Setting up new PM2000...fence question?

[Ken Taylor]

Hey, I'm new to this but diving in full bore.

I "just" purchased a Powermatic PM2000 table saw and have found the front end of the fence (the end nearest you) seems to be either bent or otherwise out of parallel with the rest of the fence face, barely. (Think of the fence face as long straight piece with all but the last two inches straight, which are angled to your left, towards the blade. Although it's just the last inch or two, it clearly changes the trajectory of anything I try to rip once the back end of the board passes the back end of the fence.

Suggestions to fix? Or, send it back to PM? (it's under warranty, yes).

Thanks
-Ken

"just" is a bigger issue....took 6 weeks to get the caster system fixed (which now works great!)

[Frank Snyder]

Ken - Check the alignment of the T-slots on the UHMW subfence to their respective holes on the main fence. I found that mine were off and it was causing the UHMW to "buckle" in between the bolts. You can simply elongate the holes on the main fence so that the UHMW subfence can lie flat once tightened. Let me know if this helps or if I need to explain further.

Frank

[Peter Quinn]

I'd send it back. A TS fence only has a few simple things to do in life, and being straight is one of them. Sucks not having a fence till they replace it. Perhaps you can be persuasive relative to their expediting the process (i.e.: yell, scream and stomp your foot)?

[Matt Ocel]

Ken -

Are the last 2" off, as in its bent? or is the fence not properly aligned?

If its bent, send it back. If its out of alignment, just adjust it.

[Frank Drew]

Brand new saw, I'd send it back if Frank Snyder's fix doesn't work (but be careful there, you don't want to void your warranty).

[Rob Bodenschatz]

I'm not sure I'm visualizing your problem but I had an issue with my fence that just required a slight adjustment. This may or may not help:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=35732&highlight=pm2000+fence

[Jason Crees]

I had the same problem with my PM66 fence. I got a new one from Powermatic and it was the same. I just marked the areas along the front and back of the fence where they bulged out with a Sharpie and used my ROS to take back that area so it was flush with the rest. Dealing with PM cust service was a pain and took about two or three weeks of e-mails and phone calls to get the new one and I did not want to go through that hassel again.

[Frank Snyder]

The UHMW subfence is dimensionally consistent. Just take a pair of calipers across it and you won't see any variation. I would not sand it. The high spots are created from the mounting holes on the main fence being too close to one another, causing the subfence to "buckle" when tightened. Simply elongate the mounting holes on the main fence so that they line up with the T-slots on the subfence. I had the exact same problem and this solution worked.

[Ken Taylor]

The UHMW subfence is dimensionally consistent. Just take a pair of calipers across it and you won't see any variation. I would not sand it. The high spots are created from the mounting holes on the main fence being too close to one another, causing the subfence to "buckle" when tightened. Simply elongate the mounting holes on the main fence so that they line up with the T-slots on the subfence. I had the exact same problem and this solution worked.
Thanks for the ideas all, and what Frank is describing sounds like it explains what's happening. I'll check it out today.

If it was the back end of the fence I might not have noticed it, but being the front, it's almost impossible to avoid contacting that part of the fence when ripping. As soon as the end of the board closest to you passes by the "bend" in the fence, the whole piece of wood shifts slightly counterclockwise.

[Ken Taylor]

All,

I took off the subfence (the white plastic facing) to check out Franks' suggestion about the slot holes being too close.

What I found instead was that the weld where the fence arm meets the T at the lock-down rail is sticking up and is higher that the plane of the arm, which causes the plastic subfence face to deflect away from the plane of the rest of the fence where it sits over this weld. They even put a thin strip of metal as a "washer" to try to make up the height difference.

ARGHH!

I'm calling PM. I'll also post some pics as soon as I can shrink them down to a smaller size.

Thanks!
Ken

[Frank Snyder]

Hey Ken,

Well, I stand corrected. My welds were at least flush which should have been the case for you as well. PM will send you another fence.

I would still check the alignment of the mounting holes, as I doubt that they line up perfectly.

The thin metal shim, at least in my case, was used to square the subfence to the table.

Sorry to hear your fence has given you trouble. :(

Frank

[Lewis Cobb]

Looking forward to seeing these pics as well. I've got my PM2000 on order and am making a "hit list" based on all the issues people have had with them to make sure mine is 100% before going into service.

Thanks

Lewis

[Ken Taylor]

All-

Powermatic is replacing the fence as I write this. Bad weld is not my problem ..is theirs and they had no qualms replacing it. In fact I get to keep the old one. Maybe a flat file on the bad weld will get the old one back to right???????

OK, any suggestions how I might use 2 fences on a PM2000?

[Ken Taylor]

Pic 1A is from the underside of the fence. the top white subfence was kicked out (up from this perspective where it sat on the weld.

Pic 3A is looking down on the weld from above. Can see its relief under my finger.

-Ken

[Frank Snyder]

Sloppy, sloppy. That fence must have been made on a late Friday afternoon. Glad to hear PM is making it right.

Frank

[Lewis Cobb]

Sloppy indeed. However, a quick trip to the milling machine followed by a little paint touchup and you will have something you can toss up on craigslist - someone might buy it and give you some cash for your trouble. Would probably be a good starting piece for a home-brew fence for someone.

Glad to hear it's all sorted out in the end.

I'm awaiting my new PM2000 and despite all these problems I am still looking forward to it. In fact, I have been trolling the SMC and Woodnet forums and putting together a word document that's a sort of "hit list" of sorts to check everything when I get it.

Thanks for updating us with the pics etc.

Lewis

[Dana Vogel]

I guess this is what is to be expected when mfg of their Accu-Fence was moved from USA to Taiwan. Cheap-Cheap-Cheap. Oh but profits are going up and huge CEO bonuses too.

[Tom Henderson2]

All-

Powermatic is replacing the fence as I write this. Bad weld is not my problem ..is theirs and they had no qualms replacing it. In fact I get to keep the old one. Maybe a flat file on the bad weld will get the old one back to right???????

OK, any suggestions how I might use 2 fences on a PM2000?

Glad you got to the bottom of this Ken.

Why not remove the UHMW face, route a relieve in it over the weld location, and reinstall? Just enough that the protruding weld won't interfere with the face material. Should be easier than filing the weld down since you won't have to repaint.

Then either sell it or part it out.

My $0.02

-Tom H.
Ventura, CA