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Triton Router - Digital Readout Possible?

10K views 51 replies 9 participants last post by  ckurdziel 
#1 ·
I have one of the 3 1/4 hp Triton routers for a table that does not use a lift; it comes with a winder that raises the router up and down when it is in a table. I plan on getting the incra table and fence. I'd like to have digital readout for the router. Has anyone tried this with this router?
 
#3 ·
Got this answer from CS at Toolstream (Triton), and still waiting for Wixey's response.

Tom:

I got an answer back from the guru. Below I what he said to me:

Hi Debbie

no reason why it shouldn't. Looks like the Trend one which is ok.

Thanks, and have a great day!

Debbie Long
 
#5 ·
I think Wixey will have the most detailed answer, but a look at their website doesn't look very hopeful because they only mention lifts and the Triton isn't on their list. So I'd ignore the Toolstream information, which was just a little too casual to suit me.

Trend makes a number of routers, a few of which look a little like the Triton

Alternatives: Many specialty bits have setup jigs available. Line the bit up with the jig and you're off and running. Or make you own jig, many of which will be adequate so long as you work with the finished side down. For any bits in sets, I go to Sommerfeld for their matched shank heights. Set the first bit and the others just drop in, in alignment. Sommerfeld has a quick set jig for many critical bits that also takes into account the thickness of the workpiece. They make one for their bits and another for Freud bits. There are a number of bits where simply knowing where the center is is sufficient for setup.

I can see the advantage of the digital readout for the planer, but not sure it's a great idea for the router where partial turns of the height adjuster produce a predictable rise or fall of the bit.

I'll add any Wixey response as soon as I get it.
 
#9 ·
Got the following email this morning from Barry Wixey himself. The picture is the Wixey mounted on an Hitachi router, which is pretty much how it will go on the Triton. That's nice customer support.

Hi Tom;

Thanks for your email and thank you for your support of our products. We really appreciate the forum comments.

There should be no problem using our system with the Triton router in a router table. Please check out the " will it fit my?" Wixey.com - Remote Router Readout - Will It Fit? section of our web site where we show the device mounted to a lot of different lifts.

Our system is very simple and flexible, but keep in mind it is a kit. You will always need to do a little drilling and bend one of our brackets. We have never heard of a lift that this will not work with.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Barry Wixey
Barry Wixey Development
 

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#14 ·
Don't know if I'll install one on my setup because of the way I work. The bits that really need precision setting I have jigs for, including the Sommerfeld star shaped QuickSet jig, which also comes in a version for Freud bits. Saving my cash for another goodie at the moment. Looks like a pretty foolproof installation to me.
 
#13 ·
Yeah, I have one of those. Battery life is measured in minutes. Whenever I need to use it, the battery is dead ;-(

I have a high precision (128ths inch) scale but it's a PITA to use for offset bits. I really want a digital readout that tells me how high the cutting edge is off the table.
 
#15 ·
Wixey stuff is great - I have it on my DW 735 planer and on my Delta Unisaw - both the fence gauge and I use one of their angle gauges to measure the blade angle. For my router table, I set aside my old under-table Woodpecker's router lift and Incra fence and went with a Ready2Rout/Ready2Lift package from NextWave Automation - uses a couple of CNC motors and a zero plate, much like a CNC machine, but in a router table. You zero the bit height and fence and punch in on a touch screen the bit height and fence position. It's pricey (about $1k), but I am SURE I spent nearly that much on the Incra fence and lift. Now I know where the bit is in relation to the fence and how high it is EXACTLY... I never had the guts to try inlay before - now, measure the thickness and width of the inlay strip (digitally), zero the bit, punch location and depth of cut in to the touch screen, and off you go. I still make test cuts because it's a bit new to me, but it really does work. I did some box joints with the program and it did what I needed it to do - a little tight, though - you have to add some space for glue - it's that precise...

Tom, I also use the Sommerfeld jig, and it's great. Did a test door with it and it was fine. Am in the midst of demo on my kitchen - got the face frames done, countertop next week... hard to find time for with a 60-70 hour a week job.

To the point of the question - beware when you go digital - you can over-obsess on being precise and it isn't generally necessary. Things made out of wood are seldom precise - and even if they are, they change...

Larry
 
#17 ·
When you get the Wixey dialed in properly, it's really great to crank the DW 735 to, say, .75" - and it planes .75". Sounds simple, but I'm totally spoiled. Let me know how you like it when it comes. Not too hard to install. Installing mine came after putting a helical carbide head in it... that was not fun. Happy with the planer now.

Larry
 
#23 ·
Didn't realize it has a double stick tape pad to hold it in place as a drill guide. And leveling it to the top with a straight edge and the bolt to fix the height before drilling looks like it will work out fairly easily. The instructions are a little spare. Going shooting tomorrow and the heat has struck, so I'll probably wait a couple of days to install the new Wixey, that arrived this evening.
 
#26 ·
The Wixey Router Depth Gauge arrived today.

It takes a fair bit of ingenuity to mount it to a router like the Triton with a built-in lift.

And it takes a fair bit of ingenuity to make it fit on the plate and within the confines of the table and cutout.

The system mounts the track to the underside of the router mounting plate. The sensor is held to the router/lift with a rare-earth magnet on a bracket that you customize to suit your installation.

I hoped to use an existing screw on the router body so I didn't have to drill a hole in the router body, but I couldn't find a screw that would mount the bracket in a location that didn't interfere with something, or interfere with the router table cabinet itself.

The kit provides 3 magnet mounting brackets and I ended up bending up two of them before I found a shape and location that worked.

I used blue tape to temporarily hold the track to the router plate and the magnet bracket to the router body. The photo shows about the fifth or sixth location I tried, and the second iteration of bending the mounting bracket to fit the router body.

By using blue tape I could test the positioning and movement, then put the plate back in the table to check for interference with the table and/or cabinet.

I'll put up some more photos as the installation progresses. I need to buy a metric tap to thread the hole in the plate properly, instead of using a self-tapping screw to mount the track.
 

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#27 ·
@CharlesWebster I see what you mean about where to place the small reference plate. Good idea using the tape for setting the location. I'm glad Wixey has gone to the AAA battery. There's a step where you check the planed stock thickness with a gauge, but my digital gauge is the button type battery, which is ALWAYS dead when I need to use it.
 
#28 ·
Well, the installation is complete and is a success. Of course I could not find a metric tap to match the M4-8 screws provided, so I just used the drill bit provided and self-tapped the screw into the router plate.

My original plan was to mount the readout under the table top, opposite the switch, but there isn't enough light there to read the display. So, I mounted it to the same bracket that holds the work light above the table. Adequate light and no bending over to read, a win-win solution.

I used the gauge to set the cutter height to 0.250" and made a couple of test cuts in straight grain VG Hemlock scrap. The cuts measured 0.250" with my dial caliper. I think it works.
 

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#39 ·
I see where you have your hole drilled for your above the table adjustment. I drilled mine at a 1/2" and it works, but I get a lot of movement in the handle and it is sometimes hard to get it onto the actual part of the router that adjusts the height. Do you have the same issue?
 
#31 · (Edited)
The Wixey wasn't too bad an install on my Delta Unisaw- it is VERY nice to have that level of precision on the table saw. I use a Forrest Woodworker II blade, but also their thin kerf rip blade often- you DON'T have to re-zero the Wixey when you change blade widths. When I use my dado blade I have to re-zero because there is a recess in the dado set that fits over the flange on the arbor.
It was a couple hour install, but I really like having it.
It would be nicer if you could input a number and have the fence move automatically... but this is ok. I have seen machines that do that, and they are beyond what I could ever imagine paying as a hobbiest.
(edited 'cause I'm a dufus and can't think straight in the morning)
 
#36 ·
I just fitted a Wixey to my Dewalt 735 thicknesser and since it is lways measuring against a non changing zero surface ie., the platnen, it's a once off zero calibration. You obviously have to zero yours every time you change bits. I presume you zero it when the bit is raised so it's level with the table ? Is that correct?
 
#44 ·
When I first fitted my Triton to the bench, I used the crank handle to raise and lower and had the same problem with the fence being in the way. Due to the fact that I always lock the router in position, I open the front of the cabinet anyways so I now find myself using the quick raise/lower (pressing the handle button) then using the hand micro adjustment to acurately position the bit. I haven't used the crank handle in over a year.
I have to lock the router, as it tends to wind its way down if not locked. I have a YouTube video of it actually doing this and have learnt that it's a common problem with Triton.
 
#46 ·
Is it a pain to do all of that by hand? Was it really worth saving the money and not getting the lift and another router. I figured I saved about $400 by getting the Triton router and not getting another router and a lift. My router is going to be in one of the Incra CleanSweep DC.
 
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