks ago on my router boss i caught myself cutting dovetails to within 0.07mm tolerance & fussing till i had it within the 0.07mm. I later felt pretty darn foolish (i think the correct word is 'anal')