Originally Posted by
Edward Dyas
Those fences often don't clamp down parallel with the blade. I think you would be better off to upgrade to a more modern fence like the Biesemeyer fence they are using now.
That's really not a true statement. The Beiemeyer and clones don't clamp at the back side, either. The assembly that rides on the front rail, UniFence or Beisemeyer is designed to clamp the fence securely. Any alignment issues come from not having it setup properly relative to the blade face, not because of the clamping mechanism. The UniFence is actually more versatile, IMHO, and of the same general design that you'll find on most every sliding table saw sold today. "high/low" is a big advantage with cutting as is the ability to slide the fence face back and forth for certain operations. The tee-square design of the Beisemeyer and clones can certainly be very robust and easier to "jig up", but it's also a simpler design, not a more "modern" design.
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