Help with Unifence Install

[Dean Ousterhout]

Hello all,

I am new to the site and appreciate any suggestions. I just picked up a used Unisaw with a 52" Unifence and have read tons about how to "tune" the saw. I am currently sanding the top and all the suggestions for getting rid of light surface rust are working great.

I am not ready yet, but thinking about it... the install of the fence... and after reading the instructions, I noticed that my unifence is different from the instructions I downloaded from Delta.

My fence does not have the t-channel for the bolts. Mine has pre-drilled holes and the holes where the extension table mounts do not have bolts in them.

Any thoughts as to how I get bolts into the empty holes. There must be a way... this is too well made a saw to not have a system... I figured you folks would know all the secrets... :)

Thanks for all the help... especially all the posts that detail how to take care of your saw... and how to get it ready for years of use...

Dean

[Greg Sznajdruk]

A picture would be really help full. The holes of which you speak are they in the carrage assembly?

Here is a picture of mine.

Greg

[Mike Circo]

I assume you are questioning how to attach the actual fence front RAIL and not the actual fence piece itself.

The older rails, like mine, had only bolt holes to attach to the saw. The rail has just a flat aluminum face with bolt holes drilled into it which mates with holes on the actual saw table. They included a goofy little piece of cardboard as a jig to help install it. You placed the nut in this slender piece of cardboard then slid it down the end of the rail and positioned it over the hole for the bolt. then "hopefully" the bolt would find the nut and tread on.

It has been a bunch of years since I've attached my fence so this is only from distant memory. If this seems like what is needed, give me a note and I'll copy my set of instructions and include some pictures of the cardboard gadget (I think I still have it.).

Hope this helps.

[Chris Rosenberger]

The rail takes 3/8 threaded studs. The stud will not have a head. You use nuts on both ends. You can cut the proper length piece for the studs from 3/8 threaded rod. You slide 2 nuts in the T slot inside the rail. You then slide the nuts so they line up with the 2 large holes. The rails came with cardboard spacers when new to make lining up the nuts with the holes easer. When the nuts are in place, thread the studs into the nuts. The 2 studs then go in the 2 holes in the front of the saw table. Then install lock washers & nuts on the studs under the table.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o303/chrisrosenb/100_0833.jpg

[Alan Schaffter]

Chris and Mike have it right. You can use a stick or other long item to help position the nuts. For those that don't know, below are the new and old rails, side by side. I abused my original rail so got a new one on Ebay a few years ago. That is what I don't like about aluminum machine parts- they allow me to bugger them up! I had planned to cut down the old one to make a folding left side table with rail - another round-tuit.

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/Wixey-1.JPG

[Dean Ousterhout]

Thanks guys.. :) I had not taken the end caps off. This is a GREAT help. I am pretty sure I can attach it now.