biesmeyer question

[mark downing]

I recently bought a used X5 unisaw with 52" Biesmeyer fence in good condition. The 4 pads that ride on the front rail are intact and remain adjustable. Although I've added some paste wax I'm concerned that the body of the fence does not travel smoothly enough across the tables.
On the underside of the fence is one additional pad that appears to be designed to glide over the table surfaces. That pad, however, is at best flush with the lower edges of the two fence sides so that the sides create friction with the table. Shouldn't the pad extend slightly below the fence sides so that it's surface is gliding across the table surface?

If my assumption is correct, should I attempt to pry the existing pad loose and re-glue it with shims that position it .010-.020 below the sides?
Advice appreciated!

[Lisa Starr]

You can buy UHMW material from McMaster-Carr and make a replacement very inexpensively. They also offer UHMW films, so you might be able to just "add on" to your existing pad.

[Lee Schierer]

Yes that pad should extend below the two fence faces. As noted above replacing the pad is relatively easy. I also recommend using UHMW.

[Brian Tymchak]

You can buy UHMW tape on Amazon.

[Jamie Buxton]

On the usual biesemeyer fence, there are wood or plastic faces which screw on to a steel structure. Often those faces can be adjusted up or down by loosening the mounting screws.

[Mike Walsh]

you can also buy replacement pads online (https://www.ereplacementparts.com/glide-pad-p-84145.html)

[glenn bradley]

The table glide can be UHMW HDPE or Formica. Biesemeyer has used these (in reverse order) over their history. The front rail controls your fence's perpendicular adjustment. It is very important to get this right as going back to adjust it later is clumsy at best. Sounds odd but, improvements on this method are where the 'better-than-Bies' fences tend to shine. The point is that a template or shop made spacer is used to assure the front rail is level with the table. A combo square can work.

The tube is assumed to follow this and the fence rides the tube. The height of the rail/tube sets the height of the fence from the table. Your pad should be of a height to make the fence parallel to the table. Mine rode a fat 3/32" off the table. I have a Biesemeyer Commercial Fence manual from the mid-2000's era in PDF if that will help you.

[David Stone (CT)]

Here is what the pads look like on my 20-year old Bies fence. I didn't attempt to properly443461 measure the projection, but I'd guesttimate in the vicinity of 1/16 and maybe more when it was new.

[mark downing]

Thanks all. I decided to try fastening a thickness of hard maple as the single fence pad. Waxed it up and what an improvement, works great.