As mentioned, the fence is designed to be sacrificial, serve as a zero clearance back, and as a guide to provide alignment of where your cut will be. As mentioned, those will be compromised as your fence wallows out. This can be overcome, though and still be part of a non-consumable fence.
Do a search for Brian Weekly videos on YouTube. He is a member of the DeWalt RAS forum and all of his videos have been vetted by the membership. Most RAS YouTube videos are terrible, his are excellent. He describes his fence adaptation to maintain the zci function without sacrificing the fence. Also, videos on almost all other aspects of the RAS.
Wrt tuning the table saw... The recommendation for Wally Kunkel's book is not bad, you will gain insights on its use by arguably the best RAS user of all time. But for the Craftsman user Jon Eakes book is better. It is out of print and original copies are going for $100+ a pop. But the PDF version is available for cheap on his website. I have a DeWalt, and it is still my go to bible, if I had a fire it would be the one I save.
A well tuned RAS is a precision, safe (relatively) machine. Eakes book will help. Again, look to the Brian Weekly videos.
Wrt the table, the blade will cut below the table so your question is moot. With that said....
The table is extremely important. All your tune up calibrations will be referenced from the table. Making a table to the original craftsman specs is not sufficient. Kunkel's book will describe a "Mr. Sawdust table". Others have come up with alternate designs that they say can match the MST for flatness, but why? The MST is easy and has been the standard for decades. After the construction of your MST, you will want to protect it with a sacrificial top. Your MST will last a lifetime. Again,... The Brian Weekly videos...
Last edited by Charlie Velasquez; 04-23-2021 at 10:36 AM.
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