Popular Woodworking 2007-06 № 162, страница 9

Tricks of the Trade

Compiled by Paul Anthony Illustrations by Matt Bantly

Multi-purpose Saddle Fence

Flathead stove bolt

Stop block

Saddle fence face

THE WINNER:

I decided to make a saddle-type tenoning jig to ride on my table saw rip fence, and I got to thinking that I should make it multi-functional. I ended up devising this saddle fence that accommodates all sorts of j igs, including a tenoning jig, a featherboard, an auxiliary fence face for cutting rabbets with a dado head and even a spline j ig that cuts slots in the corners of assembled boxes and frames.

The saddle fence slips completely over my rip fence and includes a removable stop-block that sits in dados at the operator's end. I leave the block in place when I want the fence stationary for mounting an auxiliary fence face or a featherboard. To use the tenoning jig or spline jig, I remove the stop-block, which allows the whole saddle and jig to slide in order to carry the workpiece over the blade.

I built my fence from quartersawn lumber, but you could use MDF or good-quality hardwood plywood instead. Make sure that the fence face, crosspiece and backboard are all square to each other, securely attached, and

that the saddle sits snugly on your rip fence. Make the fence face tall enough to accurately support work-pieces on end, and to accommodate T-nuts for attaching various jigs. (My fence is 5" tall.)

I attach most jigs with flathead stove bolts countersunk into the face of the saddle fence. To locate the T-nut holes in the jigs, you can thread bolts in from the rear of the fence with the bolt tips projecting slightly, then clamp the jig against the fence to create imprints where the holes should go. To attach my featherboard, I epoxy headless bolts into turned wooden knobs, with the bolts inserted through slots in the featherboard to allow up and down adjustment. I clamp the fence down when using a featherboard.

Jim Judge Casper, Wyoming

continued on page 20

CASH AND PRIZES

FOR YOUR TRICKS AND TIPS!

In each issue we publish useful woodworking tips from our readers. The next issue's winner receives a $250 gift certificate from Lee Valley Tools, good for any item in the catalog or on the web site (leevalley.com). (The tools pictured at right are for illustration only, and are not part of the prize.)

Runners-up each receive a check for $50 to $100. When submitting a trick (either by mail or e-mail) you must include your complete mailing address and a daytime phone number. If your trick is selected for publication, an editor will need to contact you. All entries become the property of PopularWoodworking. You can send your trick by e-mail to popwoodtricks@fwpubs. com, or mail it to Tricks of the Trade, PopularWoodworking, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.

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Popular Woodworking June 2007