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Anyone have experience with the Oneway multi-gauge?

3864 Views 17 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  coxhaus
Does anyone have experience with the Oneway multi-gauge? It seems more versatile in the shop than others I've considered.
https://oneway.ca/products-category/miscellaneous/Multi-Gauge

Thanks.

Steve

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I would have to see a video to figure out how to use it to set planer knives. What were you planning on using it for? You probably already have tools that do some of what it is advertised to do and some of the rest I usually make test cuts for after I get a basic close to good enough setting.
Jointer knives, I think you'd zero it out on the outfeed table, then raise, lower the knives so they also read zero. Not sure about a planer blade. Maybe it reverses in the holder to read vertically? I've looked at this a couple of times, but it's a little pricey to suit me, although it might be nice to set table saw blade height with more precision when making joints.
That must be for metal working, Woodworkers don't work in thousands.
HErb
Here's how it's used for jointer knives.

And here's another video. It's rather lengthy but he makes a good case for it.


I also like the fact that it's useful for the table saw, router table, bandsaw, and various fences.

I looked at the Woodpecker table saw gauge that uses rollers in the miter slot, but it seems to be a one-trick pony with varying results as described by reviewers on Amazon who appear to know what they're doing.
I looked at the ad earlier and I recall something about being more accurate than using hardwood for jointer knives. Maybe, but they aren't telling you how long it takes to get them set with that gauge. Unless you have two of them, one on each side of the cutter head then you'll have to measure one corner and clamp it enough to keep it from moving and then check the other corner. If it needs adjusting you'll have to go back to the first corner and probably reset it again since when you move one side it usually changes the other. This could happen a few times per knife. The hardwood does the whole knife in one shot and costs nothing. A really good tool for setting jointer fences and saw blades square is a plastic or aluminum triangle square and it has other uses. I have a digital height setting tool for blades and bits but the battery is usually dead, just like the one my caliper, and it only ever got me really close as a rule anyway.
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Watch the videos I provided.

Marc Spagnuolo tries several different ways to set the knives for accuracy on his jointer. With the gauge, it doesn't take as long, is far more accurate, and works with both knives and spherical heads.

If there's a simpler and quicker way to do it, to get that accuracy, and the ease of doing so, I'm interested. But so far, I've not seen a demonstration of it.

Your system may work for you. It wouldn't suffice for me.

Steve
If your jointer has the jack screw blade adjustment like his then the gauge may help. Mine doesn't. It just has the springs to push the blade up. I think that most members jointers will only have springs if they have straight knives. He admitted in the video that the gauge might not make setting the spring loaded knives easier and that was what I based my comment on. With that system either the hardwood board or the magnetic jigs will probably be the easiest method to use.
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Charles, similar experiences here...

I bought the iGaging version and although it is plastic, it is strong enough to give repeatable measurements.

What I found was that after playing with it a few times, I have not used it for any of my setups...router bit height, TS blade height, etc... It just hasn't been necessary.

I did use it to check jointer blade height but did not have the need to adjust them...so it went back in the bag and still there (battery dead, of course).

It seems to be handy for measuring for precise requirements such as metal milling but hasn't seemed to be necessary for wood projects or equipment setup.

If anybody feels they need an instrument such as the Oneway, I would instead suggest throwing the money away on any of its alternatives and try it out first...then if they like what it does for them, go for it.

If anybody is interested in this type of tool and already has a dial indicator and base, I suggest they replicate the functions first with that...it is much more versatile as the gauge and base will allow for other axis measurements that the Oneway does not. I have a Starrett gauge and base and realized that buying even the iGaging version was not necessary.

Mileage varies...
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Chuck, from my limited experience I have always seen both springs and the screws for adjustment on every jointer, maybe 3-4 different brands. Of course that doesn't mean every one does and would be good to check to be sure. I have and use the 1st jig Marc shows and have had good results but maybe I'm just lucky or I haven't spent the time to be as meticulous as Marc is. I'm almost afraid to check. I have bandsaw problems to deal with 1st........Now if I can use that Oneway tool to adjust my drum sander (SuperMax 19-38_ and Cutech spiral head planer) I'd say it's a good deal. It's one of the reasons I had considered a spiral head cutter for my Powermatic 60A 8" jointer. Faster setup of the cutters once the head is installed. Buying and installing the head is my concern. You definitely need to make the tables coplane again and that's proved harder than just a little fooling around, at least for me. But may prove worthy in the end. For now I can blame my shoulder as the reason not to replace the head.
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I have it have and use it to adjust router bit height by .001" until I get the depth I want. It works well for me. I also have a Pat Warner made router table fence that has a dial indicator where I can adjust the width of a groove by .001" at a time until I get the fit I want. So some woodworkers do work in thousands.
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I have it have and use it to adjust router bit height by .001" until I get the depth I want. It works well for me. I also have a Pat Warner made router table fence that has a dial indicator where I can adjust the width of a groove by .001" at a time until I get the fit I want. So some woodworkers do work in thousands.
You are a machinist doing wood working,nothing wrong with that if you have the patients, and it is fun for you.
Herb
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Herb, I'm not a machinist but I enjoy working to precision. Keeps my mind fresh and focused. When I got serious about woodworking I was "mentored" (best word I could come up with) by Pat Warner. I related to his ideas on precision woodworking and metrology. Kind of fits my make up. When I coached football (receivers & QBs) and baseball (infield), we aimed for a level of precision in how we ran our routes and fielded the ball. Kind of carried over when I taught and later when I became a principal. Now that I'm retired, it keeps me on my toes.
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Herb, I'm not a machinist but I enjoy working to precision. Keeps my mind fresh and focused. When I got serious about woodworking I was "mentored" (best word I could come up with) by Pat Warner. I related to his ideas on precision woodworking and metrology. Kind of fits my make up. When I coached football (receivers & QBs) and baseball (infield), we aimed for a level of precision in how we ran our routes and fielded the ball. Kind of carried over when I taught and later when I became a principal. Now that I'm retired, it keeps me on my toes.
Pat Warner, which I have the utmost respect for him and his work, was not the norm for a woodworker, He was more of a machinist jig builder, in my opinion. I was a jig builder for Boeing for many years and he would have fit in perfectly. but the average woodworker does not need to be that exacting to do fine work. If you enjoy it, then that is what counts, and it makes a good retirement pastime. Myself I am happy just making things, not fussing with .001"
Herb
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I agree with doing what makes us happy. It's always great to share ideas, even if they differ, without insulting and demeaning one another. BTW. I'm not always chasing the .001." I only do it when I feel it's necessary which is usually on the router table, with a plunge router, or using the Micro Fence to adjust the width of a tenon.
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I have one I bought a couple of years ago. They work great for setting jointer knives. It makes the job real easy. I posted a thread a couple years ago but I don't think I got any takers back then either. My jointer works great after using one to set the knives. I now have a Jet jointer to setup. I only have 2 jointers now because my friend gave me the Jet jointer hardly used. He used it for only 1 project and it just set for a few years.
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Ordered the Oneway Multi-Gauge yesterday. Seems to fit my purposes - today and in the future.

I use to be amazed by people who will spend big bucks on a drill press, but then buy 10-for-a-dollar Chinese drill bits. Or tools that require a certain amount of measurement precision to use then complain about the inexpensive cost of a measurement tool.

I'm no longer amazed. It seems to be the norm.
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