Can someone explain the difference between 36" and 52" fences

[Marshall Harrison]

I can do the math and know the difference between 36 & 52 (hint; its 16"). But can someone explain it in practical terms? What can I do with the 52" that I can't do on the 36"?

about the only thing I see is the 52" will allow crosscutting of a full sheet of plywood or mdf as it can handle 48" to the right of the blade. But I'm not likely to ned that very often. Especially since a full sheet won't fit into my Xterra.

Am I missing something?

Thanks.

[Frankie Hunt]

about the only thing I see is the 52" will allow crosscutting of a full sheet of plywood or mdf as it can handle 48" to the right of the blade.
Thanks.

That's the big difference.... along with taking up more shop space....

[Anthony Whitesell]

I have noticed those points. Additionaly I have noticed (on some saws) the 52" is a "better" fence than the 36". Which I find stinks, because I will likely never have a shop that can fit a saw with a 52" fence. So either I have to downgrade or cut back part of a perfectly good (high quality) fence.

[Jim Becker]

My slider had essentially the equivalent of the 50-52" table to the right of the blade. Only once have I regretted cutting things down by about 16" and since I could deal with that using my track saw, that regret lasted for about 10 seconds. The space I gained with the shorter right side was a lot more valuable to me in my particular shop situation. The cabinet saw I had previously had the full 50-52" right side table and 99% of the time, it was used for storing "stuff".

[Robert Hayward]

No, you are not missing anything if you do not need 52" to the right of the blade. There are people that do use that much though. I once worked in a shop in south Florida that had a 5hp Unisaw with the 52" fence. They routinely cut full sheets of 4'X8' plywood in half. They more or less used the 5hp also by ripping 3" thick wood almost as fast as you could push it across the table.

With that said, I have a PM2000 with the 32" rails and it is all I need at home for my hobby and craft work. I break down sheet goods on sawhorses outside the shop (garage) when the need arises.

Bob

[Bruce Wrenn]

For me, 36" is about the longest cut I make. This is for end panels on base cabinets. I break down my sheet goods on a cutting table with shop made saw guide.

[Matthew Hills]

The 52" fence also gives you more horizontal space to store things...

I could also see some advantage if you wanted to trim down a 60" sheet.
If I routinely needed to do these cuts, I'd be taking a hard look at slider options.
In the meantime, I use a track saw.

I do recommend getting a good fence.And outfeed support is very useful if you want to use more space.

Matt

[johnny means]

52 inch fences encourage people to make dangerous cuts ill-suited to cabinet saws.

[jack duren]

52 inch fences encourage people to make dangerous cuts ill-suited to cabinet saws.

Confusing.....

As a professional I wouldn't have a saw that couldn't handle at least 48" on the fence. We actually purchase a lot of 60" plywood...
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[glenn bradley]

I have noticed those points. Additionaly I have noticed (on some saws) the 52" is a "better" fence than the 36". Which I find stinks, because I will likely never have a shop that can fit a saw with a 52" fence. So either I have to downgrade or cut back part of a perfectly good (high quality) fence.

Jet, Powermatic, Grizzly, Saw Stop all simply supply shorter rails with the same fence. Just curious, what maker is doing this?

[Derek Cohen]

I can do the math and know the difference between 36 & 52 (hint; its 16"). But can someone explain it in practical terms? What can I do with the 52" that I can't do on the 36"?

about the only thing I see is the 52" will allow crosscutting of a full sheet of plywood or mdf as it can handle 48" to the right of the blade. But I'm not likely to ned that very often. Especially since a full sheet won't fit into my Xterra.

Am I missing something?

Thanks.

Hi Marshall

About 6 months ago I went from a contractor saw with 52" rails, which I had used for 20 years, to a Hammer K3 with 31" to the right of the blade (and a 49" slider).

I do not work with ply or MDF sheets, only solid hardwoods. The extra width afforded by the longer rails was wasted, and utilised by a router table. The now shorter 31" is as much as I need on the right of the blade.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Simon MacGowen]

I have noticed those points. Additionaly I have noticed (on some saws) the 52" is a "better" fence than the 36". Which I find stinks, because I will likely never have a shop that can fit a saw with a 52" fence. So either I have to downgrade or cut back part of a perfectly good (high quality) fence.

Time to get a ...SAWSTOP. You won't see such difference between the two fences. :D:D

Simon

[johnny means]

Confusing.....

As a professional I wouldn't have a saw that couldn't handle at least 48" on the fence. We actually purchase a lot of 60" plywood...
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Are you saying that you make 48" rips on a slider?

[Andrew Seemann]

I had a 52" fence that I cut down to 36" (32" usable) to better fit my old shop. Now that I have the space in my current shop, I wish I had the full 52" back. There have been more than a few times it would have been handy.

[jack duren]

Are you saying that you make 48" rips on a slider?

I can but don't because I have a left side of the blade .. I think I can go out to 10' on the Altendorf..

[Matt Day]

More storage, easier to fit a router table in the extension wing. Sometimes I do use the capacity. Would rather have it the 1% of the times I need it.

Maybe it’s my shop layout but cutting my 52” down wouldn’t gain me any real usable space.

[Scott Buehler]

I don't use 52" very often, but I wouldn't give it up for nothing. Its nice having the extra "16" when you need it

[Bruce Page]

I have a 52" Unisaw. I can count on one hand the times I really needed 52". The big table is useful though.

[Ted Derryberry]

I had a 52" capacity cabinet saw and used it a good bit cutting 4'x8' plywood. I also used a Kreg miter jig with a 48" fence on the right side for crosscutting and so I needed the table over there and it was nice to just run the fence out to 52" without having to remove it and put it somewhere. Now I have a slider and I actually wanted the 32" capacity on the rip fence to gain space in the shop. However, the saw was already set up for 52" and while Felder would have swapped it out at no charge I would have had to wait for the parts from Austria. I went ahead and took delivery of the 52" capacity saw. Felder graciously agreed to swap it out at no charge in the future if I found the the 52" took up too much room. After using it for a couple of months I'm just going to keep it. Turns out with my shop layout I'd only really gain about 10" of space, not the full 20" difference, and I need the room to the right of the blade anyway because I often crosscut plywood at close to 48". In other words, if I had the 32" fence and moved the saw closer to the wall on the right side I'd just be spending time moving it back to be able to cut in the middle of the sheet.

[John Gornall]

Even more storage space - Delta used to sell the Unisaw with a 96 inch fence

[jack duren]

Even more storage space - Delta used to sell the Unisaw with a 96 inch fence

you use to be able to get a 144" fence...

[Ted Derryberry]

If you're using the top of your table saw for storage, at least while you're using it, you need to put some serious thought into shop organization. I do use mine for staging to my sanding table, but that's long after I've cut all parts to size and won't be using the saw again until the next production run.

[Roger Marty]

If you're using the top of your table saw for storage, at least while you're using it, you need to put some serious thought into shop organization. I do use mine for staging to my sanding table, but that's long after I've cut all parts to size and won't be using the saw again until the next production run.

hard to avoid when you work in a tiny 10x15' shop. My table saw is always stacked up with wood while I use it.

[Ted Derryberry]

Okay, so stacking work in progress that is about to be cut on the saw is one thing. Some of the responses above sound like people are using their table saw to store tools, shop supplies, etc. on.

[Roger Marty]

Okay, so stacking work in progress that is about to be cut on the saw is one thing. Some of the responses above sound like people are using their table saw to store tools, shop supplies, etc. on.

My table mainly becomes a scrap pile until I need to make a long cross-cut, forcing me to clear the scrap pile.

Yes, it collects some tools like squares, measuring tapes, screwdrivers, clamps.

[Marshall Harrison]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I'll go with the 36" fence as my shop is a garage. Nobody parks cars in there but the lawn mower (riding and push), garden tools, kid's bicycles and my so's auto tools, parts and accessories take up a lot of space. So my space is limited. My plan is to be able to use the saw in the garage but most of the time it will probably be rolled out into the driveway for cutting.

At the moment I only foresee small panels for jigs and shop fixtures. So not a lot of cutting of full size panels. I would have problems transporting full size panels anyway so I usually get things cut smaller for transport in the Xterra.

[Gregory King]

The 52" fence also gives you more horizontal space to store things...


Matt

Yep. Sure does on mine too. Extra workbench for free. Won't trade my 52" fence though

[Matt Day]

Okay, so stacking work in progress that is about to be cut on the saw is one thing. Some of the responses above sound like people are using their table saw to store tools, shop supplies, etc. on.

I meant under the table permanent storage, and top of table mid-project-tool-accumulation-area.

[Robert Engel]

I rarely use my fence past 36", but when I need to I'm glad I have it.

If shop space is an issue, its definitely a trade off.

[Ole Anderson]

Friday I used mine set at 45" to cut a piece of plywood. Used infrequently, but when you need it, it really helps.

[Marshall Harrison]

I did some checking. I have room for the 52" fence in the garage but not enough to use it. Though not enough to fully utilize it. Still, the plan is to move the saw into the driveway for most cutting so maybe the $100 difference is worth it.

[jack duren]

Okay, so stacking work in progress that is about to be cut on the saw is one thing. Some of the responses above sound like people are using their table saw to store tools, shop supplies, etc. on.

Actually most just have to much chit and running out of places to put it....

I put clamps and routers up for sale this weekend. I can have a shop full of tools or I can have a shop I can work in...

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[Alan Schwabacher]

There is no question that some people want and use 52" fences, but it is also true that some people have no use for the extra length. In a small shop many people, myself included, find the space sacrificed to be worth much more than the extra capability. I have seen more posts asking about cutting down 52" fences, or craigslist posts offering to trade a 52" for a 36" fence than I have seen looking for the other direction, but it could be that nobody expects to find a taker for the opposite trade.

That does not mean you should choose either option, but that it is your specific needs that matter.

[Dan Schocke]

I really like the Vega Pro 40 fence that I have -- at 40" it's sort of in-between the 30"+/- and 50"+/- that most manufacturers offer. I have definitely used 36" of capacity several times, and 40" once (to cut the spoil board for my CNC, a piece that doesn't really need the precision of a table saw). I was nervous getting the 40" fence instead of 50", but I'm very happy with what I have from both a capacity and space perspective. Before this fence I had one with 30" capacity and the biggest difference I've noticed (other than the Vega being 100% easier to keep aligned) is that I no longer have to take the fence off for longer crosscut operations -- I have enough room to just push it out of the way.

--Dan

[Bill Orbine]

Cabinet backs. Today, I needed to rip 38" for cabinet backs. Glad to have 52" capacity. Otherwise, I'm slowed down with a lesser fence.

[lowell holmes]

I rip 4X8 plywood with a straight edge and a sidewinder circular saw.

[Marshall Harrison]

I really like the Vega Pro 40 fence that I have -- at 40" it's sort of in-between the 30"+/- and 50"+/- that most manufacturers offer. I have definitely used 36" of capacity several times, and 40" once (to cut the spoil board for my CNC, a piece that doesn't really need the precision of a table saw). I was nervous getting the 40" fence instead of 50", but I'm very happy with what I have from both a capacity and space perspective. Before this fence I had one with 30" capacity and the biggest difference I've noticed (other than the Vega being 100% easier to keep aligned) is that I no longer have to take the fence off for longer crosscut operations -- I have enough room to just push it out of the way.

--Dan

Thanks Dan. I really want a Biesemyer style fence and on SawStop that means either the 36" or 52". The possibility of switching to the Vega Pro or something similar will always be there. So if 36" proves to be a limitation the 40" would be an option.