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ricating a metal bracket
extension or I could just cut the Wixey track to a shorter length. Most
of my
work is on the right side of the blade, so losing a foot of
usable track on the left side of the blade wasn’t a big deal
for me. I cut the track to size, removed the existing front
fence rail, marked and drilled the mounting holes, and
attached the track as shown in Photo B.
Once in place, I simply slid the fence against the saw blade and calibrated
the read-out to 0.000". As the fence moves, the magnet
keeps the digital readout attached to it. When I need to
remove the fence I just slip the unit to the side.
 The digital
readout can be adjusted to decimal inches (fractions up to 32nds appear beside
the decimal readings) or millimeters. Its constant memory function lets
you to turn it off and on and still retain its calibration.
TRIAL RUN: As soon as I had the
WR700 installed,
I put it to work building a pine bookcase for my son’s
college dorm room. I ripped case sides and shelves to
width, and also cut dadoes in the shelves’ sides. The digital readout proved
dead-on accurate and saved me time,
since I didn’t have to fiddle with a tape measure to set up
each cut.
BEST APPLICATIONS: Wixey’s digital
readout is meant to improve accuracy and save setup time for the full range
of saw cuts on the table saw. Ripping,
crosscutting, angle-cutting, and dado work all apply. If
precision cutting is important to you, then this add-on
accessory may be just what the doctor ordered.
TESTER’S TAKE: So does your woodworking
require extreme accuracy? Prior to installing the WR700,
I was able to use the hairline cursor on my fence’s scale
and could match the digital readout’s resolution (.005")
every time I readjusted the fence. But I was working
with the lines on the scale. For cuts that were somewhere
between those lines—well, that’s a different story. Here,
the digital readout excels.
Too, if I’m cutting a run of pieces and come up short
later, I can now make the exact same cut on additional
stock by pulling that dimension off my cut list record
and duplicating it. No need to cut, measure, fit, adjust
over and over until I get it right. I think the woodworker
who’s working with an older saw where there is no scale
or simply an inaccurate one stamped into the front rail
could greatly benefit from this accessory.
Of course, the WOW factor here is huge. Everyone
who saw a digital readout on my saw was impressed.
It may not make you a better woodworker if what you
have already delivers precision. But for the intermediate woodworker |
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whose measurements and setups can,
at times, be suspect, it can and will make a difference,
particularly if yours is an older saw. Finally, I give Wixey
high points for clear instructions and, get this, includ-
ing not only the drill bits you need but an extra battery
for the digital unit! When
was the last time you got that
much in any kit? |
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