Review: iGaging IP54 Digital Caliper

Sold by the same folks who sell the Accuremote digital inclinometer. I chose the IP54 after watching a thorough review on Youtube by Gadget Class. Inside the retail box was a decent plastic case that held the caliper, two batteries, the instructions, and a random piece of brown waxed paper (no idea why that was in there) but it was 0.004" thick. Both batteries were good. The plastic case that came with mine is slightly different than the picture on Amazon.

Of course I set out to measure all sorts of things that needed measuring like the scrap of brown paper in the case, various doodads and whizzbangs lying around. Precision was excellent. I tried measuring with the full length of the jaws then just the tips and each time the measurement was within 0.0005". Then I checked it against the only semi accurate things I own, drill bits. All my 1/4" drill bits were undersize and within 0.001" of each other, either 0.247" or 0.248". What does that mean? Nothing I suppose. I lack any set up blocks or anything made to a high degree of accuracy. Printer paper is supposed to be 0.004" and this agreed, that's the best I can do. My needs are modest, I'm not a machinist, so I'm sure these are plenty accurate for my purposes. The caliper itself felt well made, has good weight and no obvious defects. The thumb wheel moves freely. The display is large and numbers are easy to read under fluorescent lighting. Overall I am very happy with these. During the last few weeks I keep finding uses for this in my woodshop. It has become something I use on every project.

Review: AccuRemote Digital Inclinometer

From the outside in ... The packaging was attractive and consistent with other products sold by iGaging (makes no difference but shows the company takes some pride in their products). Inside the retail box was a sturdy white cardboard box that contained the inclinometer, a nice storage pouch, the instructions, a 9V battery, and a tiny screwdriver. I expected the AccuRemote to be made of plastic but it's actually a cast metal, possibly zinc, quite sturdy and heavier than expected. The battery compartment is accessed by removing four dinky Phillips screws that jump to the magnets as you pull them out, an unintended but welcome feature as they would be super easy to lose and very difficult to find. The dinky screws + battery cover are too 1970's for me, there are better ways to cover a battery but including the screwdriver was a nice touch.

The inclinometer was easy to use, I didn't bother with instructions. I spent awhile measuring angles everywhere then going around checking the machines in my shop. I tried testing for accuracy the same way you would test a level, by flipping it 180 degrees, but got inconsistent results. According to this, after setting my table saw blade with an engineer square, I was 0.20 of a degree out. So pretty close but if this thing is accurate then it's nice to get that extra precision especially when cutting miters or segments for turning. My miter saw was dead on perpendicular, as I believed. My band saw was off .5 degree which I already suspected.

It turned out, the case is not square to the bottom on all sides. So if you zero the device then turn it on it's side, it should read 90 degrees. The left side read 90 degrees, the right side read 89.70 degrees. Since I have a right tilt saw and would be using the bottom and right sides most often, being off by .30 degrees would just be annoying. I was also bothered that rotating the device 180 degrees does not give the same or reciprocal reading. And I had issues with precision (repeatability) when the daytime temperature was under 60 degrees Fahrenheit. So I sent the inclinometer back to Amazon. Based on the many reviews of this and similar products like the Wixey, I believe it is luck of the draw whether you get an instrument that is accurate and precise. So I wouldn't say iGaging makes poor instruments, just that digital inclinometers in this price range suffer poor quality control. The summary is I can not recommend for or against the product.

Simple and Easy Box Joint Jig

This is my box joint jig based off Woodfather's design which is used with a single rip blade. It has a pin that matches your blade's kerf and a set of spacers in a 1:1 ratio to the fingers of the box joint. You can easily change the size and spacing of the box joints by changing the width of the spacers. Want 3/8" fingers? Use 3/8" spacers. Want 8 mm fingers ... you know the drill. For simplicity I used 1/4" plywood for my spacers which lets me cut each finger in two passes using my 1/8" blade.

Mine follows the original plan closely with a couple of minor modifications. I added a tab to the back of the fence so it clips over the jig and stays in place on it's own. The tape acts as a spacer allowing the fence to slide freely.

I added edge banding to the fence where it rides along the jig. The mating face of the jig also has edge banding and both are waxed. The fence travels smoothly left and right.

The pin (pic above) is a screw 3.17 mm in diameter with the head removed. The kerf of my Freud rip blade is 3.19 mm. The resulting joints are snug but allow room for glue.

The block on the far right is glued in place and never changes. I used cyanoacrylate in case I ever need to remove it. Below you can see the edge banding along the top of the jig.

The spacers are held in place by a scrap of wood approximately the right length, then a small wedge is inserted to keep everything snug.

Mine is a wee bit taller and the sides come farther back. This allowed me to attach a handle. I tried first without a handle but my left hand kept searching for a hold. I find it more comfortable with a handle.

The strip of ply along the front of the fence (red arrow below) is only 3/4", not sure what I was thinking, but it will have to be replaced with a deeper version that will accommodate more than a couple pieces.

An unplanned change which didn't work out, are the runners being short in front (see above). The wood took a funny bow and were binding so I had to cut them down but now the jig wants to tip forward. Definitely leave them long in front. Adding the handle stopped the tipping so I'm not sure if I will bother replacing the runners.

Speed Square Miter Sled for Table Saw

A quick and easy sled modification for cutting 45° miters on the table saw. I trimmed a plastic speed square so it will lay flat and screwed it in place with the widest side toward the blade. The screws go through a scrap of wood which acts like a washer allowing the square to slide left and right. Very easy and very handy.

Dovetail Ratios

Dovetail Angles

Playing around with dovetail ratios. Three are common, plus phi (1:1.618) and pi (1:314) which I've never heard of anyone using but thought I would toss them in for fun.

If you are interested in the relative strength between dovetail angles, search the web for:  THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DOVETAIL ANGLE AND JOINT STRENGTH - Notes from The Forest Products Research Laboratory tests (KS Walker) reported in Woodworker Magazine, January 1958.

To save you some reading I'll summarize the conclusions. In glued dovetail joints the angle made no significant difference. In unglued dovetails wider angles were stronger. The article claims that unglued dovetails were stronger because the joints could slip whereas glued dovetails the wood fibers separated. They tested hardwood and softwood, each from the same board. The softwood failed sooner in unglued joints because it more easily compressed and slipped free.

Making a Wood Carving or Marking Knife with Disposable Blade

Swann Morton scalpel blades have become popular for marking knives. They are a high quality, carbon steel, disposable blade available from the U.K. David Barron, among many others, uses them in his marking knives, epoxied solidly into the handle. The carbon steel blades are easy to sharpen and take a keen edge. I ordered some last fall and have considered several ways of making the blades replaceable.

Swann Morton 01 Scalpel

I started with a scrap of Spanish cedar. Cut a slot through the end deep enough for the blade. Drilled and countersunk a screw hole to retain the blade. Then sketched and cut out the handle shape. Full details are in the build video. My apologies for the lack of pictures but this was spontaneous and slotting, drilling, and sketching the handle blank was a less than a five minute minute job.

The blade is secured with pieces of walnut veneer that fit like splines in the kerf above and below the blade. As seen in the video, I did not adequately glue the veneer or didn't allow enough drying time (probably both), and the spline failed. On the second try I used cyanoacrylate glue which is holding up fine so far. There are stronger ways to secure the blade but I wanted to try this first as it's the easiest. If it fails again I will insert a brass pin above the blade. An alternative is an inner frame of metal with a cut out for the blade, then attached wood scales. I might do that in a future video.

I am not a carver and did not make this knife with carving in mind but wanted to see how well it might work for chip carving. The blade is very thin and sharp, and had no issues slicing through poplar. My skills are obviously non-existent and it would be interesting to have an experienced carver's opinion.

Most prefer single bevel blades for marking knives as you can hold the flat of the blade against a straight edge. These are double bevel blades but by holding them at a slight angle you can achieve the same accuracy.

Video

Blades are available from:

scalpelsandblades.co.uk

or

Echo Iron Mongery on ebay

I have no affiliation with either seller.

More pictures of shop made lathe tools

I get more questions about my carbide lathe tools than anything else, mostly about grinding, so here are more pictures of the business end.

The diamond tip is ground with a taper then flattens for the cutter. Nothing holds the carbide in place except friction and it hasn't budged. A few folks expressed concern because it isn't form fit like Easy Wood Tools but that isn't necessary for holding it in place.

I've had less success with the radius cutter and will eventually replace it with a round carbide. Radius cutters don't do anything the other shapes don't do better. I suggest that you use square bar for square, radius, and diamond cutters otherwise the tool tends to spin when using the corners. This cutter has several chips where catches have flung it against the tool rest.

The tapped hole goes completely through.

The grinding doesn't have to be pretty to be functional. Leave steel under the cutter for support then grind a relief matching the angle on the carbide.

Soon I will be making a new one with a square bar. I purchase my carbides from AZ Carbide, excellent prices and customer service along with fast shipping. I have no financial interest in the company and receive no compensation for recommending them.