[OP]
Member
So this is version 1 to make sure it worked ok and I didn't have to make brackets and re-drill holes. I just mounted it to a piece of wood and double stick taped it to the planer. It works perfect so now I am going to make a bracket that replaces the factory depth gauge that has a higher lip so I can screw this spring loaded piece on to it.
Member
Great idea!
Thanks!!!
Definition of an expert: Someone more than 50 miles from home with a briefcase.
Member
You did come up with an excellent idea!
Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.
Deep thought for the day:
Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.
Member
Nice, elegant solution. Now I want one.
Contributor
David, Woodcraft will pick it up from Keith, and they'll be selling them for $29.99 before you know it!
I drink, therefore I am.
Contributor
I know I'm missing something obvious, but what does it do?
Contributor
I'm wondering too, but, may be a snap gauge like my Delta benchtop had to set the depth of the first cut. I upgraded to the same machine he has and make a quick caliper measurement of the thickest part of the board and then use the Wixey digital remote gage i have mounted to the machine (sometimes the board if rough sawn isn't thickest on the ends).Originally Posted by johnny means
Mike
Contributor
Johnny, it doesn't matter what it does...it is cool. It is something added to your planer to give you an idea of something...and that you can guage so that you know something or whatever. Why do you have to question things?!?!
Seriously, though, I think the idea is that planers tend to have a little piece of plastic on the front edge of the cast iron that lets you know what the maximum amount that you can feed in is, but there is no way of telling what the actual cutterhead depth is relative to your wood. If I "get" this little gizmo correctly, you send your wood through the planer, then bring that piece back around, set up the little gizmo so that the little sled barely hits the top of the wood, and it lets you know (for future passes) if the wood you are feeding in is going to catch the cutterhead and make a nice cut, be lower than the cutterhead and just leave feeder marks in your wood, or if you are about to hog away so much that the wood is going to get lodged in the planer...forcing you to back the table down during mid-cut. The advantage to the gizmo is that it is a guage BEFORE the infeed rollers grab the wood and you are past the point of no return.
Did I get that right, Keith?
I drink, therefore I am.
Member
Yes Keith, I'm with you on this one. I'd be lost without the material removal gauge on my planer. I use sleds a lot so I want to know what I'm removing.
[OP]
Member
I thought about putting graduations on it but since there really is only about a 16th of maximum cut underneath that tab it didn't make much sense to waste the time. There just isnt enough room to do some sort of cam system like the lunch box planers unless you want some big honking gauge hanging off the front of your planer which I don't. Plus to be honest with you on my Dewalt I never really used that gauge for anything other then finding zero of a given board away. I am supposed to get the steel today to make a new depth stop and then I can mount the "depth gauge" onto it. Does anyone have any ideas for something that might be a little more durable then the plastic 1.35 piece I bought? That's all I could really find locally and wouldn't be opposed to using a different style of spring loaded pin or a different material anyway. To be honest with you I really think jut a piece of flexible plastic would come close to working but my concern is that if you were feeding multiple pieces through at different widths the plastic might not spring back in time to be completely accurate.
Contributor
Really - get yourself some digital calipers and mount a Wixey remote DRO (see links I gave you for simple application) and you will be able to start making chips
Mike
Member
I like!
I have an Igaging depth gauge, I might have a play, once I have the shop construction done.
Contributor
Was just reading this with great interest because I have a new to me DC 380 planer and I have just started to play with it. The first thing I noticed was how difficult it is to figure out where I am in relation to the bottom of the knives. Also the column mounted rule markings are not worth much for gaging where and how much. I am going to purchase the Wixey it is only $60 and that ain't much considering what I have been spending lately and it will allow me to KNOW for sure how much and where. I was thinking though your little gadget would be great for what your purpose is which is quickly knowing where your blades are in relation to your stock. I used to work as an auto tech and i have a spring mounted tire tread depth guage that would be perfect for your application. I bet you could find one at the local auto parts store for a couple dollars and it would be a lot more accurate once mounted then what you currently have setup. Just an idea for ya.
They even have digital tire tread depth gages now go figure and only $15.99 at Autozone.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...er=186495_0_0_
Last edited by Michael Mayo; 02-13-2012 at 11:16 PM.
[OP]
Member
This is exactly what I was looking for Michael. If I can get a foot on something so that the piece of wood slides underneath of it without binding that is perfect. I knew there would be something better out there and this is also why having multiple sets of eyes on a project is always beneficial. I will start looking into this tonight.
Contributor
I had the Dewalt with the depth guage at one time. The problem with using it was that it was pointless unless the board was already planed. If a board was bowed then face jointed it is pretty much,always going to be thicker in the middle. This led to few jams and whatever issues jams caused before I learned that boards really should be measuered first.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote