Comparison between TS-Aligner Jr. and
MasterGage
Introduced in 1995, TS-Aligner Jr. was specifically designed for homeshop woodworking machinery. To this day it remains the premiere alignment tool for the homeshop woodworker.
Pricing
MasterGage TS-Aligner Jr. Base Model $259.00 $133.46 Height Extension $34.00 Not needed MasterPlate $49.00 Not needed Spindle Rod Not available Included Offset Bar Not available Included Instructional Video Not available Included Angle Attachment Gage Not available Included Dial Indicator
Included $13.60 - $169.38 Total: $342.00 $146.66 - $302.84 The above prices are for the current model ("MasterGage Classic") as quoted from the MasterGage web site. The accessories that I've listed provide feature and functionality parity between the two products.
What is included with MasterGage
I purchased my MasterGage "brand spanking new" directly from the maker (through a friend) a number of years ago. I will use my own photos for this review. The company recently introduced a new MasterGage that they are calling the "Classic". While the extrusion profile is different, the two products perform essentially the same functions in the same manner. There is one exception however. The newer model (the "Classic") does not have the 30 and 45 degree angle references like my "original" MasterGage. My MasterGage came in a cardboard box with all of the components wrapped inside the manual secured by a rubber band.
The "Base" is machined from standard aluminum extrusion. The markings on the surface are said by the maker to be "laser etched". The vertical rods are stainless steel. The surface is black anodized. The workmanship appears to be very good. See below for results in the Metrology Lab.
The "Level Arm" is machined from aluminum bar stock. It's surface is hard anodized. The two "V" groves ride on the stainless steel rods that are mounted in the main body. It's position is secured by a a spring loaded plastic "T" nut (called the "Nut Plate") and thumbscrew. The dial indicator connects directly to the Level Arm using a thumbscrew. It does not allow any horizontal positioning.
The "Stud Adapter" is used to attach the dial indicator to the Level Arm in alternate positions on its top, bottom, and end. The dial indicator that shipped with my MasterGage was a "Made in China" model. I do not know if the company now offers any higher quality options.
The "Depth Rod" is used in conjunction with the Level Arm to gage depths below the table surface (shown below). Readings are taken from the scale printed on the front of the base.
Two "Plastic Spacers" (sorry, best photo I could manage) are used under the back end of the dial indicator plunger. They are needed so that the stylus doesn't hang below the surface of the body when MasterGage is configured as a height gage (shown below).
The manual that I received with my MasterGage consisted of 15 photocopied pages (double sided) stapled in one corner. It is illustrated with line drawings depicting various uses and configurations for MasterGage. Six pages are devoted to the warranty, ordering instructions, order form, and accessories. Newer units come with a much better manual of about 55 pages illustrated with shaded cad drawings. Many pages are still devoted to advertising and promotional purposes.
This is the box that MasterGage comes in if the optional carrying case ($49.00) isn't purchased.
Here MasterGage is configured as a height gage using the "Level Arm" and the dial indicator. When the Level Arm is in it's highest position (3" from the surface) the dial indicator plunger is still partially depressed.
The photo above shows how the Depth Rod is mounted in the Level Arm.
Shown above is the configuration recommended for measuring blade and fence alignment. The stylus of the dial indicator ends up being about 3" above the table surface. The dial indicator needs to be tilted significantly in order to make measurements closer to the table surface. A blade replacement accessory called "MasterPlate" ($49.00) is recommended for "more accurate results".
In this photo MasterGage is configured for use with the "Miter Bar" accessory. The resulting stylus height is about 1.1" at it's lowest possible position. Unfortunately, the dial indicator would be dragging on the table surface in this position.
In the Metrology Lab
The maker claims various accuracies and capabilities for MasterGage. So, I was eager to test these claims.
The workmanship appears to be very good until checked in the Metrology Lab. The maker claims that the body of the product is machined to tolerances of 0.0002" on CNC machinery. Perhaps he means to say that the CNC machinery has positioning or repeatability specs of 0.0002". It's a common mistake that many people make. Any competent engineer or machinist would say that it is not reasonable to expect such tolerances when machining aluminum extrusions.
To test these claims, I attempted to measure the accuracy of various surfaces (flatness, squareness, angle accuracy, parallelism) on my older style MasterGage. The difficulty began when I checked to see if the top and bottom were flat and parallel. They are not. Even more troublesome, MasterGage rocked back and forth on my granite surface plate. The reason for this is simple: the wall thickness of the extrusion used is only about 3/16". I also checked the top and bottom surfaces of the "Level Arm" to determine if they were parallel. Unfortunately, it too rocked on my surface plate so measurements were difficult at best. I obtained the following measurements by holding the base steady to prevent rocking.
Base top to bottom parallelness: 0.006" Level Arm accuracy (ability to remain level): 0.002" 90 degree reference accuracy: 0.0019" over 2.5" length 45 degree reference accuracy: 0.0011" over 2.0" length These accuracies correspond to those of low cost "hardware store" carpentry instruments. The rocking problem I describe here is likely the reason why current "MasterGage Classic" units utilize a different extrusion design (with heavier cross section). This would help eliminate the gross error seen in my older unit but the claimed 0.0002" tolerances still violate the laws of physics.
The manual of my vintage MasterGage also claims that the vertical motion of the Level Arm can be used in conjunction with the scale to measure angles using the dial indicator. Basic one inch trigonometry is proposed as the method. This assumes several things which are not mentioned in the manual:
The tilt of the indicator must be adjusted to eliminate cosine errors.
The base must not rock on the reference surface.
The vertical travel must be precisely one inch; a difficult task using the supplied 0.020"/div scale.
The vertical motion must be square with the reference surface.
To test the last requirement I utilized the TS-Aligner calibration setup, replacing the MasterGage Chinese indicator with a Mitutoyo 0.0001/div indicator (model 2804F-10). As one would expect, the mechanism is not capable of providing consistent and repeatable vertical motion.
Comparison of standard features:
This section compares the features and functionality of MasterGage with the TS-Aligner Jr.
Cross Bar
The Cross Bar on TS-Aligner Jr. is eight inches long. It can be adjusted horizontally into any position and locked in place securely. This allows you to adjust the position of the dial indicator for a variety of needs. The Level Arm that holds the dial indicator on MasterGage does not adjust horizontally. In order to change the horizontal position of the dial indicator, the entire base must be moved. An extension rod is included to extend the reach of the dial indicator.
Miter slot guidance
TS-Aligner Jr. uses a unique three bearing system for miter slot guidance. It can be adjusted to fit any slot from 5/8" to 7/8", providing a play free fit that is extremely accurate and smooth. MasterGage Classic comes with a "Cradle Bar" for miter slot guidance. It comes in two versions: one for 3/4" (19mm) slots and another for the ShopSmith machinery.
Angle measurement
TS-Aligner uses the dial indicator in conjunction with the Angle Attachment Gage in two methods for measuring angles. It takes advantage of basic trigonometry to achieve remarkable accuracy. A tangent table is included to translate dial indicator readings to angular measurements. Optional angle blocks and can be used to further increase accuracy and ease of use. This degree of accuracy is necessary for cutting precise, tight fitting miter joints without the need for test cuts.My MasterGage uses three machined edges to gage fixed angles of 30, 45, and 90 degrees. MasterGage Classic has no angle measurement facility. Neither provides enough accuracy to eliminate the need for test cuts. It's conceivable that MasterGage could be used with angle blocks. However, no instructions were provided for such a use and the vertical motion of the Level Arm is not stable enough for accurate results.
Spindle Rod and Upright Bar
The Spindle Rod is used to make measurements on machines with spindles. The Upright Bar converts TS-Aligner Jr. into a height gage. The Spindle Rod is a $9.00 option with MasterGage.
Height gage functions
Using the Upright Bar, TS-Aligner Jr. can be easily configured as a height gage. The dial indicator can easily positioned anywhere along it's five inch length. This allows the dial indicator to be used to measure objects with a height of more than one inch (full travel of the dial indicator). MasterGage has three inches of vertical travel and does not allow measurements using the full travel of the dial indicator (less than one inch).User's Manual
TS-Aligner Jr. comes with an extensive 44 page printed manual full of photos and illustrations. MasterGage comes with a manual of about 55 pages illustrated with shaded cad drawings.Features included with TS-Aligner Jr. but not available for MasterGage
Offset Bar
This feature allows measurements to be made very close to the table surface (about 1/4"), enhancing the accuracy of blade alignment and making precise adjustments to the miter gauge much easier. In order to make measurements close to the table surface with MasterGage, you must tilt the dial indicator (an inaccurate and cumbersome configuration). The maker offers to sell MasterGage owners his "MasterPlate" accessory ($49) as the solution. This solution allows measurements across the entire 10" blade width. However, it also magnifies the error produced by minor warps in the table surface. Such warps are extremely common around the throat plate area, where the thin cross section of cast iron allows room for operation of the blade tilt mechanism.
Angle Attachment Gage
The Angle Attachment Gage utilizes basic one inch trigonometry to measure angles with remarkable accuracy. It's a unique feature only found on TS-Aligner Jr. (both Deluxe and Lite versions). The original MasterGage could assist in setting two angles (30 and 45 degrees). MasterGage Classic has no provision for any angular measurements.Video
The video helps to give you a quick understanding of TS-Aligner Jr. and how it is used to align machinery. There is no video available for MasterGage.Summary
I recently had a chance to discuss this review with Paul Reilly, maker of the MasterGage Classic (and other MasterGage branded products). The occasion presented itself when I discovered a number of domain names (ts-aligner.net, ts-aligner.org, tsaligner.com, tsaligner.net, tsaligner.org) registered under his name and redirected to his MasterGage web site. When I confronted him with this he explained that he did it because he was upset about my reviews of his products. He was unhappy with harsh rhetoric implying a lack of expertise on his part. I promised to remove all such rhetoric if he surrendered the illegal domain names. So far he has refused to surrender the domains. He was also very unhappy that I had used early versions of his products for my reviews. The implication was that the current MasterGage Classic is much better and resolves all the issues that I encountered. So, I invited him to provide a new unit for review. He declined. I offered to swap him a new TS-Aligner Jr. for a new MasterGage Classic. He declined. I then invited him to provide a rebuttal and promised to give it prominent placement right here in the Summary. He declined this offer as well and insisted that I remove the reviews completely. He threatened to create an embarrassing page on his web site (which would cite an article from Fine Woodworking Magazine #95 (August 1992)) if I did not comply.
I believe that my reviews provide information that help people to make a good purchase decision. This new page on MasterGage.com cites a number of reasons to consider when making a purchase decision concerning MasterGage products. It is with this in mind that I recommend you read what Mr. Reilly believes is most important about his products and why he thinks you should buy them. Follow this link to find the new page on MasterGage.com.
Conclusion
My MasterGage product has a significant number of serious design defects. Mr. Reilly has refused all of my efforts to provide information that demonstrates these defects have been corrected in the current MasterGage Classic product. His vindictive response to the publication of this detailed analysis gives me cause for alarm. I just cannot recommend purchasing any of his MasterGage products.
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MasterGage is a registered trademark of Paul Reilly
Last revised: January 28, 2008.
Copyright 2005 Edward J. Bennett Company All rights reserved.