Woodpecker Micro Adjust

[Michael Kellough]

Hi Jeff, the one I tested went back via FedEx yesterday, along with the replacement that was sent. They seemed identical in the amount of lash I could see by informally squeezing the two blocks towards one another.

If I had been able to remove the clamping screw I would have replaced the spring washer with a stiffer one, or used two. The spring should be stiff enough that it can push the fence forward without compressing, in my opinion.

Then I would have tightened the clamping screw enough that the spring washer is slightly compressed so that with under no load there is no lash whatsoever.

I kind regret not doing so. I think if I used a stronger clamp and used a couple blocks of soft wood to protect the fine screw I could have broken the clamping screw loose. But it might also have simply broken, so I didn’t pursue it.

On the other hand, if as I think, something is wrong with the assembly of the latest batch then they can be fixed before going out to customers.

 

[Cheese]

Just curious Jeff, if Woodpeckers ever considered making a graduated hand wheel available as an option.

Something similar to this. It wouldn't need to be this large but something where the amount of linear travel could be more closely monitored and whatever item that's attached to the Micro Adjust, could be reset or repositioned for repeatability. It wouldn't even need the extra handle, just a round wheel that's calibrated to work with the leadscrew. The customer could place a pointer in whatever position suited them.

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[Michael Kellough]

That would be better than my strip of blue tape  [wink]

That wheel has 200 divisions?

1/32”= .0325”/200 = .0001625 per increment.
Twenty would be plenty.

 

[Cheese]

That wheel has 200 divisions?

1/32”= .0325”/200 = .0001625 per increment.
Twenty would be plenty.

31 divisions would be almost perfect...every division would be an incremental gain of .001008".  [cool]

 

[Michael Kellough]

Why the odd number? 32 divisions = .001015, and could be more easily scribed by hand.
I think the red knob is one inch diameter so the increments would be about 1/10” apart.

A curser could be on a polycarbonate bridge spanning the rods.

 

[Cheese]

Why the odd number? 32 divisions = .001015, and could be more easily scribed by hand.
I think the red knob is one inch diameter so the increments would be about 1/10” apart.

A curser could be on a polycarbonate bridge spanning the rods.

I used 31 divisions because the pitch is actually .03125".
1.0" ÷ 32 threads = .03125 pitch.
.03125" ÷ 31 = .001008" increments

 

[squall_line]

I added a dot to the wheel on each of my corner planes from Woodpeckers to help me with indexing when I'm trying to do multiple pieces and take a small bite each time.  I understand why it can't have a depth indicator on it because the blades can be sharpened, but it helps to have some sort of indexing available to understand how much I'm moving the wheel each time I turn it.

 

[Cheese]

I added a dot to the wheel on each of my corner planes from Woodpeckers to help me with indexing when I'm trying to do multiple pieces and take a small bite each time.  I understand why it can't have a depth indicator on it because the blades can be sharpened, but it helps to have some sort of indexing available to understand how much I'm moving the wheel each time I turn it.

I concur...it was the first thing I did when I received the EZ Edge plane. Seemed like a no-brainer.  [smile]  I used a 90º spotting drill and 4 different color Sharpies which yielded a single white index line and 4 colored divots.

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[Michael Kellough]

Why the odd number? 32 divisions = .001015, and could be more easily scribed by hand.
I think the red knob is one inch diameter so the increments would be about 1/10” apart.

A curser could be on a polycarbonate bridge spanning the rods.

I used 31 divisions because the pitch is actually .03125".
1.0" ÷ 32 threads = .03125 pitch.
.03125" ÷ 31 = .001008" increments

Doh! I left out the 1 in .03125

But .000976 is close enough to .001 for me  [smile]

 

[jeffinsgf]

Never a dull moment in PeckerLand.

Took a look at a couple Micro-Adjust units this morning, and it didn't take long to see what Michael is talking about. The spring washer between the lead screw and the mounting bar is not under sufficient tension. Could be the wrong spring washer, or just not tightened sufficiently. Engineering is on it right now. 

Michael, I believe the reason you couldn't adjust the spring tension is because the bolt is secured with Loctite. What I should say is that "I hope" the reason you couldn't adjust yours is because of the Loctite. The second possibility is the bolt bottoming out, which is a bigger issue.

If you have one on order or were about to order one, rest assured none are going out the door until the issue is resolved, which won't take long. In a day or two they'll all work just like Cheese's.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Exactly what you’d expect from a first rate company! Wish there were more.

Maybe the screw supplier decide to give you an extra 1/32” for free.  [tongue]

 

[rmwarren]

Have to say what impressed me most about the WP shop tour video posted here today was 12 engineers and 6 machinists in R&D/QC! And there's lots of cool stuff scattered around...

Kudos Jeff on the response. Also, nice studio.

RMW

 

[Michael Kellough]

Have to say what impressed me most about the WP shop tour video posted here today was 12 engineers and 6 machinists in R&D/QC! And there's lots of cool stuff scattered around...

Kudos Jeff on the response. Also, nice studio.

RMW

Also impressed with how committed they are to maintaining quality and improving production of Blue Spruce tools.

And interesting to hear that Rich is personally testing router bits to make them better.

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.

Also impressed with how committed they are to maintaining quality and improving production of Blue Spruce tools.
Snip.

Such commitment also seems to be in place for BCT tools after Harvey has acquired the business and taken over the production with plants in China.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Woodpeckers sent a replacement Micro-Adjust kit. I’ve only had time for a quick assessment but this one seems to deserve the micro-adjust name.

I didn’t receive any info on what they did but I can see a couple differences between the first two (identical) units and this [attachimg=1][attachimg=2]one.

The clamping screw on the end of the screw is changed from black oxide coated steel to stainless steel.

There is an additional washer on the other side of the aluminum block so now there are two flat washers sandwiching the spring washer.

The net result is that the spring washer is compressed to about 50% of its range. My crude hand squeezing test meets much more resistance and the block moves less than half as much when squeezed.

Without getting out measuring instruments I’d say there is no significant lash. I can work with this as is.

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[jeffinsgf]

Sorry it took my intervention to get your message heard. The folks in CS are a little too accustomed to outliers and a little too quick to "just send out another one".

I cringe to think how many went out assembled like this, and how many folks will just shrug it off instead of expecting better.

Thanks for bringing it up here, and thanks to Cheese for his exhaustive proof that a properly assembled Micro-Adjust is worthy of the name.

 

[Michael Kellough]

The solution was just adding a washer?

That’s what I would have done if I could have removed the screw without damaging the fine thread rod.
But I probably would have spent a dozen dollars sourcing an equally fine washer from McMaster.

I think the one I bought came from a fresh production run so hopefully not many had been shipped.

 

[jeffinsgf]

The solution was just adding a washer?

That’s what I would have done if I could have removed the screw without damaging the fine thread rod.
But I probably would have spent a dozen dollars sourcing an equally fine washer from McMaster.

I think the one I bought came from a fresh production run so hopefully not many had been shipped.

I'm not completely sure if it was "just" the washer, as I haven't followed up with engineering. It looks like a washer was missing and the spring wasn't sufficiently compressed. After the beginning of this thread I pulled one from recent returns (not one of yours, as it turned out) and one off the shelf. Found both of them to have the same problem you described. Called the V.P. of engineering and showed it to him. He called shipping and stopped them from sending any more out and took off to figure out what was wrong. The next day I got an e-mail to say your replacement was on the way.

 

[Packard]

Someone please clue me in.  In woodworking, when do we ever have to work closer than 1/32” (except for hand fitting)?

I can do that with my existing fence and light taps with my hand for movement. 

On the other hand, I do like the feel of precision tools…

 

[Michael Kellough]

The Woodpecker Micro-Adjust is made to move the router table fence in very fine amounts.

That tool is the one most often requiring precision adjustments, an order of magnitude finer than 1/32”. Just imagine making adjustments for stile and rail cutters or a lock miter bit. If you want parts to match exactly, or even get a panel to fit in the slots of a frame you have to work in the sub 1/100th inch realm. Or be willing to accept poor fits.