WWA Info Exchange

When am I gonna learn?!

Last week I got one of those emails from Woodpecker offering a deal on an Incra miter gauge. Pretty good deal so I ordered the 1000HD and sat back to wait for the UPS lady.

She arrived late Tuesday while I was out in the yard at that point of the spring when you enjoy yard work. Like a kid at Christman I rushed down to the shop w/ my new treasure and went to work putting it together and checken' out all the wonderful features. All very impressive and I could see I was gonna have fun the next day when I could get around to making a few test cuts. That is until I noticed that it would only cut to the left of the blade.

After spending a small fortune last year on a big ole Grizzly w/ a left tilt blade and happy that my digits were now a little further from the business end of the glade on bevel cuts I was pretty upset that I had spent so much on equipment that was so proorly designed that I'd be right back in harms way.

You'll notice that thus far I haven't mentioned the instruction book that was now under the shipping box.

Before going down to the shop the next morning I got on line to register w/ Incra on the warrenty and took advantage of the comments section to give them a good blistering about the poor design and how unhappy w/ the product I was. (And I'm sure that they expect to see wonderful comments there from customer's who hadn't used the product yet and were still very happy......well I fixed that!)

I went down to the shop and dough the manual out from under and started to take a look. Because, you see, I always read the instructions. I just don't always read them at the right time.

After scanning thru the standard safty advise on page one I came of course to page two. First topic, I mean VERY FIRST, was a section on what to do if you prefer to work to the right of the blade. A short little paragraph and three screws puts you to the right of the blade. I didn't know that you could switch from angry to embarrased so quickly!

I raced up to get on the Incra site to ask them to disregard my comments. TOO LATE. There was a nice email from Chris saying that there must have been a mistake in packaging and that I hadn't gotten the instruction manual so he was gonna get one right out to me. He could have, of course, said what he was thinking. Somethin' like, "Hay, Dumba88, read the instruction!". But his diplomatic response to my bad behavior only made me feel worse. I apologized in response and asked him to forgive my juvinial behavior.

Point of fact is that it is a great piece of engineering and I think I'm gonna be real happy w/ it. Got my moneys worth. But, I should also commend them on their customer service. Even to those customers who are stuck on 15 with a B52 mouth and a Piper Cub brain.

I'd like to be able to say I've learned a lesson but have to admit that I probably just RElearned a lesson.

Thanks, Incra.

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Joe T

I knew the ending, but had to read it anyway.

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Mango
The land some where in the middle
20 47 00N -156 26 00W

Hey Joe,

Well, given that HPDH, you are covered, right? I mean, none of US have seen this marvel of ambidextrous engineering.

Tom

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"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi

Tom, I'm not sure what HPDH means.

But, in case you were serious, The Incra I ordered has an extention fence that outa the box is attached on the left of the main fence. The "extension" is the same extrusion as the main fence and is attach via a smaller extrusion channel that fits inside the other two. They're all held together by two screws on the expension and one on the main fence. They hold it all together w/ channel washers that ride inside the interior channel making it infinitely adjustable out to about 30".

In order to change sides you just losten the screws pull the interior channel and move it to the right side and put the screws back in place.

Really a slick design after you've read the instructions.

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Joe T

Now you need to nail Stanley for not having left handed screwdrivers and hammers!!!

When I was selling Mac Tools, I used to have fun trying to sell the oldtimers METRIC screwdrivers and pliers. You would be supprised at some of the reactions I got.
To tell the truth, I once had a cresent wrench that had METRIC printed on the handle. It was a real tool and I'm sure the manufacturer was serious.

Rog

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Dont badmouth no strangers, they just friends you aint met yet.

An ounce of responsibility is worth a pound of State and Federal laws.

I spent most of my money on woodworking
tools and beer, the rest I just wasted.

Hey Joe,

NPDH is probably the only universally held axiom here at WWA...

No Pictures, Didn't Happen

Tom

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"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi

But your comment said HPDH

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John

Oops!

I guess I didn't expect the spell checker to like it, so I ignored it. My bad.

Tom

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"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi

Ok, Tom. Since you've aparently never seen an ad for Incra equipment I'm posting some pics for you edification

Hope ya like 'em.



See "Incra Two"

See "Incra Three"

See "Incra One"

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Joe T

Don't you hate it when that happens? I'm certain that you are the first one to EVER do this because I know it never happens to me