Need advice selecting fence for Unisaw

[Dick Cox]

Greetings. I recently purchased a Delta Unisaw (2000 vintage, made in USA, right tilt) that does not have a fence or rails. I’m looking for advice on which fence to put on it, and hopefully one that won’t break the bank. Your insight is appreciated!

~Dicky

[Jerry Miner]

Many Unisaw users love the Unifence---I think it is no longer made, but there may be used ones available.

Personally, I prefer the Biesemeyer. More solid, less flex, and easier to use on either side of the blade. (No re-configuration of the fence necessary). IMHO, this is the standard against which other fences can be compared.

[Andrew Kertesz]

Vega makes a nice fence as well...

[Larry Edgerton]

I have both Unifence and Biesmeyer fences, and if I had to have just one it would be the Unifence.

Its just as sturdy as the Biesy, but so much more versatile. For example, the fence can be dropped right down on the table for cutting thin stock or laminates, it has a tall side and can be rolled to the short side as well. When on the short side you can fashion a push block that rides on the rail for thin stock. The fence can be pulled back when ripping solid stock so that it stops just past the blade, much safer with stock with a lot of stress, and then shoved back forward for sheet goods. There are aftermarket dohickeys for the Unifence that may be handy although I tend to make my own.

2 cents please......

[Dick Cox]

Is the unifence still in production? Where can I buy one? Thanks!

[Ray Newman]

The Uni-fence is long out of production. Suggest watching Craig's list and e-Bay. Also post a want-to-buy ad on Old Woodworking Machines classifieds -- http://www.owwm.org/index.php?sid=43a71b725456cae3ddef9806f2294

I ran a Uni-saw from 1987-2016 with a Uni-fence. When I bought the SawStop ICS in '16, I should have thought about a way to mount the Uni-fence on it.

As other stated, the hi/lo fence feature is worth its weight in gold. I usually kept the fence in the lo position to keep my hand further from the blade.

Peach Tree has an auxiliary fence -- Uni-T-Fence -- that makes fitting jigs easier: https://www.ptreeusa.com/tablesaw_unifence.html

[Jerry Miner]

if I had to have just one it would be the Unifence.

Its just as sturdy as the Biesy,


I respectfully disagree. Versatile, yes. "Just as sturdy"--No. The aluminum extrusion on the Unifence is largely unsupported and can flex under load. I've used both for many years. Biesemeyer gets my vote.

[Cary Falk]

I hate the way the Unifence locks down to the front rail. I am a Beiesemeyer type of guy. My bandsaw has a Unifence type of extrusion that locks lie a Beiesemeyer. Best of both worlds. I have had Shop Fox Classic fences on my last 2 saws. They work just fine. As mentioned, Vega makes a nice fence. You could also go with Incra. they make nice stuff but it doesn't appeal to me.

[Jim Morgan]

You might also consider the VSCT t-square fence (https://vsctools.com/shop/product-category/table-saw-fence/).

[Charles Lent]

The one good argument against a Unifence is that the Unifence extrusion doesn't provide T slots for feather board attachment and other fixtures , but a Uni-T-Fence extrusion from Peach Tree Woodworking www.ptreeusa.com can be added to the Unifence main casting without any modification and this gives you 2 T slots on the top plus one high T slot on the working side. The face also has an HDPE insert on the working side below the T slot to reduce the friction of pushing wood along the fence. The Uni-T-Fence attaches to the main Unifence casting just like the original fence extrusion without any modification, so I switch them out whenever I want a low fence, a fence with a sacrificial board face for DADO use, or when I want to use something requiring T slots to attach. I also have a 16" long Uni-T-Fence to use when I just want a short fence to use as a stop if I am cross cutting. It's a shame that the Unifence was discontinued and now only available used. It is a very accurate and universal fence system.

My Unifence came with my used 80's vintage Unisaw, and I had mixed emotions about it, until I began using it. Then I grew to love it after adding the Uni-T-Fence. I have used a Biesmeyer fence at work for about 20 years and I wish I could get them to replace it with a Unifence, but this isn't likely, because nothing ever gets replaced, unless it can't possibly be fixed. Then they will only buy new, and never used. I have used many different saws in the past 55+ years that I've been woodworking, even some new high quality fences, and would never trade any one of them for my Unifence.

Charley

[Mike Heidrick]

http://christophermerrill.net/ww/shop/bigafence.html

[keith micinski]

I respectfully disagree. Versatile, yes. "Just as sturdy"--No. The aluminum extrusion on the Unifence is largely unsupported and can flex under load. I've used both for many years. Biesemeyer gets my vote.

If you pushing against the unifence hard enough to make it deflect your doing something wrong not the fence.

[Jim Becker]

If one could be found, I'd also choose the UniFence. But if not, any of the Beissmeyer or clones or the Vega would serve you well.

[Paul Tubergen]

I had a Vega for years. Good fence and I really liked the finger saver for pushing thru narrow stock

[Jerry Miner]

If you pushing against the unifence hard enough to make it deflect your doing something wrong not the fence.

Probably. When I'm ripping full sheets of plywood, I tend to push pretty hard against the fence in order to ensure good contact. The Biesemeyer handles this fine. The Unifence tends to flex a little, resulting in a less-than-straight cut. Maybe I'm too heavy-handed, but the Biesemeyer works better for me. Call me a gorilla, but the Bies is just stiffer.

[andy bessette]

I have Biesmeyer and Unifence and consider them both excellent choices. Perhaps I slightly favor the Unifence.

[Chris Hachet]

Kind of a fan of Incra myself, although I run a Unfience currently on my Unsiaw.

[Rod Sheridan]

The Unifence provides far better options such as short/long and high/low.

These options increase the accuracy and safety of the fence compared to the Bies style fence.

I would never go back to the single function Bies fence now that I've used a Euro type fence for 7 years.......Regards, Rod.

[Dave Erickson]

Kind of a fan of Incra myself, although I run a Unfience currently on my Unsiaw.
I used to have a Unifence on my Unisaw, but like others mention, it flexes since the end is not supported, and when cutting full sheets of plywood or wood with some mass (4x8's for door stock, or 2x12's), it flexes out of square. It also had no provisions for hold downs or board buddies.

My current fence is an Incra, and I have no negatives to report. I can lock both ends of the fence, the fence has slots for hold downs or finger boards, and it is very repeatable, holds its accuracy well.

[Clark Magnuson]

I got the $300 Delta fence 3 years ago.
I had been living with the original delta since 1982.
If I had any idea what an improvement it makes, I would have done it long ago.
Very happy now, using it tonight.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000H0R1S2/ref=pe_385040_121528360_TE_dp_1

[Larry Edgerton]

I used to have a Unifence on my Unisaw, but like others mention, it flexes since the end is not supported, and when cutting full sheets of plywood or wood with some mass (4x8's for door stock, or 2x12's), it flexes out of square. It also had no provisions for hold downs or board buddies.

My current fence is an Incra, and I have no negatives to report. I can lock both ends of the fence, the fence has slots for hold downs or finger boards, and it is very repeatable, holds its accuracy well.


If the tail of your fence is bending you are fighting an alignment problem, most likely the blade to the saw. One should not have to push that hard. At least that has cured that problem for me.

[Jim Becker]

I agree that any fence that is "bending" is either misaligned or being faced with pressure beyond what is probably necessary. Tee-square type fences are not typically supported/locking at the back side, either, just like the UniFence.

[John TenEyck]

I have a Vega Pro on my 1954 Unisaw. Very rigid, stays in alignment, easy on/off, and the micro-adjust feature is really sweet.

John

[Patrick Kane]

Personally, i severely dislike the bies' face. The fence locks strong, but the faces can be horribly out of flat. When i bought my used unisaw(1999 or 2000 model) it had a usa made bies. My indicator show it had a 15 thou variance across the face. It was at that moment that i really really wish i kept the unifence off my delta contractor saw. The unifence is superb. I ran it with jessem mast r slide, so i loved moving the fence back as a stop much like a true euro slider setup. I can see why people say it isnt as sturdy as the bies--it isnt--but it isnt flimsy either. the fence on my KF700 is a perfect improvement on the unifence. It is 3x as heavy and as sturdy as you would ever need.

My praise for the unifence design aside, i replaced my bies fence head with a VSCT fence. It uses the same rail as the bies and was an easy swap for me. The fence head is expensive, but it is a good design. It has similar functionality to the unifence to position high/low and fore/aft, but it blends in easy jig functionality from the bies too. I wish he would develop a way to make adjustments tool-less and quick like the unifence/euro fence, but overall im happy with it.

[Mike Kees]

I have both a Unifence and a Bies. I prefer the Uni. The bies is a strong solid fence and it rides on my jobsite contractors saw because it takes more abuse. I have looked at the website for VSCT and if I was buying now would buy this one,seems like the best of both worlds. Mike.

[Larry Copas]

Personally, i severely dislike the bies' face. The fence locks strong, but the faces can be horribly out of flat. When i bought my used unisaw(1999 or 2000 model) it had a usa made bies. My indicator show it had a 15 thou variance across the face. It was at that moment that i really really wish i kept the unifence off my delta contractor saw.

Any fence can have an out of tolerance face due either to wear or a manufacturing defect. My Unifence shows a curved face which is not a problem unless re-sawing.

374334

I use the Peach Tree Uni-T-Fence replacement sometimes when I need a perfect face.

I've used all of them, I like the Unifence far better than anything else out there.

Having said that, I think if one looks at my work over the years, one would never know if I used a Unifence or the original Delta Jetlock fence.

[Dave Erickson]

If the tail of your fence is bending you are fighting an alignment problem, most likely the blade to the saw. One should not have to push that hard. At least that has cured that problem for me.
Wood often has a mind of its own. Sometimes you need a fence you can push against. You can't do that with a Unifence. Even the Jetlock fence has a rear clamp and the ability to mount finger boards. I used a Unifence about a decade before I bought the Incra fence. Everything I hated about the Unifence was solved, along with some new capabilities I didn't know I was missing, especially the ability to dial in precise rips with a minimum of effort.

[Patrick Kane]

Hmm, yeah that is messed up, Larry. I dont remember my unifence extrusion having any defects. Have you checked over the length? In your case, the defect at the top wouldnt interupt 99% of standard ripping, becase the top of the fence leans away from the blade. Your work piece registration would be fine off the bottom 2" of fence.

My rub with the bies fence is every one i measure is wonky. My frend has a sawstop, and his was crap. I bought 3 unisaws and they all were crap. Between the plywood/laminate faces and the connecting bolts, they are all out of flat in a noticeable way. It is like making your jointer fence out of plywood. I expect precision out of my machines, and i want milled metal as my reference surfaces.

[Larry Edgerton]

Wood often has a mind of its own. Sometimes you need a fence you can push against. You can't do that with a Unifence. Even the Jetlock fence has a rear clamp and the ability to mount finger boards. I used a Unifence about a decade before I bought the Incra fence. Everything I hated about the Unifence was solved, along with some new capabilities I didn't know I was missing, especially the ability to dial in precise rips with a minimum of effort.

If you are cutting solid wood with a Unifence you slide the fence back to just beyond the blade so that the stresses in the wood do not push it one way or the other. On my Biesmeyers I have a slip on piece that does the same thing that I made. Why push the piece into submission?

Biesys will bend just like Unifences. When I am using a power feed I put a clamp on the back side because my power feed is pushing on that end. I have never had a chance to play with an Incra, so you may be right.

[Andy D Jones]

I've enjoyed my Unifence for almost 30 years. The only shortcoming is swapping sides of the blade takes a little more time. It's advantages far outweigh that. If you can find one, snap it up quickly.

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Bill Dufour]

I've enjoyed my Unifence for almost 30 years. The only shortcoming is swapping sides of the blade takes a little more time. It's advantages far outweigh that. If you can find one, snap it up quickly.

-- Andy - Arlington TX


If that is a big deal just permanently mount a peachtree fence on the other side.
Bill D

[Charles Lent]

For tose of you that like the Unifence, but complain about it's stiffness and the lack of T slots to attach things like Board Buddies, Peachtree Woodworking sells a new fence extrusion for the Unifence. It has T slots on the top, perfectly spaced for Board Buddies, and a T slot high on the face side for feather boards, etc. This fence extrusion is more square in profile, and slides on and off of the Unifence casting just like the original Unifence extrusion. I have one, but kept the original, so I can quickly switch to the fence that will work best for the job at hand. Peachtree also sold a 16" long version of this extrusion and I have one that I used frequently as a stop when cutting pieces to length with the miter gauge. Of course, you can pull the long fence extrusion back to do the same thing, but for me this gets in my way.
The Peachtree fence extrusion can be found here. https://www.ptreeusa.com/tablesaw_unifence.html . They don't seem to list the 16" long version of this fence any more, but may still have it, if you ask about it.

Charley

[Jim Andrew]

I have a Bies on my Unisaw, and the adjustable euro fence on my Hammer K3, and there are advantages to be able to adjust the fence for length, and rotate it for low or high. Think I would just buy what comes up handy for your saw. Either are good.

[Ed Edwards]

I noticed a small amount of flex at the rear end of the Unifence when 3/4" 4x8 plywood.
All I did to correct the concern was to after setting the fence, I clamped a wood block to the back side of the fence, actually to the table. EZ on,EZ off.

Ed

[Rod Sheridan]

In my opinion the Unifence is the best choice, it gives you safety advantages of a multifunction Euro fence.....Regards, Rod

[Jim Becker]

I've enjoyed my Unifence for almost 30 years. The only shortcoming is swapping sides of the blade takes a little more time. It's advantages far outweigh that. If you can find one, snap it up quickly.

-- Andy - Arlington TX
It's pretty rare that a worker will put their table saw fence on the opposite side of the blade so for most folks, that's not a factor.

[Charles Lent]

I can't believe that anyone would complain about shifting a Unifence for left or right side cutting when all that is necessary is to loosen two wing nuts, slide the fence extrusion forward on the saw table, rotate it end for end, remove the clamping plate and wing nuts and reverse it's position, and then slide the fence extrusion back into position on the opposite side of the main fence casting and tighten the wing nuts. Yea, a little more time than just using the opposite side of a Biesmeyer Fence, but certainly not a lot of trouble, and I like how much straighter the Unifence or Uni-T-Fence extrusion is over the side covers of a Biesmeyer fence, and how much more can be done with a Unifence. I use a Biesmeyer at work and much prefer using my Unifence on my home Unisaw.

Charley

[Mike Kees]

I can't believe that anyone would complain about shifting a Unifence for left or right side cutting when all that is necessary is to loosen two wing nuts, slide the fence extrusion forward on the saw table, rotate it end for end, remove the clamping plate and wing nuts and reverse it's position, and then slide the fence extrusion back into position on the opposite side of the main fence casting and tighten the wing nuts. Yea, a little more time than just using the opposite side of a Biesmeyer Fence, but certainly not a lot of trouble, and I like how much straighter the Unifence or Uni-T-Fence extrusion is over the side covers of a Biesmeyer fence, and how much more can be done with a Unifence. I use a Biesmeyer at work and much prefer using my Unifence on my home Unisaw.

CharleyI agree with Charley completely. When I bought my first Unisaw it was about 15 years old and had never been used,the switch was not even wired in. it came with a 52'' Unifence complete with all the hardware in little bags ready to be assembled. It also included a short fence section about 12'' long. That is the most useful thing,especially with a crosscut box. I use both a Unifence and a Biesmeyer fence regularily. In my mind they are the two best fence systems ever designed. The Bies is perfect for ham handed users and heavy stock. The Uni is the more versatile and refined . kind of like a comparison of a Budwieser draft horse to a Throughbred race horse. They both have their strengths ,but if I had to choose only one it would be a Unifence.

[Andy D Jones]

If that is a big deal just permanently mount a peachtree fence on the other side.
Bill D

The extrusion clamping knobs (loosened to slide the fence extrusion fore/aft, tweak it's height above table, or swap between high/low faces) would interfere with another fence extrusion on the opposite side of the head.

It really isn't difficult to swap sides, but it is more involved than just sliding a B fence to the other side of the blade.

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Michael Drew]

I have a mid 90's unisaw. Installed the Incra fence. Love it so much, I installed one on my router table too. They are not perfect, or for everyone. What I like most, is the repeatability and micro adjustment - one click is one thou.