On Dec 1, 6:40 pm, -MIKE- wrote:
Ed Bennett wrote:
Not much different from the goofy idea of
holding a square up against a drill bit.

How is that goofy?

When you do this, you assume that the drill bit is straight and not
ground with a taper. You also assume that the drill chuck and/or the
spindle have no runout (i.e. are not bent). You also assume that you
can reliably site a tiny gap between the square and an object that has
no flat gauging surface. The drill bit has flutes, cutting edges with
relief angles, etc. Things can be done to mitigate these sources of
error but using a dial indicator will always be a superior method.

We're talking woodworking, here.

Oh, so why bother at all? Why not just trust the angle scale on the
machine and be done with it. Heck, why even bother with a square.
It's only wood - just eyeball the thing and get on with it!

If the square works well enough for me to draw a guide line through a
block of wood I'm intent on boring a hole though, and I'm laying said
block on the table, why is it goofy to use the same square to make sure
the drill bit is coming down square to the table.

If you are content with the quality and accuracy obtained by cutting
to (or drilling from) pencil lines, then I suppose I stand
corrected. For you, and the sort of work that you do, using a square
against a drill bit isn't goofy.

I'm not aware of any situation in which I need a bolt or screw to travel
straight down 6 or 8 inches into a piece of furniture with an accuracy
of +/- 2 thousandths of an inch.

People avoid all sorts of projects that challenge their skills. Would
you ever attempt to drill a hole from opposite sides with the intent
that they meet in the middle? I'm not talking about matching to
within a couple of thousandths, just close enough to insert a close
fitting tube or rod that needs to move or rotate freely. I have a
friend who makes pens and he's nuts about his hole drilling accuracy.

Honestly, I can't understand why people go to such extremes to avoid
dial indicators.

I have one and I use it.
I made my table saw aligner for about 15 bucks and an hour's time.

That's great! So, now you know that a dial indicator can be used for
more than just simple blade and fence alignment. You have acquired
new skills and no longer need to defend inferior alignment techniques
that are prone to all sorts of error.

BTW, I'm looking for some good "real life" examples of home made
alignment jigs for a new web site I'm getting ready to launch. The
jig I choose will be featured prominently as THE standard that all
commercial dial indicator jigs will be compared to. The inventor will
be given full credit for his/her design and It will be a very positive
experience. It could end up being known world-wide as "Mike's dial
indicator jig" (or it could be named after another inventor, who
knows). Just send me photos and a write-up saying how it is
constructed (i.e. plans).

Honestly Ed, I'm not trying to be a dick, but yours is really not much
more than a dial indicator on a stick, certainly not $100 more than a
stick. :-)

It must come naturally. It appears to be effortless on your part.
It's obvious that you have taken a few casual glances at some photos
and have decided, without any understanding or further investigation,
that you know all about my TS-Aligner products. Don't worry, a lot of
people do exactly that and draw the same uninformed conclusions. Now
you know why it reminds me so much of illiteracy.

I'm guessing here, but I suppose it would be safe to conclude that you
don't have any idea how much it costs to manufacture something like a
TS-Aligner or what it takes run a business, promote products, and
support a large user base. You probably wouldn't think that your own
personal time is completely worthless. You certainly wouldn't accept
employment for no pay. But, you seem to think that I should. I'll
tell you what I tell everyone who makes such sweeping (and uninformed)
generalizations about cost. I'll send you a set of drawings and you
go find out how much it costs. Get quotes from domestic machine
shops, source materials and parts, toss in the labor, facilities, and
utilities costs, and then see how much is left over between my price
and your cost. I would bet the world that your cost comes in higher
than my selling price. I'm quite sure that the machining alone will
put your cost under water.

BTW, I bet you'd sell more if you let people see those videos without
having to register. It may help clue people in to whatever it is they do
to make them worth all that money.

Actually, I did it your way for many, many years. I sell more now.
People who are serious about buying a dial indicator jig don't have a
problem signing up for access to premium information sources (the TS-
Aligner videos, tablesawalignment.com, etc.). It's all free, but you
do have to sign up.

I hope that this answers all of your questions.

Thanks,
Ed Bennett