Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 38

Thread: sawstop fence any good

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Posts
    313
    Agree with everyone on the faces. I successfully replaced mine with some 80/20 aluminum extrusion and am pretty happy with it.

  2. Quote Originally Posted by ChrisA Edwards View Post
    Marcus, I have a 36" 3HP Sawstop with the Incra fence system.

    Prior to installing the Incra fence, at my old house, I had the OEM Sawstop fence system and had built a fold down table as I needed to put my saw away, against wall, to allow my wife to park her car.

    I mounted a large piano hinge to the L chanel bracket on the rear of the Sawstop to allow my folding table to pivot.

    With the aluminum extrusion, that is part of the Incra system, I don't see any reason why you couldn't attach a folding table to that. I now have a more permanent out feed table that I clamp, with the Incra L brackets, to the out feed side fence.

    As regards to the two overarm Dust Collection systems, that Sawstop offers, I don't see any reason why either of these could not be made to work with the Incra Fence, you might have to fabricate new mounting brackets.

    I have the cheaper Sawstop dust collection system. It's not on my table as I prefer to use a cross cut sled and that system doesn't work with a sled.

    Also, I have not sprung for the floating overhead arm system, because for the most part, my DC, sucking sawdust from inside the cabinet, seems to get the majority of the debris from a cut.
    Another question: For super close cuts with the Incra fence have you ever had any worry that the brake will be set off?

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Lebanon, TN
    Posts
    1,719
    If I'm doing very thin strips, I'll usually cut the strip to the left side of the blade. Once you've dimensioned the piece, you are cutting the strips from, you just move the fence in the kerf thickness plus the strip thickness on the LS-TS positioner.

    Another approach, and I have a board for this, is to attach a piece of 3/4 MDF or plywood to the fence and then run the strips between the fence and the blade. This way the blade never gets close to the aluminum fence.

    I also have a similar board with a 1/2"D x 3/4"H rabbit that allow me to position this over the blade, but almost flush with the blade to trim edge banding on small pieces.

  4. #19
    I'm looking for a new fence option for my 2005 ICS Sawstop. What are my options?

    I just spent several hours trying to refit the Sawstop fence plates to the metal fence bar. I finally managed to get both fence plates flush enough with the metal bar and then use a credit card to add space between the plates and the table top, but I am having an issue with the plates being parallel and perpendicular. I think the root cause is that some of the threaded inserts that fit into the plywood fence plate are loose and the screws are not going inline into the threaded insert so things are not fitting right.

    Maybe replacing the fence plates with new ones from Sawstop will work? Also, it looks as if folks have screwed wood, aluminum extrusions, or other material to the existing fence metal bar as a solution. I see references to the Incra fence as a replacement and the VCST fence also.

    I am inclined to move on to another solution that will allow for more time using the saw than adjusting it.

    Any ideas?

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    NE OH
    Posts
    2,615
    Quote Originally Posted by Johnnie Russell View Post
    I'm looking for a new fence option for my 2005 ICS Sawstop. What are my options?

    I just spent several hours trying to refit the Sawstop fence plates to the metal fence bar. I finally managed to get both fence plates flush enough with the metal bar and then use a credit card to add space between the plates and the table top, but I am having an issue with the plates being parallel and perpendicular. I think the root cause is that some of the threaded inserts that fit into the plywood fence plate are loose and the screws are not going inline into the threaded insert so things are not fitting right.

    Maybe replacing the fence plates with new ones from Sawstop will work? Also, it looks as if folks have screwed wood, aluminum extrusions, or other material to the existing fence metal bar as a solution. I see references to the Incra fence as a replacement and the VCST fence also.

    I am inclined to move on to another solution that will allow for more time using the saw than adjusting it.

    Any ideas?
    A number of folks have recommended the extrusion from Very Super Cool Tools; it seems solid, flat and beefy. Fortunately my stock fence has been trouble free so far, but if it ever goes wonky, I'd probably go the VSCT route.
    --I had my patience tested. I'm negative--

  6. I've been setting up my brand new PCS 3hsp SStop. I'm doing the fence adjustments today. I too was a bit disappointed in the SS fence. A cheap thin laminate instead of 1/2" HDPE I had on the first version of the Jet Exacta fence I sold along with my Delta contractor saw. And I too will go with a VSCT route if this fence turns out to be crap. Otherwise, "Wow", what a saw!

  7. #22
    I have not replaced the laminated piece on the left side of the fence. It works OK. I got it perpendicular to the saw top and just accepted that in the rare even I rip on the left side of the saw and use the other face it won't be perpendicular to the top unless I change the setting. I clamp a sacrificial plywood piece to the fence for some things.

  8. Quote Originally Posted by Jim Dwight View Post
    I have not replaced the laminated piece on the left side of the fence. It works OK. I got it perpendicular to the saw top and just accepted that in the rare even I rip on the left side of the saw and use the other face it won't be perpendicular to the top unless I change the setting. I clamp a sacrificial plywood piece to the fence for some things.
    The laminated face on the right side of my fence is loose and wavy, the reason I originally removed both fence faces. I needed to use the saw so I remounted both faces and encountered this issue of not being able to make the left side of the fence parallel and square. I spent another couple hours yesterday getting the left side parallel and square. It took a mallet, multiple adjustments of the cap screws, and most every swear word in my vocabulary. The right side of the fence is hopeless now. I guess the cheapest solution is to buy new fence plates from Sawstop, but maybe the best solution is the VCST fence. Once mounted and adjusted, the original fence is fine, but perhaps it is just the age of the fence plates and prior to a recent move it was in a garage with wide temperature swings that may have contributed to the threaded inserts becoming wonky and that problem seems to be what is causing my difficulty.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,493
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Johnnie Russell View Post
    I'm looking for a new fence option for my 2005 ICS Sawstop. What are my options? . . . Any ideas?
    The Saw Stop fence makes it really easy to change or adjust faces but, it sounds like yours is enough out of whack to be a defect. I switched to aluminum extrusions and switched back. I use the tablesaw as a joinery machine more than just ripping material and the t-slots always seemed to be in just the wrong place ;-) Also, aluminum is pliable and will cofnorm to an irregular face and could require shimming as well if your tube is the culprit.

    I was able to get my faces flat with just foil and / or paper tape for shims. It sounds like yours is more out of true than that or the face thickness is inconsistent. Run a set of calipers down the removed face. It may be that you are trying to align something that is already irregular before you start. Popping your own inserts into an MDF face would not be much work. I might even do this first but, that's me. I have MDF surfaces that are shellacked and waxed that have seen years of service with only an occasional refreshing of the finish.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Madison, Wisconsin
    Posts
    489
    I have a early (2005,2006?) ICS and the Sawstop fence that came with it is frustrating. It may be adjusted improperly. Every time I tighten the fence down, it moves a bit making it difficult to set to a specific width. Any ideas?

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Oakland, CA
    Posts
    254
    My brand new ics does this, too. I hate it! It makes me miss the rack and pinion fence from my otherwise incomparable dewalt contractor saw. Is there a fix?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Falk View Post
    I have a early (2005,2006?) ICS and the Sawstop fence that came with it is frustrating. It may be adjusted improperly. Every time I tighten the fence down, it moves a bit making it difficult to set to a specific width. Any ideas?

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Northern Illinois
    Posts
    943
    Quote Originally Posted by kelly logan View Post
    I have the incra now on my unisaw but going to upgrade to a sawstop just for the fact that sometimes my fingers are close to the blade and this would be my last upgrade on a table saw
    If you are currently using the Incra fence system on your saw, I doubt other fences, regardless of what brand, would compare favorably. Isn't there anyway you can re-use the Incra fence on a new Sawstop?

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Kapolei Hawaii
    Posts
    3,236
    Quote Originally Posted by Randy Heinemann View Post
    If you are currently using the Incra fence system on your saw, I doubt other fences, regardless of what brand, would compare favorably. Isn't there anyway you can re-use the Incra fence on a new Sawstop?
    This is it..
    You know you guys are replying to a 10 year old post?
    Sad to see that Sawstop is still having issues with fence faces though. Mine are fine. I think. I've never measured, the saw cuts perfectly straight and no up cuts from the back of the blade. Some complain about the surface that is 0.003 out of flat. IMO that is irrelevant when it comes to wood. The wood may move that much after cooling down after the cut. I'd love to get the Incra but I can't justify the cost. Maybe I should go check the faces.

    As another post said, if you are making small repetitive cuts for small boxes, get a pair of Grippers. They keep you hands away from teh blade. They get a lot of negative reviews, but I think they are from those who use them to push long wide boards, where they don't really help any more than a simple push stick or block. But when making small box cuts, they control both the save and off cut. Awesome purchase for that use.

  14. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by Aaron Liebling View Post
    My brand new ics does this, too. I hate it! It makes me miss the rack and pinion fence from my otherwise incomparable dewalt contractor saw. Is there a fix?
    I also have a brand new ICS but don't have an issue, it locks right where I position it. I did wax the tube it's quick slick.

  15. Quote Originally Posted by Kyle Iwamoto View Post
    Sad to see that Sawstop is still having issues with fence faces though. Mine are fine.
    I have a new ICS. Technically the fence face is wavy but it starts at 0 and ends at 0 with a few valleys along its length in the -002 to -007 range. I'm assuming where the bolts are. I have not tested it yet but I think the board will simply skim over these valleys.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •