This Wixey gauge is a quality measurment device with some really cool features. It will predict with very good accuracy what planer height is set to BEFORE you make the pass. It can be set to read incramentally, in other words how much you change the planer height from the previous pass. It is easily calibrated.
It can also be used to measure the thickness of a piece of lumber before, after or anytime. Ths feature is so handy that I find myself using it even when I am not planing wood.
With all that said, now the other shoe. IF you have a standard planer that lowers the cutting head it will probaly fit fine, you can move on to the next review.
BUT IF you have a planer that has a fixed cutter and the bed raises up and down READ ON!
You will have to design and build your own metal brackets to attach the readout. They have photos on thier web site showing examples, but no written instruction or even tips on how to do it. I am quite crafty and mechanically inclined, yet it took me about 5-6 hours to install this, and I plan to re-work it some now that I have been using it.
You will have to dissasemble the unit and install tha scale upside down, or else you cannot calibrate it. You also have to ignore the negative numbers because it is now working backwards to the way it was designed.
You need to leave tha bottom of the scale far enough off the frame of your planer to allow measuring the fattest board you plan to measure with it. (I am currently limited to less than an inch(this is what I want to re-work)
Or you could install it with a rising scale that is sure to get bent/ broken etc as it would rise above the rest of the planer.
Note also that the scale is designed to only mount on the right side of you planer.
Overall I love the function of the readout and the accuracy it has brought to my planer, But IF you have a rising bed planer Expect to spend a great deal of time "Making it work" and even after all that time the scale will be "Upside down" and the readout will read "Backwards" Wixey WR510 Digital Planer Readout with Fractions
I think this is a great product. I believe the only mild criticism I would have is the install directions. They jump from one name brand to another and back and forth. This may seem quite simple for the person who designed the product, but for us poor mortals it needs a rewrite. I suggest that it cover Delta Planers in one section from beginning to end, then the DeWalt Planers in another section, and finally the generic planers in the last section. I made a stupid mistake and assumed that the bar had to pass below the planner table edge and to that end I drilled a hole in the table only to find out later that there was no need to do this. Needless to say, I guess that I should have read the directions more carefully, but like most people I hate to read directions. I prefer step one, step two, etc... hope this helps you out there and be sure to read your directions.
Burkelyn
This thing is a must have. The only complaint i have so far is the battery that comes with it doesn't last. Throw the original battery that comes with it away and buy a duracell and put in it before you even get going.
Makita 2012NB installation. Good points are many. It seems very accurate (within .002 - two thousands - of an inch.) Can measure what's left, or an amount to be removed. Can switch between metric and english. It shows fractions when you are on them exactly. (e.g. at .500 it also displays 1/2. But not at .499 or .501, so if you want the fractional display, you should either know what they are, or crank your machine very slowly to catch the fractional readout.) Came with two batteries. I think will be very simple to use in practice.
The downside was installing it on my Makita 2012NB. This is a popular machine. Makita has made them for years with little need for improvements, and it consistently gets good professional and user reviews. If you buy a Wixey planer readout for this Makita planer, make sure to look at the installation pictures on Wixey.com. Even there you can see the signs that it didn't install according to their installation instructions, even though the instructions read "All Machines" for the general location. And then the thing they don't tell you is if you do install it as they show on their website, the infeed table will not fold up all the way... the bracket that supports the reader protrudes! Bummer.
So I solved that by flattening and refolding the vertical bracket that connects the moving head to the reader. And I had to refashion a different machine screw head for some clearance issue. I guess I ended up spending 3 hours or so installing it.
So the moral to the story is if you own that planer, and you don't feel skilled or brave enough to mess about with their setup and hardware, don't get this readout.
The setup was quite tedious and the instructions are not very well written, but in about 30 minutes I had this planer readout working perfectly. I tested repeatedly and verified the reading with a set of dial calipers. I was within .001 on almost every measurement. You can't beat the convenience and accuracy for the price.
I am looking at trying the tablesaw fence readout next.
I installed the Wixey on my DeWalt DW735 in less than 15 minutes. The accuracy is incredible! It's especially handy when you have to plane a new board to match something you planed a couple of set-ups ago. Just measure the thickness of your first board, and plane to the same dimension - all by using the Wixey gauge on the planer.
I was a little worried about just having it stuck on to the machine with the double sided tape, but then discovered self-tapping screws included to be used as well to secure it to the existing height scale. You want to make sure you do a "loose" fit-up first to make sure there is no binding as the gauge moves up and down on the guide bar.
Another nice feature is the automatic fraction display that shows up as the digital reading matches a standard fractional measurement. This is one of the best power tool modifications I've made and I highly recommend it to others. Now if they'd just make a longer version to use on a sliding miter saw fence... - Measuring Gauges - Woodworking'
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