Craftsman/Walker Turner Ripping Fence?

[Greg Mueller]

First post here Hi Everyone

I have a Walker Turner TA-1180 B table saw, but it is down in New Mexico where I have a stalled house building project.
I currently live in Washington State and have just acquired a Craftsman tablesaw because I discovered I just can't get along without one. (Too many projects)

The Craftsman came without a fence or rails. The Turner's fence was always kind of clunky to work with.

I wouldn't mind investing in a nice fence like a Biesemeyer, if I knew I could transfer it to the Turner eventually. I know I could probably adapt the rails one way or the other, but I am not sure about the table size of the Turner since I can't measure it (1500 miles away).

Does anyone have a Walker Turner TA-1180 B that they could measure the table (front to back) on?

I tried asking Biesemeyer but they just said I would have to go measure it.....

Help muchly appreciated

Thanks

G

[Don Jarvie]

99% sure it's 27 inches front to back. It doesn't matter with a Bies since the fence doesn't lock in the back. It just rides on the back rail.

[glenn bradley]

Agree, a T-style fence locks to front rail only. The Beis Commercial fence I run has a 42" length which should reach beyond either of your tables.

[ken masoumi]

I also recently installed a Beisemeyer fence on my old contractor saw ( Rockwell,Beaver34050),mine also is 42" rail,but I must add the back rail is only there to support the extension wing/table and nothing rides on it,some of the Beisemeyer clones may have an attachment that allows the fence to ride on the back rail but not the genuine beisemeyer.
The only modification I made on my fence was to glue a piece of UHMW to the bottom of the fence near the back of the table top so the fence could glide easily and be parallel to the top,the one originally glued on it was too far off the table and was meant for wider table tops.

[Greg Mueller]

It doesn't deflect at the rear?

Interesting.....

[Don Jarvie]

Not at all. The front rail is pretty beefy and where it locks is a T so there is no deflection on either side.

[Greg Mueller]

The Craftsman is a 12" (113.24181) it has some other problems too. It looks like it might have taken a tumble at some point. The cranks to tilt the blade and raise and lower it are broken (they were in the box-o-parts I got with it). Also the front trunnion (62099) with the gear teeth on it are broken off near the vertical position. How on earth could that have happened? It must have been dropped from an airplane.

I went to Woodcraft in Seattle yesterday and saw some SawStop Fences that looked pretty good. Pretty good prices too. The "Premium 30" for $180 seems like a pretty stout unit. Anybody have one of those?


Thanks again for the advice