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View Full Version : A fence for all tools?



steven c newman
07-06-2014, 11:17 AM
Whether it be a job site tablesaw, a circular saw, a router, Clamped to a bandsaw. Just three pieces of scrap wood forms this jig. Had a friend that needed something better than the OEM fence on his DeWalt job site 10" table saw. Cobbled up a fence in .....maybe two hours.

Had a piece of scrap plywood, about 1/2" thick. It did have a nice 90 degree corner, and a Factory edge. Cut a angled line to form a triangle of sorts. Laid that on his saw. Found an Oak scrap and planed it down to match the space between the plywood and the OEM fence rail. Moved the plywood until it was aligned with a miter slot, and clamped the oak cleat in place. Couple of screw laying around made the connection. Found a straight pine 1x2, well, as straight as I could fine, no twist. Laid itonto the flipped over triangle. using the Factory edge as a guide, attached the "high" fence along the long edge with a few more screw. Important that these were sunk into the plywood, didn't want any scratches from them. Set things up on the saw, marked where a cut was to be, and set the fence with one C clamp to the OEM rail. Checked for alignment and clamped a second C clamp to hold things in place. First cut was better than the OEM fence! Fine tuned the "rub" side of the NEW fence with some sandpaper to smooth the side out. 292432 Useful to paint small objects, too:D This is the operator's view292433 the hardwood cleat, that you can size to fit...whatever. You can see the screws for the fence. Do not glue the pine in place, you can then add a taller fence if needed, or no fence for clearence reasons. 292434Side view. I have clamped this to some 1x6, and ran a circular saw along it to make rip cuts with. Fence on the blade side of the saw, allow for the shoe's width between the saw blade and the fence. I have also set up for Dados with a handheld router by usung this fence. My old bandsaw did not have a big enough table, but others could use it. Add a tall fence strip to it, and resaw? 292435Maybe a dozen 1" screws, and three pieces of scrap wood. As for that Walnut board it is sitting on? Well, under it are a few toys, er , TOOLS292436This also serves as a place to sit down while using the grinder behind it, or i can turn around and sit at the workbench and do a bit of saw work. In a pinch, it can act as a saw bench, too:D How accurate is this fence? As accurate as YOU make it.292437and a shot of it in action, one line is the cut line, fence is sitting on it's own layout line, and the two c clamps. A third clamp holds this to my workbench end. Set so the saw blade misses the bench, and the waste under the saw just drops away.

steven c newman
07-07-2014, 10:07 PM
This started out as just a fence up-grade for a Dewalt Job site saw. Friend of mine had the saw. Moved my shop from his pole barn, and I got to keep the jig. Turns out it is just the thing for guiding a router to make dados with. I also use it to make straight- line rips. Crosscuts on wide boards have been done, too. I suppose, with the right tall fence attached to it, it could even be a resaw fence for a bandsaw? Just need a couple clamps to fix the fence where you need it to be.

Think I should do a post about the home made Tool Chest??? After all, one needs a place to put the tools away in, right?

steven c newman
07-09-2014, 1:06 AM
getting ready to use this jig again. Have a few planks to rip to width. After I get them scrub planed down to a usable state, that is.. Building a second toolchest, much like the first, but for underneath the workbench. Will need a few small wheely objects to roll it out, too.

Pat Barry
07-09-2014, 8:53 AM
getting ready to use this jig again. Have a few planks to rip to width. After I get them scrub planed down to a usable state, that is.. Building a second toolchest, much like the first, but for underneath the workbench. Will need a few small wheely objects to roll it out, too.
I like the idea but I am wondering how you clamp it to the piece you are cutting? Care to show a photo or two of that? For example, I'm assuming the planks you plan to rip to width are going to be done with a circular saw?? I would need a clamp at each end to keep everything on track

steven c newman
07-09-2014, 9:30 AM
About like this292659That cleat across the wider end helps hold it square to the line, I clamp the jig to a line that allows for the saw's shoe. Clamp the whole mess to the bench, and just saw away.

Cn be clamped to the fence rails of a Job Site saw, instead of the clamp-on OEM "fence" Cleat will act to keep the fence square. Just using the edge of the saw's top. A clamp on both ends works for routing dados.

steven c newman
08-05-2014, 3:37 PM
Tried the fence out today. Had a panel to trim to size294245Panel is sitting on a particle board planing stop. I can attach jigs to it, instead of the top of the bench. Laid out where to cut, and marked where the shoe would go. Couple clamps294246 a C clamp "aft", and a Visegrip finger clamp "fore". Finger clamp has those swivel pads. Place the saw against the fence, and keep it there, Push it through the cut.294247 and I have a nice squared end. I do check the fence with a framing square, more of a check than anything else. Had to do both ends of the panel, then clean the faces off. Leveled the surface a bit294248then measured to find the center of the pamel, marked it for the jig, and saw again294249 and now I have two identical panels to plane down into raised panels. Similar set up IF I wanted to route some dados. Measure where the bit is, and where it needs to be for the cut. Lay out the fence, clamp it up, and route a dado.