Replacement fence for Delta contractor saw?

[Denny]

I've come to the conclusion that I need a new fence for my Delta (36-650). It's a struggle to cut a straight line with the fence that came with the saw (it's just a generic Delta fence), because it has too much wiggle at the back end when it's locked. It looks like most replacement fences have long rails and require adding an extension with legs to support the rails, but I don't really have the room for that kind of setup. So my question is what would be a good replacement fence that would fit the saw without having to add an extension? I'm assuming I'll have to spend about $200 to $300... Thanks, Denny

[Lew Hodgett]

IMHO, you have two (2) choices:

1) Unifence 2) Everything else that wants to be a Unifence.

HTH

BTW, Yes, I have one.

[Denny]

Lew, After poking around on the web it looks like the U30 Unifence (I think it's the one with the shortest rails) still requires a set of legs to the right of the table, do you know if it can be installed (and is it stable) without the legs? Denny

[Lew Hodgett]

I seriously doubt it.

IMHO, it would be very unstable.

Lew

[Unisaw A100]

Ditto what Lew said but replace Unifence with Biesemeyer.

UA100

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Biesemeyer is my first choice and also look at the HTC fence. Lee Valley carries them. They are a Biesemeyer clone. With the 30" rails I think you could get away with out the legs. OTOH, if you are knowledgeable about using a saw, making a tableboard and legs is a fund thing to do. Ed

[Denny]

I took a look at the Biesemeyer on the web and it looks like the shortest rail system is on the BHS28 (28" right home shop fence). But it looks like the rails are still long enough so that support legs are necessary. Is it stable without the legs (on a contractor saw)? Thanks, Denny

[Bob Schmall]

I've had both, and neither stands out for me--they each have strengths and weaknesses. Beis: strong, lockable, accurate. Uni: accurate, easily movable, versatile.

You couldn't make a mistake buying either one.

Bob

[Edwin Pawlowski]

The rails are damned rigid and rugged. I don't think that is the reason the legs are in place.

If you add an extension and tableboard, you have a nice work area for assembly etc. Pile on a cabinet under assembly, dozen clamps, Next thing you know, the saw is tipping over. Leg prevent that. Ed

[none]

Denny,

I've worked with and owned both (Beis/clones and Unifence) and mounted them in several different configurations. Either can be adapted to -just about- any tablesaw. You can check the manf website to see if they have any installation notes that may prevent it from being installed on your TS.

The rail in the back is not used for the fence at all but is merely a support for the extension table on the right side. Since you do not have the room for the extension table, you will not need the back rail.

The front rail mounts slightly differently for each model but essentially, if you can bolt it down to the front in 3 places, it will be as solid as you'll ever need. Essentially, the top of the front rail needs to be ~3/4" lower than the tabletop surface. The fence mounting bolt locations need to be about 1/2" to 1" lower so you may need to make/install brackets and/or drill holes in the TS. You can cut the front rail to the length you want. Measure distance from blade to the max right position then add the extra needed to support the right-hand part of the T on the fence.

You may also want to consider this -

S.

[Leon]

You need to also take into consideration that with either the Biesemeyer or the Unifence you will have to buy or build a FLAT table extension for the fence to set on. The back rail is not used by the fence and is only needed to support the table extension.

[BeniBoose]

You would be better off selling your tablesaw, add your 200$-300$ you were planning to spend already on the fence and get a better saw with a good fence included. Spending extra money on a Delta 36-650 is overkill IMHO and not worth it. You'll end up spending more money if you keep replacing components than if you buy a good tablesaw in the first place.

Cyberben

[Hitch]

"Bob Schmall" wrote in news:9oxGc.18$ [e-mail]:

I have a Unifence, but would be happy with a Biesemeyer, too. As I see it, the big advantage of the Unifence is the ability to switch the fence from high to low, enabling better control of cutting thin stock, e.g., cutting narrow strips of plywood.

The times I wish I had a Biesemeyer are when I know I could easily make a jig to carry small parts past the blade which would fit over the Biesemeyer with its parallel sides. It is much more difficult to make a sliding jig for the Unifence.

[Swingman]

Consider the Uni-T-Fence upgrade for the Unifence ... awesome "slide-in-in-seconds" replacement for the actual fence. Got one, wished I'd done it sooner. Batch cut a half dozen different height "sacrificial fences" with pre-drilled holes and screw one in when needed... great for jigs also.

affiliation, just a satisfied owner/user.

[Earl Creel]

I have an old Rockwell /Delta with a standard fence and it has an adjustment for the rear rail clamp. Don't let me discourage you from getting a new fence but perhaps your standard fence can be fixed with a simple adjustment. Earl Creel

[Denny]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I called Delta for more info and they confirmed that even the short Unifence would absolutely require some support since it only runs on a single rail, but that I might do OK with the 28" Bies (home version, not commercial 30") without using any extra support since it runs on front and rear rails. That's probably what I'll do, but I'm going to try to find one to look at first... Denny

[Hitch]

"Swingman" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Looks very useful. Better start saving my pennies.

[skeezics]

dont know if it will work on a contractors saw but i have an old micro adjust fence that came on my 1948 unisaw. i replaced it with a bies because that is what i wanted. the old one is sevicable and much beter than what comes with the contractors saw. the old fence and rails are collecting dust as we speak. if you are near central N.C. and can come get em they are yours for the asking. unisaw a100 can answer weather they would fit or not.

skeez

[Denny]

Thanks for the very generous offer, but I'm in northern CA. I haven't been able to actually see the Biesmeyer, but someone who has a 30" pro told me it shouldn't be a problem mounting it on a contractors saw without using a set of support legs. Thanks again!!!

Denny