Digital Angle Finders and Magnets

Well....I've been messing around and chewing on this for a couple years and have been hesitant to pull the trigger and order a bunch for the store, but I'm jonesin' to do so....thus the reality check. For a variety of reasons I think digital angle finders can help to answer the proverbial question of 'what are my edge angles'.

Magnets snap to edges and true bars very nicely providing an absolute positive alignment with an edge. By calibrating a digital angle finder with magnets you can get a very clear idea where your edges truly are at a given location on your skis. Using the edges to calibrate the angle finder and not the base with inherent variability, you can increase reliability at any given point on a ski.

Note that with the (+/-) 0.1° sensitivity, you can drive yourself nuts and never get out the door if you can't stand that the angle is dead on a particular target angle.   Also, you'll be surprised to find how variable any given angle truly can be along an edge.


What are your thoughts?

TIA











(Note: this is also posted at TGR. This ought to be entertaining. )


Edited by Alpinord - 11/18/09 at 1:00pm

Cool. Thanks.

Put you down for a dozen?

The silence is deafening.

It's a 0.1° of accuracy. on a 2mm edge, this is a 0.0035mm change which is in the neighborhood of 1/230th the thickness of a piece of paper (for visual scale) if my CAD software is correct. Actually, 1/115 th if you consider (+/-) 0.1°. I know I can't feel that difference while skiing.

It's touchy and by 'repeatable' do you mean easily getting the same reading? You have to allow an acceptable range or you'll go nuts. It might be an issue of too much information because of the sensitivity. This was designed for precision settings of saws for tight woodworking cuts.

Here's a review I found.

Quote:
Market testing. I have to purchase a substantial minimum. I do have an affiliate account with Rockler (for this and T-tracks) for now. You can get them at Woodworker's Supply in Abq next time you float through or get them online.

I am checking out another option which also has digital calipers and other precision measuring devices. If that pans out, I'll get a limited stock and see what happens.

They're pretty fun to mess around with.


Edited by Alpinord - 11/19/09 at 3:01pm

I'd say yes, if you calibrate it consistently. It measures laterally and you need to keep it perpendicular to the center line. Plus , you may need to recalibrate it as you move along the ski to adjust for any slight twisting or base variations. For 'slam dunk' measuring you can blow off the true bar and set it on the base and then snap it on an edge and go to the next point.

A conversation I had with someone else very interested in this was to be able to consider measuring and varying the bevels at the tips and tails.

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Their versatility is also appealing to me. I use mine year round.

I'm real curious to see what other techniques others dream up for these. I can order magnets easy enough which expands their usefulness.....and fun factor.

Thanks for the feedback. I was starting to wonder if I was further out in right field than usual.

That's why the magnet:



I tried replacing the included 3/16" round magnets with stronger and thicker magnets, but found I had the best reliability with a linear magnet glued to the base at 90°.

Yeah, my trig calculator is too complicated for me so I needed some help.

No. It's just one bad boy now because I can't separate them. Ought to snap to an edge pretty assuredly now. (Here's the source link. They sell 'variety packs' so you can try different shapes and sizes.)

The magnets help for sure and as noted, you have to back off of your precision expectations with a broader range of tolerance.

Another thing you use the magnets for is it will help with balancing a true bar on the edge to measure angles with other means.