Posted: 7/6/2025 5:07:52 PM EDT
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I have a benchtop thickness planer that I'm always battling when it gets to the final thickness setting - Am I getting close? Did this last turn go too far? Damn, it did! You know, the usual battles.... Anyway, for $48 on Amazon I decided to give this iGaging planer DRO a chance - and I'm glad I did. This DRO gadget is GREAT! It is primarily made for Dewalt benchtop planers, but all I needed to make it work with my WEN planer was three 1/2" spacers from Home Depot. Once installed you calibrate it by running a board through the planer making sure it is properly uniform thickness, measure the thickness with a digital caliper, enter that thickness as the Cal data in the DRO, and it's good to go. It is selectable to work with absolute calibrated thickness or relative to the last position. It's a no brainer to exactly set the thickness needed - it's basically a digital caliper mounted to the planer. Attached File Attached File |
“There is no sound, no voice, no cry in all the world that can be heard... until someone listens.”
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free and live in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free and live in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
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Originally Posted By ChrisNTN: As long as when wood cutting is close to metal cutting accuracy, that would be great to have that. I don't know how precise wood can be cut. Yeah, I know what you are saying. Wood changes dimensions with temp and humidity, sometimes a lot... With my planer, on a single session (at a given temp/humidity) I can plane multiple planks or dimensionally cut pieces to within two or three thousandths of an inch. I like this DRO for when I can't get everything planed immediately at the same time, yet within a few hours I want to replicate the thickness - this gadget works great for that! If I have to wait until tomorrow, then all bets are off when it comes to replicating thickness. |
“There is no sound, no voice, no cry in all the world that can be heard... until someone listens.”
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free and live in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free and live in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
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Originally Posted By ChrisNTN: As long as when wood cutting is close to metal cutting accuracy, that would be great to have that. I don't know how precise wood can be cut. It can be cut to the thousand. But it will move over time due to humidity. But in the day you are working with it you can measure it set the bed height where you want it and cut it instead of going back and forth and possibly taking too much off. |
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Originally Posted By Covertness: Have one of those. Still use my calipers when planing wood. I could see both being beneficial. The calipers tell you what you've got, the DRO gives you a zero point and lets dial the cut down from that. Usually, when I'm using a thickness planer I don't need a specific exact figure, but I do need the pieces to be identical. |
Never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - Adm James Stockdale
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Originally Posted By 1Andy2: I could see both being beneficial. The calipers tell you what you've got, the DRO gives you a zero point and lets dial the cut down from that. Usually, when I'm using a thickness planer I don't need a specific exact figure, but I do need the pieces to be identical. Exactly - I use them both. Sometimes I don't need both but the gauge on the planer is ALWAYS used and many times (depending on the project) negates the need for my calipers - typically this is when I just plane down a board for a CNC project. |
“There is no sound, no voice, no cry in all the world that can be heard... until someone listens.”
"The only easy day was yesterday"
"The only easy day was yesterday"