Bandsaw Fences: Which do you like?

[captmikey]

I just bought a like-new Jet 14" BS JWBS-14X loaded with everything including Iturra Spring/Wheel Brush, 5 Timberwolf blades, a 6" riser, and the only thing I need is a fence.

So other than the OEM Jet fence, there's the Kreig, the Mule, the Delta Universal, and what else? Even though I don't see a lot of resawing down the road, I do like the idea of a T-Slot fence that can mount sacrificial boards or the resaw bump. Rockler has a full 24" table and fence setup for the same price as the Kreig.

Just wondered if there are any opinions. The Cast iron table is 15" X

15".

Mike

[Paul Kierstead]

[e-mail] wrote: ...

...

Naw, no opinions here. Heh.

I find for regular use a couple of c-clamps and a jointed board works really really well. Stuff coming off the BS needs clean-up anyway; having some fancy fence that is super-precise and sings and dances is total waste, IMO. YMMV.

PK

[Pat Barber]

I would look at what this guy did...

is VERY creative.

[e-mail] wrote:

[patrick conroy]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeet... Did the Iturra brushes come installed? If not, how was installation?

Is there improved dust collection over the stock model? Anything besides the

2 1/2" hose connection under the table?

I went with the OEM fence for my JWBS-14. It's OK and does the job. Obviously, mounting is pretty easy. There's a scale, but it's definiately a "guess, saw, measure, tap/tap, saw measure, tap/tap" fence. The construction components seem solid. It locks down well. I don't use the plastic resaw guide/insert.

If I could put that "bullet back in the gun", I'd probably try Duginske's (sp?) which is now a Kreg, I believe.

[Patriarch]

"patrick conroy" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

And if I had the $100 back I spent on the parts of that kit, I'd use the c- clamp and jointed stick approach mentioned earlier. It isn't bad at all, but it is no better, in my somewhat limited experience.

Spend the cash on a selection of quality blades.

Patriarch

[Teamcasa]

Mike, I just added a 6" tall x 20" scrap to the existing Jet (18") fence. Works great. I found the re-sawing attachments, those that utilize a round or arched face a pain. If your saw is set up properly, a straight tall fence will suffice just fine. Other than that, most bandsaw operations don't require a fence at all.

Dave

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[Roy Smith]

My bandsaw fence consists of a piece of 2x4, jointed square, with a piece of 3/4" birch plywood screwed onto the 2" face. It gets clamped to the table. Seems to work fine.

[Phisherman]

[Bruce Barnett]

I installed the Iturra brushes on my Jet, and it was VERY easy. Like - a minute or two. I think I needed to drill a small pilot hole. Well worth the $6.

[Bruce Barnett]

I compared the old Duginski FastTrak fence and the Kreg, and bought the Kreg. The Kreg can be adjusted for blade drift, and for alignment to the blade. It can also be used in a "low-profile" position when you need the guides close to the able surface, and near the Fence.

Installation needed an allen wrench with an odd size, which I didn't have. Other than that, it was trivial.

[patrick conroy]

Be careful! Ya' know - logic like that just might stall the US Economy! :)

[Patriarch]

"patrick conroy" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Rest assured, the cash would be reinvested into more tools. In fact, I was just looking at upgrading some of the seriously cheap beginner turning tools that I have. I made the 'mistake' of buying a couple of really nice P&N bowl gouges (Aussie-made, purchased from my favorite Kanukistani tool dealer) It'a amazing just how quickly the 'starter set' tools dull on the same project.

And then there's the 'good lathe' question, yet to be answered...

Patriarch

[captmikey]

Pat...

Yes, Jet listened to the complaints and they tweaked this model good. It has a easy to use tension release lever, cast iron wheels, 1¼ HP motor, and a 4" standard dust port.

The package deal I bought came with a mobile base, an Iturra tension spring, the 6" factory riser installed, and the Iturra brush installed. On top of that I got five new timberwolf blades with it, so I have a full range of blades right up to 3/4", and wheel shims in case I need them.

It runs real nice, but I may put a link belt on it just to make it even smoother. So you can see... the only thing I could put on it is a magnetic light and a fence... but we'll see what the consensus is. I think I'd rather buy a fence and use it, than spend a weekend making one plus spending the money on the track.

Mike

[Layne]

Well, I used to like the one made by Woodpeck.com, but they said they were redesigning it and took it off the market...that was a couple of years ago! My close second choice is the the fence made by Mulecab.com.

Layne ps, usual disclaimers apply.

[Jim Bailey]

Mike - was that a local deal you picked up ?

jim

[Larry Jaques]

On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 22:06:29 -0600, the inscrutable Patriarch spake:

I have a feeling that all chisels, even the good and expensive jobs, would need honing during a long session with dried hardwoods. In terms of wood-feet cut, an hour at the lathe is like a week in the shop with a hand chisel.

Oh, the $79.95 HF special, of course. [Unless you find a pristine(?) example of a Powr-Kraft lathe like I did for $15.]

Added Bonus Link:

Today's safety URL is entitled "How To Cut Your Thumb Off."

Was that an African + or European Swallow? + Gourmet Web Applications ========================================================

[Patriarch]

Larry Jaques wrote in news: [e-mail]:

There is a story, possibly apocryphal, of the Japanese master, who re-honed his plane blade after each, nearly perfect cut.

I am after a different operating plan.

Oh, and back to the topic which originally spawned this thread: To cut turning blanks on the bandsaw, I have to remove parts of the Fast track fence anyhow, losing whatever drift adjustment I'd carefully (yeah, right) put in, with the micro adjustable feature.

Re: HF: Larry, I know it's your favorite toy store, but the place makes my skin crawl. I already have a lathe whose limitations were reached almost immediately. I don't want to buy another loser, at any price. It would either need to be stored, sold, given away or otherwise disposed of in short order. Then where are the savings?

Patriarch

[Larry Jaques]

On Wed, 23 Mar 2005 10:35:50 -0600, the inscrutable Patriarch spake:

A Zen anal-retentive? What a curious combo! ;)

Grok that. We all want to sharpen once and work from then on without ever having to hone again. Unfortunately, nature has a different idea.

So scribe the drift angle into the top. It'll reset more quickly.

Got crowbars? Get off your butt, refi the house, and go buy a nice little Nova or Oneway. See if I care. ;)

[Patriarch]

"Don" wrote in news:NXn0e.4065$ [e-mail]:

Use, wear, abuse, cutting green wood for turning blanks, the phase angle of the moon, the autocompensation feature of the saw for operator attitude/patience. It's not that big a deal, and easily adjusted back to the line scribed on the table. If it hasn't been worn/cleaned off.

It's no big deal. Only for resaw is this bandsaw ever asked to be a real precision cutting tool, and then, not so much recently. It's a Jet 16, and it's really a 'tweener saw. Bigger than a 14", but not really much bigger. It's certainly not the Laguna or MiniMax I had in my plans, when the wife decided she needed a new quilting machine. And she did, so the bandsaw purchase was scaled back to more rational levels.

Patriarch

[Patriarch]

Larry Jaques wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Thank you for permission, kind sir. The wife agrees, too. Nice how that works out.

The consensus among my analog woodworking friends seems to be that the sweet spot for those who primarily turn, and not much else, that the Powermatic 3520a is a great lathe for the substantial money. Most of these folks sell at least some of their turned work.

For those who also do cabinetry, boxes and furniture, and so need more room in the shop, the Nova 3000 family seems to fit quite well. Capable, flexible, and more modest in size, but expandable as needed.

I don't forsee needing the Powermatic. Or anything in the Oneway range.

Patriarch