History of TS-Aligner Jr

A Matter of Economics

TS-Aligner was a great hit among professional woodworkers and even some very serious amateurs but most hobbyists just couldn't afford it. An appeal came from the members of the rec.woodworking news group for a low cost version of TS-Aligner. So, I set out to design an alignment tool worthy of the name TS-Aligner at a price that most woodworkers would find very attractive.

The first step was to determine exactly what a low cost TS-Aligner would do. So, I posted a message to the rec.woodworking news group asking people what functions were most important. I also needed to know how much it should sell for so I proposed some hypothetical prices for such a tool. The answers came flooding into my email address and I took each one very seriously.

Design Criteria for TS-Aligner Jr.

First and foremost it must work! People expressed a universal disgust for the multitude of stupid plastic jigs and gadgets that do not work. I translated this to mean:
- It must operate according to standard metrological principals.
- It must be made from stable materials that can hold adequate tolerances over a wide range of conditions.
- It must be machined so that the size and shape of it's parts are accurate uniform.
- It must be durable so that repeated use does not alter it's performance or accuracy.
Secondly, it must be easy to use! One of the great advantages of TS-Aligner is it's ease of use. People don't use what they don't understand and several people expressed some hesitation concerning the use of dial indicators. To put it simply, people didn't want to buy a tool that requires a Ph.D. in Rocket Science! They wanted clear and concise instructions with pictures explaining each step of every operation.
Third, it must be versatile! It must work on a wide variety of machines for a broad range of operations. Nobody wants to spend significant money on a tool that works on only one or two machines for only a few adjustments. I interpreted this to mean that it must do everything that TS-Aligner does.
Finally, it must do all this and still cost less than $100! This would prove to be the most challenging criteria. In order to be financially viable, TS-Aligner Jr. must be profitable for both me and the catalog resellers.

Final design decisions for TS-Aligner Jr.

The parts would be machined from custom aluminum extrusions. This saves the expense of the stainless steel parts used in TS-Aligner. It also saves a lot of expensive time on the milling machine since the parts will already be close to their final size and shape. Machining wasn't completely eliminated because raw extrusions just aren't accurate enough for a measurement tool.
Aluminum is the material of choice because it's relatively inexpensive, easy to machine, very stable and durable. Anodizing would give the aluminum a hard finish that would prevent oxide from gumming up operation.
The three bearing miter slot guidance system used in TS-Aligner would provide smooth and accurate movement for TS-Aligner Jr. as well. It's an expensive solution but no bar, no matter how well made, can equal the play free fit and precise, gliding motion it provides.
A new way to measure angles was invented. The vertical motion of TS-Aligner was far too expensive for TS-Aligner Jr. So, the Angle attachment gage was created. It measures angles with respect to a fixed reference point over a very precise fixed distance.
Just like TS-Aligner, a dial indicator would be the measurement instrument of choice. But, unlike TS-Aligner, the dial indicator didn't need to withstand the rigors of an industrial shop. So, dozens of different samples were evaluated for accuracy and quality at the lowest possible cost.
Best of all, costs were carefully controlled so that TS-Aligner Jr. was delivered for under $100 (1995 pricing!), making it the best value in precision alignment tools. To this day it remains extremely cost competitive with models starting at less than $75. It means high a volume computer controlled machining philosophy widely known as "crazy efficient". I'm still making them right here in my own shop in Idaho.

The outstanding results
TS-Aligner Jr. was everything I hoped for and much more. Download the manual and see for yourself how TS-Aligner Jr. can help you to get much higher quality results in far less time. You can now concentrate on your woodworking without being distracted by frustrating machine alignment and adjustment problems.

You won't find a better value anywhere! No other precision alignment tool offers as much quality, versatility, and advanced features as TS-Aligner Jr. And, best of all, its cost is very competitive with all the others!


		Birth of TS-Aligner Junior
		TS-Aligner Jr. was inspired by the amateur woodworkers that frequent the rec.woodworking Usenet newsgroup.
TS-Aligner TS-Aligner Jr. TS-Aligner Jr. Lite RS-Aligner Accessories Technical Documentation How to buy Genuine Testimonies Home		A Matter of Economics TS-Aligner was a great hit among professional woodworkers and even some very serious amateurs but most hobbyists just couldn't afford it. An appeal came from the members of the rec.woodworking news group for a low cost version of TS-Aligner. So, I set out to design an alignment tool worthy of the name TS-Aligner at a price that most woodworkers would find very attractive. The first step was to determine exactly what a low cost TS-Aligner would do. So, I posted a message to the rec.woodworking news group asking people what functions were most important. I also needed to know how much it should sell for so I proposed some hypothetical prices for such a tool. The answers came flooding into my email address and I took each one very seriously. Design Criteria for TS-Aligner Jr. First and foremost it must work! People expressed a universal disgust for the multitude of stupid plastic jigs and gadgets that do not work. I translated this to mean: It must operate according to standard metrological principals. It must be made from stable materials that can hold adequate tolerances over a wide range of conditions. It must be machined so that the size and shape of it's parts are accurate uniform. It must be durable so that repeated use does not alter it's performance or accuracy. Secondly, it must be easy to use! One of the great advantages of TS-Aligner is it's ease of use. People don't use what they don't understand and several people expressed some hesitation concerning the use of dial indicators. To put it simply, people didn't want to buy a tool that requires a Ph.D. in Rocket Science! They wanted clear and concise instructions with pictures explaining each step of every operation. Third, it must be versatile! It must work on a wide variety of machines for a broad range of operations. Nobody wants to spend significant money on a tool that works on only one or two machines for only a few adjustments. I interpreted this to mean that it must do everything that TS-Aligner does. Finally, it must do all this and still cost less than $100! This would prove to be the most challenging criteria. In order to be financially viable, TS-Aligner Jr. must be profitable for both me and the catalog resellers. Final design decisions for TS-Aligner Jr. The parts would be machined from custom aluminum extrusions. This saves the expense of the stainless steel parts used in TS-Aligner. It also saves a lot of expensive time on the milling machine since the parts will already be close to their final size and shape. Machining wasn't completely eliminated because raw extrusions just aren't accurate enough for a measurement tool. Aluminum is the material of choice because it's relatively inexpensive, easy to machine, very stable and durable. Anodizing would give the aluminum a hard finish that would prevent oxide from gumming up operation. The three bearing miter slot guidance system used in TS-Aligner would provide smooth and accurate movement for TS-Aligner Jr. as well. It's an expensive solution but no bar, no matter how well made, can equal the play free fit and precise, gliding motion it provides. A new way to measure angles was invented. The vertical motion of TS-Aligner was far too expensive for TS-Aligner Jr. So, the Angle attachment gage was created. It measures angles with respect to a fixed reference point over a very precise fixed distance. Just like TS-Aligner, a dial indicator would be the measurement instrument of choice. But, unlike TS-Aligner, the dial indicator didn't need to withstand the rigors of an industrial shop. So, dozens of different samples were evaluated for accuracy and quality at the lowest possible cost. Best of all, costs were carefully controlled so that TS-Aligner Jr. was delivered for under $100 (1995 pricing!), making it the best value in precision alignment tools. To this day it remains extremely cost competitive with models starting at less than $75. It means high a volume computer controlled machining philosophy widely known as "crazy efficient". I'm still making them right here in my own shop in Idaho. The outstanding results TS-Aligner Jr. was everything I hoped for and much more. Download the manual and see for yourself how TS-Aligner Jr. can help you to get much higher quality results in far less time. You can now concentrate on your woodworking without being distracted by frustrating machine alignment and adjustment problems. You won't find a better value anywhere! No other precision alignment tool offers as much quality, versatility, and advanced features as TS-Aligner Jr. And, best of all, its cost is very competitive with all the others! Last revised: July 12, 2006.
		Copyright 2005 Edward J. Bennett Company All rights reserved.

Birth of TS-Aligner Junior

Last revised: July 12, 2006.