Thankful for new G1023 TS, but cursing the curser

[Steve Griffin]

Hi Guys,
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

I spent the day setting my new Grizzly tablesaw. I'm pleased as pumpkin pie with one exception--the shopfox fence that comes with this outfit has a fatal flaw--the danged CURSOR!!!!

Some engineer must have thought us old dumb cabinetmakers must have bad vision. Or perhaps he had a bit of a problem with the bubbly.... Anyway, he somehow came up with the idea to provide a giant magnifying bubble above the hairline cursor for the rip fence. The problem is, unless you hang a plumb bob off your nose to insure that you are dead straight above the bubble, the apparent position of the hairline moves. Just moving my head left or right a little moves my perception of the hairline curser a 1/16th of an inch!

SO: Do any of the talented readers here have a solution? Is there any other company like Biesmeyer or Kreg that makes a flat cursor that I could fit to the shop fox fence? I'm not afraid of drilling new holes or whatever it takes, the existing situation is completely unusable.

Many Thanks, Steve

[Mike Cutler]

What you are experiencing is known as "Parallax Error". Old style analog gauges/scales have this problem, and is remedied by affixing mirrored tape to the scale.

The cursor will appear as two lines, or one thicker line when you are not exactly over the cursor.

There is a "rub" though. Your repeatability is only as good as the thickness of your cursor.

WalMart, craft stores, auto detailing stores, maybe even Grizzly will have this product. You're right though, it should be on all analog scales.

You're looking for a product similar to this; http://www.identi-tape.com/deco-mirror.html

[Jim Hager]

Here you go bud, looks like it might just work. p://www.mikestools.com/B1352593-Biesemeyer-Commercial-Fence-Cursor.aspx

[John Peterson]

I once saw in a issue of shopnotes that, when making a jig the used a piece on lexan for the indicator line. What they did was on the back of the lexan the used a utility knife or other sharp scribe to scribe a straight line. Then after making the line the used a sharpie marker in red to color the scribed line. Quickly wiping of the excess will prevent staining. The scribed area wont "release" the marker. Then just cut the piece to size, flip the piece over, Presto, new indicator.

I was at Lowes and the had small 6x6 pieces of lexan for under $2.

[scott spencer]

Here's a different approach...

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/sawparts/100_0255.jpg

[Fred Belknap]

I did mine that way. I used some plastic from a CD cover and put a scribe line on it then darkened it with a sharpie. I then used a couple of pieces of double stick tape and put on the bottom side of the magnifier next to the numbering. It makes it real accurate. Mine has been on for two years and it's still holding.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Side note: If you use a stop block regularly for crosscutting with your TS, you can take the cursor off and use the utility-knife-and-sharpie technique mentioned above to add a second line that corresponds to the correct measurement with the stop block installed.

[Cary Falk]

I hated the curser also so I mad my own out of Al and 1/4 inch plexiglass.
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q297/caryincamas/DSC_0077.jpg

[Steve Griffin]

Wow, Thanks for all the ideas guys!

Cary's aluminum/plexiglass solution is sure is a beauty. And I'm a big fan of the digital readouts on a couple other tools, so that might be where I end up.

I think I might go with Jims suggestion and order the Biesemeyer cursor for now. Even if I go digital later, I will still want a better cursor on there.

Thanks again guys.

-Steve

[Steve Rozmiarek]

A simple fix I used on my old Jet fence was to extend the cursor line with scribed line over the back of the t-bracket part of the fence, so when you where directly over the curser, you could sight down the scribed line and verify lineup. Think plumb bob from your nose verified by a scribed line that works like looking down the rib on a shotgun barrel. Hard to explain, but extremely simple. I can dig up a photo if you need. Cost is nice too, about $.00.

P.S. Oh, and I agree with you, this is about the stupidest idea ever, and it won't go away!

[Dick Brown]

The older Shop Fox curser was not mag'd and works fine. Maybe you could order that one from Griz or SF. Have made some like the guys talk about with the plastic and scribed line and works great also. I have a SF and also a Biese. and they tape out the same on screw holes so the biesemeyer should work also.
Good luck,
Dick

[Steve Griffin]

Well I posted this problem on Thanksgiving, and before I could eat all the leftover turkey the problem has been solved!

My cursor from Mikes tools arrived and the problem is solved. Many thanks guys--especially Jim who made the suggestion.

Here's the link to the cursor which works perfectly with the shop fox fence:

http://www.mikestools.com/B1352593-Biesemeyer-Commercial-Fence-Cursor.aspx

-Steve

[Jason White]

Another Thanksgiving miracle!




Well I posted this problem on Thanksgiving, and before I could eat all the leftover turkey the problem has been solved!

My cursor from Mikes tools arrived and the problem is solved. Many thanks guys--especially Jim who made the suggestion.

Here's the link to the cursor which works perfectly with the shop fox fence:

http://www.mikestools.com/B1352593-Biesemeyer-Commercial-Fence-Cursor.aspx

-Steve