Does anyone use a Digital Inclinometer

[jtwood]

I have an old Wixey I use on my Powermatic 10" saw, and it is very accurate.  I checked it against my Bridge City Anglemaster, and it was close enough for the furniture I build.

JMB was right about the saw itself not having to be level.  Zero out the tool on the saw table first, and you'll be fine.

Steve

 

[NERemodeling]

Why would you think it wouldn't? The arms rotate a full 360 degrees (actually infinite). You can re-zero the display whenever you want, so you could even use it to find the difference between two angles, etc. I clicked on your amazon link above, and this was also shown. It's only $25.

the problem i see with the protractor is with the length of the arms, this would be an issue when setting the bevel angle of my miter saw.  if you can imagine one arm of the protractor held horizontally to the miter saw table and the other arm extending vertically from the table, the blade guard/motor housing/arbor/etc.. will all be in the way of sliding the protractor up to the blade  maybe i am missing something, but it doesnt seem to work in my head

on the other hand the protractor would be able to calibrate the miter angle of a miter saw.. something the angle cube would not be able to do

also i can see no problems with setting the bevel of a table saw using the protractor

no doubt it is a handy tool and i am sure i will end up owning one

John

 

[NERemodeling]

alot of good things being said about the Wixey, especially the new WR365 model..    i thought i liked the iGaging better (i think because of the .05 resolution)  Michael made me think that the .05 resolution would be nice to have?  is it really that big of a difference between one decimal place and two?   

 

[GregBradley]

I have an old Wixey I use on my Powermatic 10" saw, and it is very accurate.  I checked it against my Bridge City Anglemaster, and it was close enough for the furniture I build.

JMB was right about the saw itself not having to be level.  Zero out the tool on the saw table first, and you'll be fine.

Steve

The saw doesn't have to be level if it is a table saw. The level issue in my original post was specifically related to the Makita LSxx16 saws that have three separate surfaces that have known issues being all in the same plane and staying consistent. Leveling the saw was a good work around for that issue. The LSxx14 don't have that problem either since it has one large table. The access to the blade is also blocked on one side on the LSxx16 saws.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I really wish the Wixey had .05* resolution. At 18" out the difference between .1 and .2 is 1/32". That's a big gap in a joint.

On projects that require higher resolution you can rig up an external indicator. I've hot glued a two foot long maple stick to the side of the ATF 55 to sweep across a panel set up for the purpose. Marking the stick's position at one tenth and then again at another tenth followed by a few interpolated intermediate increments allowed setting the saw to the .03+ position required for the cut.

This is a project where I used the Wixey and the ATF 55.

All joints are compound miters except the very bottom.

The "zero-out" feature of digital inclinometers combined with the WYSIWYG splinter guard on the Festool guide rails allow you cut anything to the limit of your ability to lay it out.

 

[rrmccabe]

I agree with your math.  I checked

But I think expecting more resolution from something with a 2" base is not needed as there are a ton of other variables.

To me it's a great tool for table saws and miter saws and nothing else.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I agree with your math.  I checked

But I think expecting more resolution from something with a 2" base is not needed as there are a ton of other variables.

To me it's a great tool for table saws and miter saws and nothing else.

A short base is a limitation only on analog levels/inclinometers.
The zero out function effectively makes the shortness of the base irrelevant.
It becomes as long as whatever you attach it too.

And you aren't limited by the magnets. Good old clamps, tape, hot glue work too.
The attachment method just has to be strong enough that you don't move the device
while pushing the button.

These lightweight adjustable spring clamps from Bessey are pretty good.

 

[NERemodeling]

I really wish the Wixey had .05* resolution. At 18" out the difference between .1 and .2 is 1/32". That's a big gap in a joint.

On projects that require higher resolution you can rig up an external indicator. I've hot glued a two foot long maple stick to the side of the ATF 55 to sweep across a panel set up for the purpose. Marking the stick's position at one tenth and then again at another tenth followed by a few interpolated intermediate increments allowed setting the saw to the .03+ position required for the cut.

This is a project where I used the Wixey and the ATF 55.

All joints are compound miters except the very bottom.

The "zero-out" feature of digital inclinometers combined with the WYSIWYG splinter guard on the Festool guide rails allow you cut anything to the limit of your ability to lay it out.

what are we looking at here?  is this a piece for something or just to showcase you mad skills!  cool looking whatever it is.      i too like the idea of .05*  not that it would probably ever be necessary for what i do..    but for this reason, what are your thoughts on the angle cube?

with amazons return policy.. sadily i might just get them both and do a shootout, return whichever one i find to be less accurate

 

[Michael Kellough]

That odd form was made for George Griffin. He is an animator and wanted to make a digital mutoscope.

Here is his description of the Digital Mutoscope Project.

Another view of the construction, testing the fit.

Added, I also depended on a vernier bevel protractor to test bevels and help lay out the cut lines.
A vernier protractor can be read directly (good old line matching) to 1/20*, same as .05*,
and there is still a little space between increments so you can interpolate to 1/40* or better.
A good description of how to use the vernier bevel protractor here.
And I double (or triple) checked the layout using end of line point coordinates from the CAD plans.

The small size of the digital inclinometers allows their use in places that do not allow verification of the setup.
Keep in mind the best verification is to test the actual cut, which you can also use the device for.

You need a device you can trust. It's a good plan to directly test and compare the devices to find one that is reliable.

Don't be confused by the extra flashing digit on the .05* units. Go slow and pay close attention to the .0 position.

I'd go with the one that updates the .0 position the fastest, unless it has some inconsistent behavior.
I'd rather have a device that was consistently inaccurate than one that was inconsistently accurate.
If one device is always off by -.1 I can work with that but if a device is sometimes + and sometimes -
I can't depend on it.

If you find a device that seems accurate and reliable and has .05* display resolution let us know.

 

[rrmccabe]

A short base is a limitation only on analog levels/inclinometers.
The zero out function effectively makes the shortness of the base irrelevant.

Well I don't agree with you there but it really isn't about the actual possible accuracy of the gauge itself but its use in a woodshop environment.

Now I realize there are exceptions but with a 2" base it only takes 17 thousandths to make 1/2 degree.  So the slightest variation including a tiny piece of wood dust will change the results by 1/2 a degree. My miter saw top is far from perfect as with any material I work with.

But for the most part I agree with what you are saying.

 

[Michael Kellough]

A short base is a limitation only on analog levels/inclinometers.
The zero out function effectively makes the shortness of the base irrelevant.

Well I don't agree with you there but it really isn't about the actual possible accuracy of the gauge itself but its use in a woodshop environment.

Now I realize there are exceptions but with a 2" base it only takes 17 thousandths to make 1/2 degree.  So the slightest variation including a tiny piece of wood dust will change the results by 1/2 a degree. My miter saw top is far from perfect as with any material I work with.

But for the most part I agree with what you are saying.

You're right, a little digital inclinometer is no substitute for a long level or straightedge.

The only practical application I see on a compound miter saw is to set the bevel.
Since you can't quickly adjust the base of the saw all that counts is the relative angle
of the blade to the base and the small size of the DI makes it easy to fix to the blade.

The old school way of setting the bevel of a compound miter saw (without relying on the built-in scale)
is to set an adjustable bevel gauge (preset to the angle you want to achieve) on the bed and slide it close to the blade.
Then adjust the saw bevel until the blades meet evenly.

There are multiple problems with that approach.

The moving table of the miter saw is often not co-planar with the broader support table.
The bevel gauge might not fit on the moving table alone and will therefore tilt.
(the workaround for both of the above is to set the bevel gauge
on a smooth flat board that spans across the full support table)

The saw blade has teeth that interfere with positioning the bevel gauge blade.
The saw blade blank might not be ground flat, or could be warped etc.
If there are warpage issues with the blade or runout of the arbor then the bevel gauge blade has to be consistently set
to the same point of rotation every time and allowances made when setting the angle of the bevel gauge.

None of the above issues are relevant with the zero-out feature of the DI. Even with a warped blade,
doesn't matter if the DI is set to the + or - position of rotation as long as the blade is not rotated after zero is set.

With the saw head returned to 90* attach the magnetic base of the DI to the blade and zero the DI.
As an alternative you can clamp the DI to some other part of the saw head, even the handle,
it doesn't have to be in the same plane as the blade and it doesn't even have to be flat
as long as it is secure and doesn't move when the button is pushed.

And of course it isn't necessary to start from 90* or 0* as long as you know how many degrees you want to move.
I like to make adjustments from O*, it's just easier to look at with less stuff displayed.

 

[TinyTiger]

I have the newer Wixey 365.  It uses a readily available battery, so it seems to be better than the older model.  I use it on my table saw, jointer fence, and band saw table.  It works well for those operations and is extermely accurate.

The only thing is, it's a special use tool.  If I had it to do over again, I'd probably buy the General Digital Bevel Gauge.  That way I could use it on all those tools and also on projects off the tools.  That's my $0.02, for what it's worth.

 

[flair woodworks]

I bought a Tilt-Box years ago and never found it necessary so I got rid of it.

 

[NERemodeling]

Hi all

just an update, i put this on the back burner for a while and just yesterday pulled the trigger

i ended up with the iGaging AngleCube for a few reasons

price, .00 decimal place and mainly poor amazon reviews for the magnent strength of the Wixey wr365

i will post my findings of how it works for me

John

 

[Theshipstore]

John.  When I had my table saw I used that one for a long time, when I sold the saw along went the Angle Cube.
I found it to work great and the magnet strong and holding just fine

Sal

 

[Richard D.]

I had a Wixey for a while and I liked it. When it broke I got a cheaper one from Rockler and it was inaccurate so I don't use it. I would replace it but realized that whenever I set a machine using the tilt box I will verify the setting by making a cut and measuring the piece. So as much fun as it is to use the box the I realized that I may as well use the real test of measuring my finished piece. If I am doing anything other than 90's and 45's I will using a bevel gauge and test both side's of the joint with the relative setting since a perfect number is irrelevant.

 

[NERemodeling]

John.  When I had my table saw I used that one for a long time, when I sold the saw along went the Angle Cube.
I found it to work great and the magnet strong and holding just fine

Sal

Thanks Sal, its nice to have a review from someone i know rather than random amazon reviews.  Sounds like I made a good choice! Glad to hear the magnets hold strong

I had a Wixey for a while and I liked it. When it broke I got a cheaper one from Rockler and it was inaccurate so I don't use it. I would replace it but realized that whenever I set a machine using the tilt box I will verify the setting by making a cut and measuring the piece. So as much fun as it is to use the box the I realized that I may as well use the real test of measuring my finished piece. If I am doing anything other than 90's and 45's I will using a bevel gauge and test both side's of the joint with the relative setting since a perfect number is irrelevant.

I'm sure for the first bunch of cuts and also always when the cut is very critical I'll still verify it  however if I find it to be as accurate as it seems to be it will be a easy verification and a real time saver.  Thanks for the input

John

 

[NYC Tiny Shop]

I have an inclinometer on my iPad which I use very little in the shop. I find, for me using the flatness of the mft table gives me the quickest way to find the high, low, and twist of a board.
Today, however, when I meet with a prospective client, who wants some space-saving furnitue and shelves, I will use the inlinometer to check her floors, where she wants shelving, to see how level they are and what direction they may be sloping.  I learned from one of my first builds,  a murphy bed closet, that even if the floor looks level, it could have a couple degrees of unnoticeable slope. Hope this helps.

 

[Richard D.]

I have an inclinometer on my iPad which I use very little in the shop. I find, for me using the flatness of the mft table gives me the quickest way to find the high, low, and twist of a board.
Today, however, when I meet with a prospective client, who wants some space-saving furnitue and shelves, I will use the inlinometer to check her floors, where she wants shelving, to see how level they are and what direction they may be sloping.  I learned from one of my first builds,  a murphy bed closet, that even if the floor looks level, it could have a couple degrees of unnoticeable slope. Hope this helps.

Your ipad might be good for hanging a picture but really has no practical purpose in woodworking. The edge of the ipad isn't a decent reference surface for short measurements and it is too short to measure something like the slope of a floor or wall. A square to measure corners is useful on an inspection and a good long level is useful during the install.

 

[NYC Tiny Shop]

Richard,
  You are completely right. It is not good for measuring and it's not good for checking a large floor space. But, it is good for checking a small space where a small shelf, and the like, would go.  That's what I do...small things.  The largest pieces are 4 foot tables and dressers.