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#1 ·
Mounting Wixey digital readout

Benchtop thickness planer
Mounting Wixey digital readout

Some months ago I finally got myself a thickness planer.
After reading tons of tests I decided to look for the Dewalt 733 (Europe model).
The reason was that it seemed to be a real workhorse and everyone seemed to love it once they got it.
Also it has a four point lock mechanism that makes it the planer on the marked with the least snipe.
Finally the knifes are easy to get and to get at a fair price.
After looking for a while I got a good deal app. 650 dollar, that's 350 dollar of the normal price in Denmark (We pay app. double than you for Dewalt products…), the retail price is 950 dollar here.

I only ran a few meters of pine for a project in the workshop, so I will not make a review yet, but it did the job just perfect and was so easy to use that I will guess a child of six could operate it…
Ok, not a good idea!!!
Smiles.

When I was searching for info on the planer I fell over this video on YouTube, it is a guy that goes by the name fishfreak911 that made it and he shows his two mods. First the digital readout and then the dust collection port mod, both are cool upgrades and I decided to do both, and take pictures in case others want to follow.

DIGITAL READOUT:


Here it is, my new planer, running its first board.
Yes I am a happy guy, no doubt!


So I purchased the Wixey digital readout from Ebay UK and it was delivered in DK only few days later.
Here the specifications.
It came in hard plastic pack and with all the screws and mounting needed and a fine manual on how to mount it on different brands of planers.


Here pictures from the fast view on the back of the pack.


And the rest.
Inside was also a really good step by step, that made it quite simple to mount, but not piece of cake I think.
Here a link to the Pdf manual: http://www.wixey.com/planer/owners/images/wr510_instructions.pdf
(Why I made this blog).


On this picture you see the normal readout.


Remove it.


Here you see the threaded holes that we use later.


Now mount the screw in the height adjustment bolt under the readout.
I used some water pipe tape to make it stay.


Now level the planer table with the readout, while adjusting the screw.
I used a straight edge.


The front of the readout should be by the front side of the inside of the planer cabinet.
Edge to edge.


Remove the tape protection.


Put the readout in place.
And pull up the arm.


Drill a hole for the readout.


And one more in the top.


Here the self-cutting bolts.


Mount them.


Yes, the top also.


Now mount the brace for the cutter head in the holes from earlier.


And the brace on the readout.


Hold them over each other.


And screw them together.


Like so!


And we got a digital readout mounted on the planer.
Nice - yeaaaaaaaa!


The display with fast easy calibration.

That's it, I will see if I can make a blog later about using it and a review when used it for a while.

Hope this can bring some inspiration. perhaps even some mod's.

Best thoughts,

Mads
 
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#2 ·
congrat´s with the toy :)
not that I can use this for now but its sure good to know where to go for help
I see it got the best place in the shop …. the kitchen
it most be nice to have the chips maker so close to the hot oil ….. lol
thanks Mads for sharing

take care
Dennis
 
#3 ·
Nice and congrats! I may be looking into that digital readout gizmo for my own planer but not sure if it would really avoid me having to use my calipers to check thickness after each cut. Would help tremendously with large projects though. Just picked up a similar digital tool for checking angles on my table saw and mitre saw blades and now I cant work without it.

Also, I think it's odd that the European version of the DW planer still uses imperial standard and not metric. Do woodworkers abroad use imperial measurements?
 
#5 ·
I will soon be getting the Wixey Digital Planer Readout for my DeWalt 735 planer. This blog helps to give me the confidence to install it (properly).

Thank you, for taking the time to document this (and everything else you contribute to LJs)!!!
 
#8 ·
I have the American 733 it has never had a lick of trouble I think I am due to a sharpening soon but it really is no big deal a few passes on the Tormek and the knifes are ready to go. I also Installed this Wixey and it is great although my digital calipers say that the readings are slightly different but its wood as long as all the parts are the same thickness I dont worry about numbers less then .003 in the two readings. when the finished wood is all the same thickness. I like the planer and the wixey
 
#9 ·
you must be the only other guy here
that has the resolve to work how and wherever you can mads

like you
my whole house has become the workshop
something i need to pay attention to
when i wake to use the bathroom
at 4 in the morning
walking around can be a real test
without banging into
and knocking something over
(i have aflashlight by the bed for that) lol

great new planer you got there
and the digital ting is good too

do your japanese hand planes get along with it OK
or is that why it is in the kitchen by itself
 
#11 ·
Very nice Mads! Next you will want a DRO (digital read out) on everything! I am sure you know they are standard equipment in the machinist's shop. I will be in the market for new planer soon and it is good someone happy with theirs-my old Delta snipes like crazy.

-Brian
 
#14 ·
Congrats on the new planer Mads. Great blog on the readout fixture installation. Wixey makes good products as does DeWalt. I've never seen one in Norway yet. I am guessing you are familiar with the various jigs you can make to use this machine as a jointer too. Contact me if You can't find any plans for one. I have an old FWW article on this that I can send over to you on the net. Have fun with your new toy!
 
#16 ·
Hi ho,
Yes dennis it is in the kitchen - this because we live in the workshop now, so this is where there are room… From February the shop should be up and running again so I can use the kitchen as kitchen only…
JC, I also have the digital readout for the TS blade angel and love it, time will show if it becomes the same with this. In Europe we use metric, but in the old days we used imperial.
DIY, I will be so happy if the blog can help, so let me know.
Thedude, I hear all over that this planer is a real workhorse so I feel I made a good choice.
David, do not put the planer in the bathroom, imagine you going there in the morning, peeing half asleep only to find out you just hit the power on your planer instead of the flush while you were peeing in the planer…
laugh.
My Japanese planes are more than happy, they will make the surface while the 733 make the sweat.
Randy austin, let me know pls.
Brian, yes pehaps a digital readout for my hammer could be cool… ;-)
Ian, it will be interesting to see if I end up with the caliper also… But it will still look cool when the guys come for a beer - laughs.
Madts, big laugh here!
Mike, I will be so happy and know you are working on it now, thank you. I bought the readout from ebay UK.
Thomas, yes it sounds like you need to start saving money, it is not the finest specifications I heard…
Thank you all for the comments.
Hope you are all fine!
Best thoughts,
mads
 
#17 ·
That is a cool set up with digital measuring. I love it!! I took a Harbor Freight digital caliper and made a digital Z axis for my mill with it. It is just so nice to be able to make accurate fine adjustments!!!!!! Great idea, my friend!!!!!!...............Jim
 
#18 ·
I am just starting to use mine and am amazed how accurate it is. It is so easy to get the thickness you want all the time. No more fidgeting with the vertical adjustments! My next project will make full use of Wixey's ability, which is to churn out Christmas gifts.
 
#20 ·
See that this posting is now several years old, but I'm very thankful it is still here. I've had and used my Dewalt 733 for many years now and although I'd like to upgrade to the 735, it still works so well I can't really justify the expense. Hope yours has worked out as well. I recently purchased the Wixey digital readout at a garage sale and was searching for an installation video only to find your blog. It is just what I needed. Good job and thanks. Only problem is I now see that the installation hardware did not make it into my hands with the purchase. Maybe I can still get it from the manufacturer and if not, your beautiful clear photos will allow me to fabricate them myself.
 
#21 ·
That's wonderful, always happy when the blogs gets useful.
Yes I really like the setup and functionallity.
Let me know if you need a photo or detail.
Best thoughts,
Mads
 
#22 ·
I love that planer, mine's nearly 16 years old and it's never missed a beat. The knives can be resharpened many times. And yours has access to the coffee machine! ;^)

The Wixey? Not so much… I loved it so little, I removed it and gave it away. I'm not anti-Wixey, I love the tilt box, and I have uses for the caliper. I just see the planer readout and rip fence readout as unnecessary complexity for woodworking.
 
#23 ·
Oggie, I agree a digital readout is not a needed feature.
The planner is a horse so yes a good investment, even not cheap, so I still feel I don't use it enough.
Having one of these opens up a new world, no need to buy the wood size needed, scrap wood ned life and so on.
Best thoughts,
Mads
 
#24 ·
Hi Mads, I'm thinking about buying the same model dewalt 733 you have. I thought the Wixey set up was a very good idea and your blog on it is great too. My main concern is whether or not you are fully satisfied with this machine after using it for some time (5 years?) I also wonder how well the dust/chip removal works. Is there any, and if so does it work?

Thanks for any advice you might be able to offer on this. I want to retire my 5 function combi machine. I have only been using the table saw and the jointer/planer functions for some time now and the 19cm width of the jointer/planer is two narrow for my current needs. I have never been in love with the table saw either, although I have gotten a lot of good use out of it. I recently bought a dewalt portable job-site table saw which I like a lot. Getting rid of the combi machine will also free up a lot of space in my shop.
 
#25 ·
Hi Mike,
Just saw this now.
I am really happy for the planner.
There are no dust / chip remover, your shop vac have to do that. This means you need a fair shop vac, mine is a wee on the small size and only in 40mm tubing, so I have too much staying and so have to clean the planer bed up once in a while… Not optimal, but I don't have room for a better vac in my shop.
Also I feel the feed is not always perfect, but think this is caused by the lack of vac and me taking too much at the time.
Besides this, I love it, I could not imagine a shop now, without one of these.
Send me a mail, if you have more questions, I don't always see these messages.
Best thoughts,
Mads
 
#26 ·
Dust collection port quick release mod.

Benchtop thickness planer
Dust collection port quick release mod.

So here we are at part two:
The dust collection is said to clog up and since I will be using the small size hose I want to be able to easy clean the port if it should happen.
But more important for me is to make the planer portable…
I am completely surprised that Dewalt can make a portable planer and then make a fixed port that goes on with tiny metal screws and after you can't close it up for transportation, without a screwdriver and the luck of not losing the tiny screws. My dear!!! It is so stupid that it should be against the law I think.
So after watching fishfreak911's video I decided to make my own version of this mod.

Dust collection port quick release:


So here you see the planer open and the dust collection hood on the in feed table.
Please also notice my sexy hose mod with blue paint tape…
Rome was not build in one day.


So the port is mounted on to the cutter with tiny metal screws here…


And here…
As you can see - easy to access and screw especially on site in withers time with gloves…
Smiles.


So first part of the mod id to drill three holes just under the edge of the hood and drive three self-cutting screws, this makes a fine support for the hoods underside.


Like this.
The screws are the type used for metal frame plasterboard systems, they have a nice big head that can support the port fine.


And here you see it with the hood taken off.


Instead of the two top screws in each side I mount one of these fast clicks that can lock the hood in place with the need of no tools.
Again predrilled holes and self-cutting screws, but you can also use rivets here instead.


Locked position.
Ready for use.
Easy to remove.


Look how fine it stores away inside and please notice I keep ear protection at hand, this is a noisy beast.


So closed up and ready to go.

This is such an easy mod, that it took 15 minutes and will make life sooooooooooooo much more easily later, that I think it is not worth not doing.

A big thank you to fishfreak911 for his video that got me going on this.

Hope this can bring some inspiration. perhaps even some mod's.

Best thoughts,

Mads
 
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