50 - Table Saw Workstation, страница 30
Talk TOOLS OF THE TRADE ▲ With the fence unlocked, it simply lifts off the guide tube. When you set it back in place, it still locks parallel to the saw blade. T-Square Rip Fence I've never been completely satisfied with the rip fence on my table saw. One reason is I can only rip material up to 25" wide. But what's even more frustrating is the fence doesn't always lock parallel to the saw blade. So I have to measure the distance from the fence to the front and the back of the blade every time I make a cut. Finally, I got tired of fiddling with it, and I decided to replace it with a more accurate fence that had a larger rip capacity. BIESEMEYER. After looking at several after-market models, I bought a T-square fence manufactured by Biesemeyer, see photo above. This fence has a 40" rip capacity, but other sizes are also available, see page 31. RUGGED CONSTRUCTION. One of the things I like about this fence is its rugged construction. The core of the fence is made of thick, square steel tubing, see drawing below. A plywood face covered with plastic laminate is attached to each side of the tubing. And a beefy chunk of angle iron is welded to the bottom to form the T-square head of the fence. To align the fence parallel to the blade, there's an adjustment screw in each end of the head. The fence has to be removed to adjust the screws, so it's a trial and error process. But once the screws are set, the fence stays perfectly aligned. To provide rigid support for the head, it rides on a heavy-duty, steel guide tube. This guide tube is attached to an angle iron support rail that's bolted to the front of the table saw (and table extension). A second rail mounted to the back of the saw supports the table extension only. Note: The fence doesn't lock on this second rail. LOCKING MECHANISM. But what impresses me the most about this fence is the locking mechanism. Not just because the fence doesn't budge when it's locked. But because it locks parallel to the blade every time. Here's how it works. With the lock lever up, slide the fence to its desired position, see detail 'a.' (A scale and hairline indicator make this quick and easy, see inset photo.) When you push the lever down, a cam on the end exerts pressure that draws the head tightly against the! guide tube, see detail 'b.' PRICE. Okay, so how much does this fence cost? I paid $269 (about half of what I paid for my table saw). Even so, the fence makes such a dramatic improvement in the overall performance of the saw, it's worth every penny. & . Plastic Edging Table Extension provides a. Unlocked Position No. 50 |
