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Thread: Looking for bolt/screw sizes for Biesemeyer fence rails

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Topeka, KS
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    356

    Looking for bolt/screw sizes for Biesemeyer fence rails

    Well I purchased what I believe is a 50" Biesemeyer fence system (minus the fence) locally. I've been looking for a fence to go on a Unisaw I refurbished. The seller of the rails didn't know anything about them and wasn't sure of the brand. Due to the color of the rails (black) and cutouts for miter gauge clearance I'm 99% positive they are the newer Biesemeyer rails from Delta (Model 78-150T2) currently being sold.

    51ABB-7MeoL._AC_SL1000_.jpg

    My plan is to install this on the Unisaw and just swap the fence back-and-forth while keeping a look out for a new fence.

    I got no hardware with the rails which is the reason for this post. The holes line up perfectly to the cast iron top and I know the holes on the back of the saw are 3/8"-24 tpi. The older Biesemeyer manual I found while searching this for information says that the front angle iron rail is to be installed with 2 - 5/16"-18 flat head bolts, washers, and nuts. This makes sense, as the slightly smaller bolts will allow for alignment of the front rail in relation to the table top.

    The rectangular tube has holes drilled and tapped for a thread size I can't seem to identify. The manual says to use 1/4"-20 tpi bolts but these are too big for the tube I've got.
    Parts pic.png Parts list.png

    I'm hoping someone on here has a manual for the new Delta Biesemeyer fence (78-150T2) and could tell me what size bolts are used to attach the tube to the angle iron rail.

    I'm getting ready to order all the fasteners through Fastenal as I can't source them locally and thus want to make sure everything's right before ordering.

    Thanks in advance,
    Wes

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
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    9,889
    older unisaws use 3/8-24 for the tubular fence rail mounting. The hole in the table is not threaded. At least the front is not threaded I do not remember about the back rail, but i doubt it. 3/8-18 would work fine with a little lock tite. The only reason for the fine threads is they self lock more easily and are less likely to loosen from vibration etc.
    Bil lD

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    SoCal
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    I needed a bit more adjustment on my Beis Commercial. I used 1/4"x 20 flat head machine screws which gave me just a little more wiggle room to get the fence face perpendicular to the table. The newer Beis clones mostly have greater adjustments on the fence itself so this becomes moot. On the older original models part of the fence alignment was the 'leveling' of the front rail / tube. You used that little hardboard gauge in the lower left of your picture. The holes in my saw wouldn't allow the fence rail to come into line with the 3/8" screws. The 1/4" x 20's with a fender washer behind worked fine and held alignment for many years until I sold the saw. If you are going to buy a 'better-than-Bies' fence this is not as important.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Dickinson, Texas
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    Shop at Lowes and Home Depot. They both have good selections.

  5. #5
    Could the tube to rail bolts be metric, instead of Imperial? Got a local hardware store? If so take tube with you and try some bolts to see what fits. Reward hardware store for being there when you need them - Buy your bolts from them!
    Last edited by Bruce Wrenn; 08-06-2020 at 9:12 PM.

  6. #6
    On my Biesemeyer the rail tube to angle iron bolts are 1/4 - 20, but mine is an actual, pre-Delta buyout, made in Arizona Biesemeyer. If it is a newer Biesemeyer or equivalent it would have been made overseas, and those bolts are probably metric, with M6 or M5 being likely suspects.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Topeka, KS
    Posts
    356
    Thanks for everyone's input. With the manual from the Arizona day's in hand last night I tried a #12 machine screw and it seemed like it fit but was a little sloppy. That's when I remembered I had my grandfather's die set tucked in a drawer in the shop. Turns out Delta kept everything the same but the holes just had paint in the threads. I was able to screw a 1/4"-20 die into the first hole with it only cutting paint, I ran a bolt into each hole with a wrench and verified they can all be installed with finger pressure only.

    Thanks for the responses.

    I response to finding bolts locally. The problem ones are for the angle iron that have countersunk screws. None of the local places carry English unit thread sizes of this type. The flat head design can only be found in metric sizes locally which I could do but every other bolt/nut on this unit is an English dimension.
    91253a540-1579813248-p9@1x_637153899028146218.png

    Thanks. Yet another problem solved with help from Sawmill Creek.

    Wes

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Wes Billups View Post

    I response to finding bolts locally. The problem ones are for the angle iron that have countersunk screws. None of the local places carry English unit thread sizes of this type. The flat head design can only be found in metric sizes locally which I could do but every other bolt/nut on this unit is an English dimension.
    91253a540-1579813248-p9@1x_637153899028146218.png

    Thanks. Yet another problem solved with help from Sawmill Creek.

    Wes
    Wes McMaster-Carr has 1/4”-20 flathead in either Phillips or Socket head screws,
    https://www.mcmaster.com/screws/thre...t-head-screws/,
    https://www.mcmaster.com/screws/thre...t-head-screws/

  9. #9
    The bolts that connect the 2x3 tube to the angle iron on my Biesemeyer are just 1/4-20, half inch long hex head bolts. No countersink is on the angle iron underneath, the only countersinks are where the angle iron attaches to the saw and extension table.

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