Beisemeyer Fence Scale

[Matt Meiser]

I discovered today that the fence scale on my Biesemeyer fence is not accurate. I spent a couple hours today adjusting the trunions, 90 and 45 degree stops, etc. When I did, I set my fence to be 2" from the blade, as measured using the scale on my Starret square. Later I cut a piece of material 8" square. I was very suprised when I measured it to see that it was 3/32 of an inch too small. :eek: I checked the piece and the fence setting with two more measuring devices and the all agreed. I've had the saw for close to 6 years now, and I don't see how it couldn't have been this way all along, but somehow never seemed to cause a problem that didn't work itself out as I built the piece. I'm going to order a Starrett replacement from Highland Hardware tonight.

[Jim Young]

I know my unifence scale is slightly off, seems to be more off the further from the blade I get. In the years I've had the saw I never used the fence to measure absolute length, just small adjustments. I've always measured from the blade to the fence with a tape. Some years ago I read in an article that you should always measure from the blade, me being the sheep I am did just that.

[Greg Hairston]

Matt,
Not sure what you did when you adjusted the saw but it is possible you moved the table to blade position when doing your adjusments. I did this before when I owned a unisaw and I was making adjustments. If so you will have to adjust your fence accordingly.

Greg

[Jim DeLaney]

I...I spent a couple hours today adjusting the trunions... I set my fence to be 2" from the blade, as measured using the scale on my Starret square. ...was very suprised when I measured it to see that it was 3/32 of an inch too small..

When you adjusted the trunnions, you may have moved the blade in relation to the zero mark on the fence.

Run the fence up snug to the blade and check to see where the cursor is. I'll bet it's at 3/32"

[Phil Phelps]

Your table, (dado slot), needs to be perfectly square to the blade. Then you adjust your fence to be square to the blade, or as I prefer, about 2 degrees out at the back of the fence. Then cut a two or three inch piece of stock and measure the stock. Set the guage on the fence to match what the measurment you just cut. Now, measure the tape on the fence to be sure it hasn't "grown" or such. My Biesmeyer fence has been perfect for the last twelve years. Now my Grizz fence is another matter. First, the tape grew a few years ago, and the other day, the nylon spacer on the inside of the locking bar fell off. :mad:

[Dave Falkenstein]

Your table, (dado slot), needs to be perfectly square to the blade. Then you adjust your fence to be square to the blade, or as I prefer, about 2 degrees out at the back of the fence. Then cut a two or three inch piece of stock and measure the stock. Set the guage on the fence to match what the measurment you just cut. Now, measure the tape on the fence to be sure it hasn't "grown" or such. My Biesmeyer fence has been perfect for the last twelve years. Now my Grizz fence is another matter. First, the tape grew a few years ago, and the other day, the nylon spacer on the inside of the locking bar fell off. :mad:

Surely you meant to say 2 thousandths out at the back of the fence, instead of 2 degrees.

[Matt Meiser]

I adjusted the blade parallel to the miter slots, then the fence parallel to the miter slots, and finally, adjusted the cursor on the fence. It is right on at 2", but 3/32 off at 8".

[Barry O'Mahony]

The scale on the fence is produced by the same process as a tape measure. As I've commented on another thread, tape measures are not precision instruments; they are produced by a printing process off a rubber belt. 3/32" over 8" is an inaccuracy of 1%, but I'm still surprised it is that high. They can usually hold it to better than 1/16". Even so, it shouldn't matter as long as you don't break the Cardinal Rule of measurement: always use the same ruler. If you do, it doesn't matter if it's a little off in relation to the Master standard. But if, for example, you use the Starrett for measuring one piece, and the fence scale for another, you'll run into trouble. People who do this professionally, like machinsts and engineers, know this almost intutively, but lay people seem to blindly assume whatever number they see must be absolute. Like they assume they must be going 55 mph if that's what their speedometer reads, so they feel entitled to hog the left lane. ;)

If one uses two different rulers, it's best to know they're both tracable back to a common standard, and to what degree of precision. You ain't gonna get that on a a tape measure, or fence scale.

[Phil Phelps]

Surely you meant to say 2 thousandths out at the back of the fence, instead of 2 degrees.
I could have easily said two inches!! That's what it seemed like when the nylon spacer fell off the Griz fence. Yes, two thousandths will work a whole lot better.
Mmmm. Watch a football play, turn around and type, watch another play........

[Robert Waddell]

I've noticed mine is off as well. The farther I move the fence from the blade the worse it gets. It doesn't bother me much since I used a Crapsman for years and measured the blade to fence on every cut. You would think a "commerical grade fence" would have Starrett prescision wouldn't you?

[Marcus Ward]

I was checking the ruler on my tablesaw last night and noticed it was off in apparent random areas. In some places an inch is an inch and others it's a little more. This is a problem with plastic stick-on rulers. I also noticed that my wescott metal ruler will fit under the fence there so I'm going to strip the cork off the back and glue that down. I figure that thing is pretty precise and will do the job. I just need to find one almost 3 feet long instead of my 18" version. edit - Dick Blick art supply store has metal rulers up to 4' long if anyone wants to do the same thing.

[Matt Meiser]

I ordered the Starrett tape yesterday and should receive it today. If that doesn't prove to be accurate enough, I thought about exactly what Marcus suggested. Even if I only had the ultra accurate scale for the 1st 24" that would be 90% of the cuts I make.

[Scott Coffelt]

I notied the same thing on my Grizzly, figured it was just me.

[Marcus Ward]

Scott: I think the tape is accurate when they print it, but it's plastic and when it's layed on the fence unless you're super careful, it can be stretched a little which makes it very inaccurate. The metal ruler is probably the most accurate way of doing it, and it has a metric scale on the opposite side (albiet reversed, still useable). I looked for the starrett tape but couldn't find it which is what led me to the metal ruler solution.

[Barry Beech]

I have a Uni fence on my Unisaw. The last 10-12 inches of tape came loose. I replaced the tape with a metal stick on from Lee Valley. It's perfect now. If you do this make sure you get the tape that reads from left to right. ;)

Just FYI.