I've had a 26" Vega utility fence (wish I would have gotten the 30" pro) on a Delta contractor saw for about a year and a half. I think the fence is great in so far as the accuracy and ease of adjustment. The only problem I've had is outfitting the saw with anything else. I cannot attach an outfeed table because of the back rail and having a tube instead of a front rail prohibits mounting a side table kit(with router insert). I suppose I can see different ways of mounting a side table but does anyone have any ideas for the outfeed table (or attached roller table) before I change to a bessy.
One other thing. What are your thoughts about toeing the fence a degree or two (thickness of a business card) out.
I have an out feed roller on my Jet cabinet saw and it has a back rail for the Beis style fence. Bessy? or Beisemeyer? IIRC Beisemeyer uses a back rail also. The table top has to be flat and the back rail is for supporting the table extension.
That will mask your other problem. If you toe out and rip a board several times the waste side will have tooth marks on it that will possibly require the need to run the board through a jointer between passes.
Your best cuts come from a dead on parallel to the blade fence, providing your saw is set up properly. If you are having undesirable cuts, insure that your fence is parallel to the blade and or get a better blade.
I did mean a Beisemeyer. The problem with the Vega is that instead of having a back "rail" it has a piece of square tube. This is because the mail rail for the fence is round and the outfeed end of the fence has to hook around the square tube to keep the fence from lifting. Also the outfeed side of the fence has a nylon bushing that rides on the square tube to keep the fence level (off the table.)
As far as the fence alignment goes I have always agreed with your point of view. Its just that I was at a woodworking show recently and many of the demonstrators ie Forest Blades recommended toeing the fence out. I was suspicious that this was just so they could demonstrate great cuts. I think my problem it that I need a new blade.
FWIW, I've got one on a Sears saw, and I have both a folding outfeed table a la Woodsmith, and a right-side extension table with router insert. I do have the 50" rails on mine. Vega included some tabs that bolted to the front & rear rails and a plan for building the extension table.
So you can put the angle iron rails on under the Vega mounting hardware? Where do you get just the rails? How did you mount a flip up outfeed table around the square tube stock? Interesting
The flip-up table is based on a design in Woodsmith some years ago. It uses two wooden extension arms that bolt to the ends of the two normal table extensions, and extend toward the rear, far enough so the table can hang vertically behind the motor. These were on the saw when I bought the Vega, and mine happened to be fairly substantial (1-1/4 ash), so I just notched the one on the right so the Vega square tube (and the little metal finger thing on the end of the fence) would slide through the slot. Handsaw, chisels & rasp.
My fence rails came with four mounting plates, which were nothing more than flat pieces of steel, about 1/8" thick, rectangular, already drilled with mounting holes. They bolt directly to the round and square rails. I can't remember if the rails were pre- drilled, but I think they were. I'm thinking these things are about 4 or 5 inches by maybe 5 or 6. They bolt to the bottom of the rail, oriented so they are on the inside of the rails. You make a wooden table, and screw it to these plates.
Vega included a drawing with dimensions to make a side table that bolted (lag screws) to these flat plates. I cut a hole in mine, sized to fit the router plate I was already using in a table-top router table setup. One thing you have to be careful about, the front rail is bigger than the back, so the vertical distance from where you want the top of the table to be is less in the back than in the front. Vega's little diagram pointed all that out rather well.
Only other thing I had to do was put legs on the outboard end, because the saw would tend to tip otherwise. I made 'em foldable, to ease rolling the thing aroung. Still have to be careful of tipping however. But, as long as the motor's not on I'm not so worried about that. I swing them down again when I get it to where it's going.
Disclaimer: It's been awhile, and right now, my saw and I are separated from each other, so I can't just go look to see how things went together.
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