Proscale Digi-Fence: Installation and Review
I pretty much purchased the Dig-Fence on a whim. I gained interest in the digital readout while searching popular woodworking forums for ideas on content for this site. I had read that some users didn't like the unit based on the idea that to calibrate the unit the user is required to make a test cut, measure the width accurately and enter it into the read out. To me this is the best method one could hope for. A taste cut will reflect blade wobble and runout. This is desirable, rather then kissing the fence to the blade while the blade is still. Another concern folks mentioned is difficulty removing the fence and the need to recalibrate after the fence has been reinstalled. I will look at all this and more as the review progresses.

Installation:

Installation was fast and simple and should take less then 2 hours. Just follow the steps in the instructions provided from the manufacturer in addition to the information I have provided here and you will have your Digi-Fence installed in no time.

Calibration:

The first step is to make an accurate test cut in a piece of wood. I chose to make a cut in a piece of maple as the edges would be very smooth enabling me to get an accurate reading with my dial calipers. My test cut measured 4.011 with my caliper, I penciled it in right on the board so I wouldn't forget. This number needs to be set in the display for calibration. Next zero the display by pressing the "zero" button. Use the PLUS (+) key to enter the measured value into the display. That works just like setting a digital alarm clock. Press the button once it increments once, hold it down and it counts quickly. If you accidentally go past your target number just press the minus (-) button. The next step is to Press and hold the ON/OFF button. Quickly press and release the MODE button. Release the ON/OFF button. That's all there is to it. The entire procedure is about a 2 minute process. Alternatively you could kiss the fence to the blade and "zero" the display but the accuracy wont be the same. Still probably ok for all but the most critical cuts.

Testing:

For some quick tests I grabbed some scrap wood and set the fence at 4.87" (4 7/8). I made a test cut and measured the board 4.88. I then moved the fence all over the length of its travel and repeated several test cuts at the 4.77" setting. Each time the wood measured within .002. These results are better then I expected. At a later date Ill test some wider pieces. Next I wanted to see how the Digi-Fence would perform when displaying in fractions of an inch. Cycling through the mode button revealed two things, the first thing was that the display increments up and down a few thousandth's of an inch when pressing the buttons in decimal mode. This is not a problem and should be expected as the unit is measuring the actual deflection in the mounting bracket. The second thing I noticed is the "mode" button. At first I thought I had a defective unit so I emailed technical support. I thought the mode button was having difficulty switching from fractions to millimeters. Mike from Accurate Technology was very quick at getting back to me and quickly pointed me to page 7 of the operating manual. While I did read the manual one of the details hadn't set in. Fraction mode is actually 3 modes (1/16), (1/32), (1/64). I thought there was only one fraction mode. Therefore as an example if the display is in 1/16 mode it will take 3 presses of the button to arrive at millimeters. See the manual here. I got confused because I happened to have the fence locked in place on an even measurement of 5", so regardless of which fraction mode I was in the 5" wasn't changing. The display has little bars in the upper right depending on whether you are in 1/16 or 1/32 modes. No bar means 1/64 mode. Now I know. To be continued.......

Click image for close-up

Digi-Fence IMAGE 1-1: This is an image from the manufacturer of the Digi-fence installed. Ours should look like that too by the time we finish

Unpacking the Digi-Fence IMAGE 1-2: The Digi-Fence arrived in 2 packages. The scale was suspended in foam and shipped in a piece of Schedule 40 PVC pipe, while the remainder of the contents were in a small carton with bubble wrap protecting the individual pieces. Here you see all the parts laid out. Not much to it really.

Digi-Fence Display Bracket IMAGE 1-3: According to the directions the first step is to remove the 2 nuts from the fence locking handle. Then attach the display bracket and replace the nuts in the locking handle. Easier said then done. The holes didn't perfectly mate up and the bracket could not be attached without modification. I needed to drill one of the holes larger, so I chose to drill the top hole because it was smaller and would be easier to enlarge. I had to choose a drill that was .030 larger then the hole to get the mounting bracket to fit. It fit perfectly after the modification. This was really no big deal.

Mounting the Display IMAGE 1-4: This is a pretty simple process, loosen the 2 black screws in the display and remove the cover. Notice there's are 4 holes waiting to be drilled. Drill the upper left and the lower right holes, making certain the flat head screws can spin freely in the newly drilled holes. Attach the display to the bracket. Mount the cover back to the display and tighten the 2 black screws you loosened in the first place.

Display Mounting Complete IMAGE 1-5: This is an image of the display mounting upon completion. Its a pretty slick looking setup.

Mounting the Scale IMAGE 1-6: This is much easier then you would expect. The first step is to position the scale under the fence for mounting. The scale gets mounted flush against the angle iron that holds the fence and flush with the right hand side fence tube as shown in this image. I used a rubber band to hold the scale at the right end while I clamped the scale in place at the left end nearest the blade. I used 2 pieces of wood thinner then the slots in the scale for clamping to.This is also visible in this image. Care should be taken to not apply clamps on the actual scale. Once the scale is firmly clamped use a center punch in the center of the 6 mounting holes to make drilling in the center easier. The holes must be centered pretty closely or the screws wont sit flush and possibly interfering with the read head travel. Drill the holes as straight as possible with the drill bit included with the Digi-Fence. Use the included tap to tap the threads of all 6 holes and install the screws. If your good with a cordless drill its a fine tool for tapping, much faster and easier then a tapping handle. Install the 6 screws make certain the screw heads are flush or below flush. Slowly slide the read head up and down the length of the scale to make certain it clears the mounting screws and there's no other obstructions that might damage the scale. My scale had a few small burrs that I could feel cause drag when the read head passed over them. I filed them carefully with a jewelers file until the read head met no resistance. Finally attach the fence to the read head by sliding it under the mounting clip until the button in the center locked into the groove in the mounting clip. The manual mentions to make certain the mounting clip isn't pressing too hard against the read head. For some reason there was an extra guide clip and mounting hardware in my package so I used the washers that came with the extra guide clip to take some of the pressure off the read head. Its self explanatory when your installing it. That's all there is to it. The entire job in under 2 hours.

Digi-Fence Installation Complete IMAGE 1-7: Here's an image of the completed installation. I just need to do something about the cable connecting the display to the read head.