TS fence problem

[David Ragan]

A few months ago, I went in and completely realigned my table so that the rip fence would not jam as it transitions from the wooden extension coming over to the left onto the main steel table. I have a SS.

Tightened down the hex head bolts plenty.

It was great for a period of weeks. I was so pleased cause it was a Major pain to do all that.

Now it is catching again.

It had occurred to me to maybe sand off that edge of the rip fence-chamfer a slight bit, but would probably wear. How about putting one of those bullet catches in that area so that the edge just rolls up and over the steel table?

[Marc Seguin]

While I find a slight chamfer on the bottom edge of the rip fence to be a benefit, I'd try and solve the underlying issue. The chamfer is not for sliding ease, but more for dust relief so that you get more accurate registration of stock. Trying to figure out why the extension is sliding would be my main goal. Is there a way to shim or block it up from below ?

[Ted Reischl]

Maybe quit dropping heavy boards on the extension table? Or at least not park a huge pile of lumber there? Or quit using it for a workbench to chop mortises?

Just a few thoughts. . . . .

[glenn bradley]

I have a SS PCS. Although Saw Stop's method of attaching the left side table is the poorest part of the saw, adding a little extra hardware will resolve that. The Saw Stop fence, like the Beisemeyer it is a clone of, rides on a little nylon pad that should ease the transition even when the table (inevitably it seems) goes a bit out of alignment. Has your pad gotten knocked off?

P.s. If I ever find a permanent fix for the table issue I will be sure to post a thread.

[David Ragan]

I have a SS PCS. Although Saw Stop's method of attaching the left side table is the poorest part of the saw, adding a little extra hardware will resolve that. The Saw Stop fence, like the Beisemeyer it is a clone of, rides on a little nylon pad that should ease the transition even when the table (inevitably it seems) goes a bit out of alignment. Has your pad gotten knocked off?

P.s. If I ever find a permanent fix for the table issue I will be sure to post a thread.

You mean a little pad toward the back of the fence? It has some that let you raise up the front of the fence.

I guess you mean a little convex piece?

[glenn bradley]

You mean a little pad toward the back of the fence? It has some that let you raise up the front of the fence.

I guess you mean a little convex piece?

Yes. Maybe I need to clarify. The fence rides above the table so I thought the place that was catching was out at a point away from the operator, therefore the pad became suspect. Is the fence catching near the operator? If so, simply raise the fence a bit higher. Mine clears the table by a good 1/16". When I am complaining about the wooden extension becoming misaligned I am talking about amounts less than that.

[David Ragan]

Yes. Maybe I need to clarify. The fence rides above the table so I thought the place that was catching was out at a point away from the operator, therefore the pad became suspect. Is the fence catching near the operator? If so, simply raise the fence a bit higher. Mine clears the table by a good 1/16". When I am complaining about the wooden extension becoming misaligned I am talking about amounts less than that.

It's the back end of the table. As you said, the front end has the rail to ride on.

As the fence goes comes over to the left it catches on the metal edge; the edge rides right on the wood/laminate on the back edge. The joint of this accessory top to the metal creates a ledge that the fence catches on.

This makes sense.

[Cary Falk]

I don't have a SawStop. I have a Shop Fox Classic which is a Biesemeyer clone. Does the SS fence have a back rail? I have the back rail of my fence flush with the cast iron table. The plastic pad under the fence rides the back rail and never catches on table.

[David Ragan]

I don't have a SawStop. I have a Shop Fox Classic which is a Biesemeyer clone. Does the SS fence have a back rail? I have the back rail of my fence flush with the cast iron table. The plastic pad under the fence rides the back rail and never catches on table.

HOw does a guy get a plastic pad?

[Bryan Vaughan]

Maybe quit dropping heavy boards on the extension table? Or at least not park a huge pile of lumber there? Or quit using it for a workbench to chop mortises?

Just a few thoughts. . . . .

This on brightened my day. I can't quit chuckling

[Cary Falk]

I'm not sure which fence you have. The parts list has it listed as a glide plate but I don't know where it contacts the table. You can get a roll of self stick UHMW from Woodcraft etc. HDPE would work also.

[Peter Aeschliman]

So the primary problem is that the wood side table is not holding its setting, and is drooping below the cast iron extension wing, causing the fence to catch as you slide it left. Right? And it's catching toward the outfeed end of the table (away from the operator). Correct?

You're talking about chamfering the fence face, which I think is what is confusing us. This implies that it's actually the face of the fence that is catching on the cast iron table. Your fence face should not touch the cast iron table because there should be a nylon pad under the fence tube that rests on the table top.

So either you're catching on that nylon pad, or your nylon pad is missing which is causing the fence face itself to catch. If the pad is missing, order a new one from SS.

But first and foremost, your wood extension table should be holding its setting. So I wouldn't go modifying your fence tube or the face until you figure out what is causing it to lose its setting in the first place. Are nuts/bolts loosening over time? IF so, try some thread locker like loctite (use the non-permanent type though!). Is the hole in the wood table enlarged, which creates play, which causes it to get out of whack when you put heavy things on the table? If so, you might need to install some kind of blocking from underneath to lock in the setting.

You could also drill new holes through the angle iron on the back of the fence and put in additional holes through the wood frame of the table, so you can cinch it down better.

Hopefully some of this helps, but I'm a little confused about the problem.

[glenn bradley]

Maybe like so . . . . .

[Dick Brown]

I never liked the pad rubbing on my saw table so with my Biese fence, I took the pad off, put an angle iron across the back of the saw table just below the miter slots and out to the right which supports the back of the right table extension and the outer end of the fence. Put a block of UHMW on the bottom of the fence to ride on the angle iron. I know that a lot of folks think that will mess up an outfeed table because it makes a notch that has the potential of things catching in, but it has not proven to be a problem for me. I build Biese clones and put them on saws that I refurbish and put the angle iron rail on the back. Have had no negative replies about them from the saws new owners. No more fence transition problems from table board to saw.

[David Ragan]

Maybe like so . . . . .

Peter, all those are spot-on. YOu have correctly surmised my problem.

But, the solution by Glen is what I will do. Wish I had though of it!

[David Ragan]

As it turned out, I called SS and they sent me another little plastic pad for the bottom of the fence. Now, I have a spare plastic pad. I love that.

And, said how if I called them, they would tell me how to adjust the fence......hmmm.

It occured to me that I could simply raise the left face of the rip fence up off the table. So, Saturday AM, that's what I did. (there are bolts that secure it to the fence body.)

Now the fence scoots over the small ridge-it is tolerable. (I don't have to reach out and lift it.)

[David Ragan]

312695

Pls recall the onerous catching of the fence on the table edge going from right to left--even after major hassle of re-aligning the entire table extension.

I raised the face(s) of the fence, then the little plastic runner underneath clacked and kinda caught.

So, this AM, I applied a blob of epoxy (smoothed out while pliable with waxed paper), and now the transition is smoooooth. :D

You can see the little track the plastic runner has made over time.

Of course, the epoxy can easily be popped off later