The promise of sub-90 degree temperatures this weekend was really encouraging. The humidity this summer has been thick, like being smothered in a hot, wet blanket. My shop fans just seem to move around the heaviness without providing any relief. Building an adirondack chair or a bonsai plant stand in an oven isn’t the epitome of fun, so any little break in temps is a welcome break.
So Saturday morning I gave the shop a quick sweep, a light vacuuming, put all the tools back where they belong (tools like to migrate), then waxed the machines and started laying out a new order.
While building this order, I used a device called the Wixey digital angle gauge; it’s new to the shop, and it’s a keeper. Its sole function in life is to measure angles accurately (that is, to within .1 degrees).
For example, if I want to cut a 25° angle, I place the device on the tablesaw top and zero it out (so it reads 0.0 degrees), then attach it to the tablesaw blade (the Wixey is magnetized) and move the blade to 25°, watching the digital readout to get the precise angle. No more trial-and-error test cuts to sneak up on the proper angle. I just dial it in and cut it.
Now I can cut 45° miters and be confident I’ll get a true 90 degrees when I make the joint. A nice, tight, accurate joint really makes me happy.
If you’re a woodworker, you owe it to yourself to put one of these little guys on your birthday or Christmas gift list.
Your Correspondent: A little concerned that I think about Wixey gauges when I’m tired.
