Anyone here made their own Biese fence tube?

[Jim O'Dell]

I'm looking for a less expensive alternative to the 250.00 Delta 78-055B fence tube. I'd like to use my Biese fence that is currently on my Ridgid 3612 TS and be able to use it on my G0691. Hopefully I can make adjustments on the rail so that I can keep the same fence adjustments and switch machines as needed without additional set up time. I can use the current Grizzly angle iron to mount a new tube to.
I've located a local steel supplier that has the required 2" X 3" steel tubing in various wall thicknesses. But my question is will the tubing be straight? I sent an email last weekend to the company with what I was going to use it for and asked that question, but haven't received any reply as of yet.
Next question is the Biese unit has the sliding/clamping surfaces polished, and the remainder powder coated. I can easily paint the non contact parts, but how do I polish the sliding/clamping surfaces?
Thanks for any help and insights you can offer! Jim.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I'm looking for a less expensive alternative to the 250.00 Delta 78-055B fence tube. I'd like to use my Biese fence that is currently on my Ridgid 3612 TS and be able to use it on my G0691. Hopefully I can make adjustments on the rail so that I can keep the same fence adjustments and switch machines as needed without additional set up time. I can use the current Grizzly angle iron to mount a new tube to.
I've located a local steel supplier that has the required 2" X 3" steel tubing in various wall thicknesses. But my question is will the tubing be straight? I sent an email last weekend to the company with what I was going to use it for and asked that question, but haven't received any reply as of yet.
Next question is the Biese unit has the sliding/clamping surfaces polished, and the remainder powder coated. I can easily paint the non contact parts, but how do I polish the sliding/clamping surfaces?
Thanks for any help and insights you can offer! Jim.

Jim, I'm always a bit suprised how straight the tubing we use to fabricate on the farm is. I think you will be fine on that level. One of my last saws was a Jet, with the Exacta fence. It's a Bies clone of course, and it's surfaces were all painted. It worked just like the Bies. If you wanted to have polished though, you could get the raw tube, polish with your random orbit sander, then mask the strips you wanted to leave before painting.

[johnny means]

Fence manufacturers buy the same steel tube available at your local steel yard. I like 1/4", I know it will never crush

[Scott Britton]

Yes, I have done it. I bought longer rails to put on my G1023 from the local hardware steel supply house here. Straight as can be.

[ed vitanovec]

Grizzly sells the rail only and last I checked the rail for 32" rip cut was $130.

[Jim O'Dell]

Ed, the Grizzly rail is not the right size for the Biese fence, or I'd just stick the Biese on it and go on. I'll have to look into what to use on my angle grinder to polish the steel fence where the non painted part is. It will be easy to mask off and paint.
Thanks for the info everyone! Jim.

[John C Bush]

Hi Jim,
Not sure how the rail sizes differ, but would it be possible to add a shim/spacer to the fence clamping surface when moving saw to saw?? My Biese clone has uhmw plastic pads for sliding and clamping contact. Maybe you could just slide the right thickness of similar material in, secure it with rubberbands, magnets, Double Bubble????, save some bucks and still get to use the Biese>

[steve joly]

We just made 3. 2 of them with 2x3 rails and one to work with a delta fence that was 2x2. Much cheaper than buying one and make it any length you want. We followed the very super cool tools fence instructions

[Jim O'Dell]

John, I had thought about using a spacer, but it would probably fall out each time it was moved. I think it is about 1/4" off in thickness, need to double check that. Guess I could get a piece of steel that thick and secure it somehow, but even then, I'd be afraid it wouldn't be flat. Maybe if it was on the inside edge it wouldn't matter? Seems like the height is off by 5/16, so that would create a extra problem to shim to the right height. I think a new tube would be easier.
Got any pictures Steve? I'd be interested in how they came out. Jim.