DRO Digital readout for planer/thicknessers

[Mike.C]

Has anyone got one of these?

ebay link

Like other members I have one of the Wixey gauges to set up the angle of cut on my table saw and I find that to be very good.

Am I right in saying that it reads the depth of cut coming out of the machine and it is not for setting up the depth of cut?

Would it work on the Elektra Beckum 260M?

Cheers

Mike

 

[Woody Alan]

You may want to investigate this to see if it can do the same job
http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/DKT18

Alan

 

[gidon]

Hi Mike
Yes - I have on my Scheppach HMS260 - see this thread:
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=12408
It's superb - makes the thicknesser a dream to use. Just set the thickness you want the wood cut to and that's it.
I would imagine there'll be some way to attach it to your p/t'er - Mr Wixey is very helpful and there are lots of pics on the Wixey site to help.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Philly]

Mike
I have one of those - it is fairly handy. The only downside is when you turn it off you lose the "zero" setting and have to set it up again.
I find it useful for thicknessing a piece of stock to match an existing piece. I run a scrap through the machine, use calipers to measure the thickness, then enter this into the DRO on the thicknesser. I can then pretty accurately thickness another piece using the DRO. It is easily within 0.1 of a mm.
Hope this helps
Philly

 

[Corset]

Yes,not used it very much but has worked like a dream so far. Seems to be accurate and mine does not need setting up again when you turn it off.
Owen

 

[Mike.C]

Alan thanks for the link.

Philly, Gidon, Owen thanks for the info.

Do you get a ruler with the Wixley as you do with the Dakota in Alans link?

Cheers

Mike

 

[gidon]

Philly - my Wixey one doesn't lose the calibration reading? Only when it runs out of batteries - not switching it off - which it hasn't yet.
You calibrate it once and then I'd say it's accurate to around 0.1mm.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[ecp]

I have one and a E/B 260.

I have never attached it because it reads the wrong way for the E/B. It is not designed for the way the bed on the E/B travels rather than the blade rotor.

It can be set up I suppose, but it needs to be dismantled turned upside down and re-assembled to work. And even then would be awkward.

 

[Philly]

Apologies - just had another look at mine.
I bought mine from the Wixey people at the Ally Pally show - but it is not the same one as in the Ebay listing.
Still a handy thing to have,
Philly

 

[Lord Nibbo]

I've had both the Rutlands one and the Wixey. The Wixey is easest to calibrate, it's easiest to fit, and is more accurate.

This is the one I bought direct from Wixey.

It includes everything you need to fix it which includes the actual steel measure part and THIS web page shows you how to fit it and calibrate it.

 

[Woody Alan]

I've had both the Rutlands one and the Wixey. The Wixey is easest to calibrate, it's easiest to fit, and is more accurate.

Well that may account for the Rutlands one being in the sale. I suppose to be fair they don't claim it's use on a thicknesser. It's as well someone has first hand experience though!

Alan

 

[Mike.C]

ecp,

I have one and a E/B 260.

I have never attached it because it reads the wrong way for the E/B. It is not designed for the way the bed on the E/B travels rather than the blade rotor.

It can be set up I suppose, but it needs to be dismantled turned upside down and re-assembled to work. And even then would be awkward.

Sorry mate its probably me, but don't all p/t move up and down the same way?

Cheers

Mike

 

[ecp]

but don't all p/t move up and down the same way?

The Wixey DRO is designed for Thicknessers.

If you look at the images in their instructions you will see that the bed that the timber is placed on is fixed at the bottom, and the blade drum moves up and down. So material thickness is measured from the bottom and that's where the Wixey is zero'd to.

On a Planer/Thicknesser like the EB 260, the blade drum stays static and the bed for the material moves up and down, so the material thickness is measured from the top - so the Wixey measures the wrong way.

 

[Anonymous]

Why pay more than double for a Wixey?
It looks pretty good on the calibration side, but is it worth the extra money? I just checked DRO website and the cost is £34.20 directly from them (including postage)

I would be worried about claims of accuracy when the the thing is stuck on with sticky-foam too :shock:


I used a cheapo (pretty much the same as the Rutlands one) a couple of years ago and it has worked briilliantly ever since
Wixey more accurate? Accuracy is not the same as displaying numbers in a different way. The Wixey is specified to 0.05 mm which is standard for these devices (despite their claims of 0.01mm)

The one I use is specified as accurate to 0.05mm and cost a lot less than the Wixey - good enough for woodwork :wink: :lol:

 

[ecp]

The one I use is specified as accurate to 0.05mm and cost a lot less than the Wixey

I have one of these too!!. And you are right, they are cheaper.

I had not thought about fixing it to the P/T, but thinking about it, it may be a better option for fixing to the EB.

I could probably attach and calibrate this on the EB by setting a stop for '0', set the zero on the DRO and then just make sure that the DRO 'Zero' button is not pressed again.
If I leave the stop on the P/T, I can always reset it should I need too (for example if the battery goes flat).

 

[Lord Nibbo]

I would be worried about claims of accuracy when the the thing is stuck on with sticky-foam too :shock:

img]http://www.btinternet.com/~my.webs/Delta_Vernier/Vernier_on_Delta.jpg[/img]

The sticky foam is only on it to position it, for the permanent fixing it comes with self tapping screws. I don't care which one anyone wants to buy you pays your money and get what you get. All I'm saying is the Wixey is by far the better guage IMHO. It's much like buying an Anant or LN Plane ennit. :lol:

 

[NeilO]

you can get Wixey stuff here :
http://www.machine-dro.co.uk/index.php

and I think its as cheap as the Axi/Rutlands stuff or even Ebay....

 

[Harbo]

Following Neil0's link, if you use the Discount code "AMEE07" before the 30th September you will get a Show discount of 15%

Rod

 

[gidon]

Mike - I looked at both types and for the small difference in price it's a no brainer - the Wixey has several additional features that are really useful. Being able to set the actual thickness of the thicknesser before you switch it on is very useful - the basic height read outs aren't designed for that.
It will make you p/t'er seems like a much more expensive machine!
Cheers
Gidon

 

[wizer]

Harbo: I can't see anywhere to enter that discount code on the machine-dro website?