Delta Contractor's table saw Platinum Edition - USA Made?

[Mike Heidrick]

Anyone have parts for them? A friend needs an arbor shaft.

[Curt Harms]

I have a mid 80's Unisaw and 54" Unifence, all made in USA. I don't think you've given the Unifence a chance. I use the Biesmeyer at work and my Unifence at home.
I much prefer the Unifence because of it's versatility.

I like the ability of the Unifence to be used in both low or high fence positions, slide it back to make it like a European fence that ends just after the blade, or switch the extrusion around to use it on the opposite side of the blade. I also have a Uni-T-Fence extrusion from Peachtree Woodworking Tools twww.ptreeusa.com hat gives me an HDMW plastic rub surface along the bottom of the fence and T slots on the side and top for attaching feather boards, etc. I also have a short 16" version of this Uni-T-Fence for use when I use the fence as a stop when miter cutting. The flexibility of the Unifence is why I like it.
I have all kinds of "work arounds" at work for doing these things with the Biesmeyer, wooden blocks, and clamps, but it's much easier to do at home using my Unifence. I still can't believe they stopped making it.

Charley

For people who prefer the unifence over Biesemeyer style fences, do you know about VerySuperCoolTools fence? 'Unique' name (not necessarily a good thing) but the idea seems sort of interesting. They talk about a proprietary extrusion for the fence but I wonder if 80/20 extrusions would fit as well.

https://vsctools.com/shop/table-saw-fence/

[Charles Lent]

Curt,

I'm aware of the VSC Fence. It has a similar design to the Unifence, however, the ability to have a high or low fence is not there and changing out the extrusion, if another existed, is not at all easy and requires loosening Allen head cap screws that are on the bottom side. Re-squaring after a change is also required. I can loosen and change the position of my Unifence with just two thumb knobs on the top side of the fence, move it or change it, then tighten the two thumb knobs and the fence is square again, needing no re-calibration and all from above with no tools needed either. I've picked up a flyer on the VSC Fence a few years back and also watched their videos, but I have never actually seen one of their fences, however I think I'll stay with my Unifence because of it's options and ease of use. The aluminum extrusion of the VSC Fence does look something like 80/20.

A big step up in fence accuracy for me was getting and installing a Wixey DRO to my Unifence. With it, I can set the fence for a cut, make the cut, then remove and re-install the fence and set it for the same cut. Then make this second cut and the two boards will be the same width plus or minus a few thousandths. At work they have an old Biesmeyer fence on a 12" Delta saw and although the saw is rock solid, repeating a cut to that accuracy is blind luck. Fortunately, most of the work is much larger there, so small part cutting to this accuracy isn't important, nor is it for a lot of what I do at home, but it's nice to have that capability. Small projects fit together so much easier when made to this accuracy.

Charley

[Charles Lent]

Charley,
I love my Unifence on my Platinum edition contractor's saw so my comment was definitely misleading. I've just heard a lot of people who love the Beismeyer so my comment was that "grass is always greener" thing with something I've never used but have wanted to for a long time. I honestly can't say there's anything lacking in the Unifence for what I ask it to do.

Mike

Mike,

The Biesmeier Fence has two sides, so it's easy to use on both sides of the blade, however, getting both sides perfectly flat and parallel requires a bunch of shimming and effort. There are no built-in adjustments for this, but once it is square to the blade and both sides of it are parallel with each other it seems to stay that way for a long time. It doesn't have the high/low capability of the Unifence extrusion and it doesn't have T slots unless you add a T slot extrusion to the top and make replacement sides with T slot extrusions included in them. Of course, the original Unifence extrusion doesn't have T slots either, but the Uni-T-Fence extrusion from Peachtree Woodworking does. www.ptreeusa.com and they offer this extrusion in two lengths, I believe 36 and 42" (I have the 42"), plus a 16" length to be used when cross cutting with the miter gauge and using the short fence as a length stop. I can adjust either the original Unifence length or the Uni-T-Fence length easily for a European style fence length and I can change fence extrusions just as easily or switch the fence extrusion to the other side when cutting on the other side of the blade. The Biesmeier Fence does not have this capability at all. I think the owners of Biesmeier Fences like them because they stay square with the blade and haven't used the Unifence, so they don't know all of it's capabilities. I had only used the Biesmeier Fences before getting my Unisaw, and I wasn't too happy when the Unisaw that I bought used came with a Unifence, but I quickly came to respect it, and then in a few months I much preferred it over the Biesmeier at work. So much so that I been trying to convince them to get a Unifence for that saw at work, but part of the problem is that they will only buy "new". The Unifence is no longer available new, and a used 52" Unifence in good condition is becoming very hard to find.

Charley