Problem with Rip Fence

[Sandmaster]

I am new to this forum but I have been reading it for quite a while and it is very useful. A couple of weeks ago there was a thread about how when you lock down the rip fence is slides up on the rails. This is happening to me. The suggestion in the thread was to clean the rails. This has not done the trick for me. I have tried everything I can think of to resolve this problem but it still happens. The big problem is that when it happens, the fence is not at a 90 degree angle with the table and I have to check it every time. Can someone help. I notice this does not happen on the floor model of the craftsman version of the saw.

[LCHIEN]

Did you wax it before?
If you waxed it with some silicone based waxes like automotive or furniture polish it may have had silicone in it and will be really, really hard to get off.

what did you clean it with?
if you just used Johnson's paste wax (one of the few with no silicone) or got some wd40 or something on it, then you'll have to clean it real good with mineral spirits or some other aggressive solvent to remove it.

failing that, maybe you need to clean the pads on the rip fence where it grabs the rail, or maybe just hitting the rail with some very fine sandpaper may help.

[Sandmaster]

I have not waxed the rails. Only the table. I used some acetone but I will use some more and I will clean the pads as well. I had considered the sandpaper so maybe I will give that a whirl if another cleaning doesn't do the trick.

[eddy merckx]

Are you sure that the back of the fence is engaging properly? If it doesn't fully grab the rail, it will slip andwill not sit at 90 degrees to the table.

[RayintheUK]

This is what Eddy was referring to - side view of the rear rail clamper.



It needs to be engaged as at "A" (which means that you need to lift the handle end quite high up and have the clamper adjustment screw well released) and it must close as at "B" above. Sometimes, due to poor initial engagement, it tries to clamp as at "C" above, causing the problem you describe.

BTW, if you didn't polish the front rail to begin with, don't sand it now.

Ray.

[Black wallnut]

Perhaps this topic will help you to troubleshoot your front block. If all else fails you could carefully use the edge of a file to scrape sidesways on the bosses @ "C" forming small ridges to help the front block hold onto the front rail.

BTW make sure yopu are not using too much pressure while lowering the rip fence handle; it should lock the fence just past level.

[Sandmaster]

Thank you

Thank you for your replies. I believe that I have now solved the problem. Mostly my problem was that I was cranking the lock down too far. That combined with a little adjusting to the plastic pieces underneath and I am all set.