Vega fence questions

[cgallery]

I've been thinking of adding a vega fence to a Jet JWTS-10 saw. I have not purchased the saw yet, but the $400 deal on the entry-level version of this saw (with steel wings) includes a pretty sad fence. And I don't like steel wings, either. But $400 is still a bargain for the rest of the saw.

Vega indicates that it has built-in support for table boards. But they don't seem to have any manuals in PDF format, so I don't know how thick they expect these boards to be or how they attach. The photos of the fences on amazon look like there is a flange on the bottom of both the front and rear rails. How much do I need to build a board up to to make a board that is flush with the top of the table? Does it just screw from the bottom of this flange?

Also, if I don't use the steel wings, there are just two places to bolt the fence rails to the cast-iron saw table itself. Is that sufficient?

TIA, Phil

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Stop. Re-think what you are doing. Does it make fiscal sense to buy a saw and then upgrade everything you already don't like, or is it better to just spend a few $$ more up front and be happy from the start? Look at the dollar difference to get a cast iron extension and better fence already included.

[cgallery]

In a word, yes. The Jet is $400 w/ a new trunion so the motor doesn't hang out the back (smaller, better dust collection). To move up to a version w/ CI extensions and better fence is several hundred dollars more. And the fence is comes w/ is nowhere near as good as the Vega.

Already thought about it.

[Mike M]

[arw01]

I love my vega fence that came on a used JET contractors saw. Board buddies have to mounted on another board to work on the fence. On mine I used 1/4" hardboard, but it to width of the channel on top of the fence, then rounded the corners of the hardboard to slide easily into this channel.

Allows quick installation and removal of the board buddies, but I don't use them very often!

The best accessory is the finger-saver sled. BUY ONE.

Alan