New Woodpeckers OTT -- Blade Gauge

I agree. Seems like an expensive way of making the job more complicated.

I, and quite a few others I suspect, hate the OTT concept, but I suspect this particular one won't be missed when it's "retired"!
 
I've been biting my lip on commenting on this .. but I can't help myself.

If this was any other company I would have guessed it to be a late April fools gag. WP make a few high quality measures and gauges, but this sort of stuff is seriously degrading their credibility.

Can't wait for the OTT Vari-Cone pencil sharpener [unsure]
 
I watched the video but am going to stay with my Wixey angle gauge.

I'm sure the Woodpecker system works as advertised but I prefer using a digital magnetic cube.
 
This is so "retro" it is silly. The folks at Wixey must be having a great chuckle:

  http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=wixey+digital+angle+gauge&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=31600973597&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6945384572149284251&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3za3qnaxn4_e

However, let's help these poor folks at WP. If we are so smart about what is stupid, how about some ideas for real tools that might be useful that have not been invented yet. You can also jump in with even more silly ideas to  keep them busy.

I get befuddled making curves and arcs. I would like to see a flexible metal arch that would register the radius of a curve. I could set it at a set depth and just put it place and draw the arch.

RTS is really slow coming out with the new Domino centering guide. I could really use a snap on centering guide that would automatically set the Domino on center.

I would buy jumbo spring loaded clips that could hold things in place.  About the largest you an buy is about 6 to 8 inches. I would like to see ones that might open to six inches.

I could make one of wood but a simple tool rest for the Dominos would be helpful. I often wrestle with the Domino when changing height.

I use a metal straight edge for checking surface level. Why not make one that is dead on level and magnetize it so it remains always handy.

Ok the floor is open to really silly ideas or ideas that might really be useful.......

 
Yea, yet another boutique product from Woodpeckers. Im sure its well made but who really needs this?! Especially for the way expensive price of it. Lots of other cheaper solutions.
 
I have a few of their tools, including some of the one-time tools.  I generally like the ones I have, and am interested in some others that I don't have yet, but there are plenty that I see no use for as well.  I have certainly been pleased with the overall quality of their tools.

This is not one that I plan on adding to my own set of tools, though I can see how it may have benefit in some situations and is likely more trustworthy than adjustable gauges for the more common angles... though the price does seem rather steep and I would get relatively limited use out these at best, certainly not worth it to me right now.
 
I've bought a number of the Woodpecker tools and use most of them. A few have looked like good ideas, but have not proved to be all that useful to me in real life.

The saw angle tool does not look like a significant improvement what I use now.

I think the shortcoming of all these tools is that they rest against only about 1/3 of the saw blade. If a tool rested against both the centerline of the upper and lower portions of the blade and lied flat on the saw's top, it would be a big improvement. It would have to allow for the arbor nut and flange.
 
It would be interesting to see a comparison of cuts made using the WP compound gauge and a digital gauge. Even if the WP was a tiny bit more precise, would it make any real difference?

WP makes/made enough 90 and 45 degree tools already and I think a digital gauge would be fine for 30 and 60 degrees.

I will pass on this one.
 
I dunno about this tool either. I don't see what makes it any better then a good bevel gauge . I did buy the WP bevel gauge with scale so I don't really need this.

Why wouldn't someone just cut apiece of stock on their SCMS and make their own?
 
I made my own out of 3/4" pine. If the angle needs recalibrating I can take a shaving or two with a hand plane. And they are thick enough to stand up on their own.

I made the original ones when I needed odd angles for drilling chair legs, but they worked so well I made a whole bunch with different angles.

It's been a long time since I saw an OTT that was original and worth buying.
 
. . .and I thought I was the only one scratching his head when that OTT angle tool announcement came out - apparently other are scratching their heads too.
LET'S FACE IT, it's hard to come with something new over and over again, year after year. Inevitably you reach the limits of what is practical and/or really new and useful.
Hans
 
Klemm said:
. . .and I thought I was the only one scratching his head when that OTT angle tool announcement came out - apparently other are scratching their heads too.
LET'S FACE IT, it's hard to come with something new over and over again, year after year. Inevitably you reach the limits of what is practical and/or really new and useful.
Hans
Click to expand...

Agree .. sadly it seems that WP have adopted a business plan that requires them to release a number of OTT's a year regardless of whether they are useful. They'll always be somebody that sees value in one of these niche items .. but even those here that have a strong leaning towards WP products are starting to question some of the recent OTT efforts.
 
Kev said:
Klemm said:
. . .and I thought I was the only one scratching his head when that OTT angle tool announcement came out - apparently other are scratching their heads too.
LET'S FACE IT, it's hard to come with something new over and over again, year after year. Inevitably you reach the limits of what is practical and/or really new and useful.
Hans
Click to expand...

Agree .. sadly it seems that WP have adopted a business plan that requires them to release a number of OTT's a year regardless of whether they are useful. They'll always be somebody that sees value in one of these niche items .. but even those here that have a strong leaning towards WP products are starting to question some of the recent OTT efforts.
Click to expand...

What I would rather see is a "re-release", of some of their more useful and interesting OTT's.  I think they are missing out on a large potential market of folks that have just started becoming interested in their tools.
 
I'll play the devil's advocate...did anyone ask themselves why if this tool is really that terrible, why would Woodpecker's re-issue another variation of the same OTT that they released back in 2011? 

They produced a variant of this tool back in 2011...and for some strange reason they are manufacturing a similar item again. Isn't that a flawed business plan? Then why would they again offer this item for sale? Clue...maybe they've had multiple requests...

Ahhhh, maybe because there are indeed some individuals that are interested in purchasing this item.

Just because the FOG doesn't embrace the item doesn't mean the item has no merit.
 
Cheese said:
I'll play the devil's advocate...did anyone ask themselves why if this tool is really that terrible, why would Woodpecker's re-issue another variation of the same OTT that they released back in 2011? 

They produced a variant of this tool back in 2011...and for some strange reason they are manufacturing a similar item again. Isn't that a flawed business plan? Then why would they again offer this item for sale? Clue...maybe they've had multiple requests...

Ahhhh, maybe because there are indeed some individuals that are interested in purchasing this item.

Just because the FOG doesn't embrace the item doesn't mean the item has no merit.
Click to expand...

[member=44099]Cheese[/member]

There could easily be 500 people on the planet that automatically buy one of every OTT released. Who knows? Maybe a couple of these people are on the FOG too. This could be adequate business justification for WP to run their business this way in their own eyes (geared towards collectors).

I do think it's a fair observation that the OTTs seem to be diminishing in functionality and the re-releases could re-inforce the thinking that they're getting thin on original ideas.

Regardless of the excuses that are made to justify WP's OTT model, I would not be alone in feeling that I'd be more inclined to invest in WP products if I knew they'd offer me a consistent range of products that I could get when I wanted them ... and they just dropped the OTT folly (it's folly in my mind) completely. After all, their model is effectively a gun to your head .. "buy it now, regardless of whether you feel you need it, because you may never get the chance again".

If WP only made junk I wouldn't go on about this, but some of their offerings are extremely good and I think it's VERY FRUSTRATING to locate a WP item that's exactly what you want .. only to find it was a OTT offering from two years ago and you've got zero change of getting one in the foreseeable future.

[mad]
 
[member=13058]Kev[/member]
I basically agree with everything you've said. I am also sometimes put-off by their OTT marketing model. For instance I purchased their Paolini aluminum pocket rule because it was a OTT and it turned out to be a real POS. Used it once and eventually sold it.

However, I do think the OTT model does allow them to produce tools that they otherwise wouldn't produce because of the economic realities of modern manufacturing in small lot runs. Their bevel gauge & angle reference plate come to mind.

There is a signup sheet on their website to request previous OTT, and if there is enough demand they state they may re-run the tools.
http://www.woodpeck.com/ottsignup.html

Thus my statement, that while FOG members may not like the latest OTT, there's obviously some demand from somewhere for them to reproduce and expand upon an item that was retired back in 2011.

Also, the blade gauge aligns a blade relative to a reference surface, that's something a Wixey angle gauge can't do.

 
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