Second Rip Fence

[dkhoward]

I rearranged my shop to allow me to permanently attach a wide table and extension table to my saw. This is because I am about to undertake new kitchen cabinets for my house and I need the width to cut cabinet carcass parts. I put my router table outon the end of the wide table rails and I was wondering if any of you are using a second rip fence set up for the router exclusively. I can see some advantages to having a second fence all set up for the router so that I dont have to change the fence attachments from saw to router. ANy thoughts?

[maxparot]

I have to addmit to thinking along the same lines. It depends on what you intend to the router table fence. If you were to build your own custom fence you could design a fence with it's own clamping system or one that is dependant upon the rip fence. If you are staying with the Ryobi router accessory hardware for the rip fence then a dedicated fence would be useful.

[Andrew Benedetto]

I use the second fence w. a second micro adjuster for router use. and leave the router fence setup on it.

[cgallery]

My setup is similar to yours, but without the wide table. Because I perform dust extraction from below, I was able to greatly simplify my router fence needs. I was able to put a couple pieces of 1" plywood on the right-hand side of my rip fence for router use. I just leave them there all the time. They aren't any higher than the rip fence, so they don't interfere with my hands while ripping. I don't really need feather boards ever because the down-draft table is capable of providing a substantial hold-down function for the wood I'm cutting.

To me, the only benefit to a 2nd fence would be the ability to independently adjust them. Ripping pieces to width and putting a groove on them could be done w/o making any fence adjustments. If I had a wide table like you, I'd add a 2nd fence in a heartbeat.

[Pappy]

I have a second fence that is intended to become a dedicated router fence. Just not high on the priority list.

[Thom2]

I originally built a version of Jim Frye's fence from the articles section, but tying up the saw fence was rather annoying. ...................... so .......... I bought a second fence through the classifieds here, with full intentions of using it for the router. That never actually materialized tho', because in the meantime, the more I got to thinking about it, I knew I could come up with something better.

I got myself some 2"x2"x1/4" aluminum angle, spent some time doing and redoing a mounting method, and came up with this .......




I couldn't be happier, it doesn't take up near the real estate on the rails as the t-head on the rip fence does, and it's a LOT less clumsy to handle/store than the other setup was.

A lot of my design is owed to Popeye, he's the one that finagled out the mounting for the rear rail. his mounting bolts looked like this .....