Where does your rip fence handle lock?

[Lonnie in Orlando]

UPDATE:

I fixed my problem. Here is a link to a new post with the solution that worked for me. Thanks to J.D. “eccentrictinkerer” and to Ray Girling.
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...243#post442243

Thanks to all who responded about your rip fence. I'm still confused why the handles on some fences rotate below horizontal when locked, yet the fence does not lift. But mine lifts when the handle rotates below the horizon. Oh well.

- Lonnie

====

Original post:


Hi -

I think that I am on the track to finding the reason that the rip fence on my BT3000 lifts when I lock it. I searched a lot of posts about fence problems and watched the action of my fence, but need to know more about other “good” and “bad” fences.

>> Will you please answer the following five questions regarding the rip fence on your BT?

1) Which BT do you have?
BT3000
BT3100

2) Looking from the right side of the saw, in what position is the handle on the rip fence when the mechanism first starts to lock against the rail?
Eg. 10:00 o’clock

3) Again looking from the right side of the saw, in what position is the handle on the rip fence when the fence is firmly locked?
Eg. 8:00 o’clock

4) Does the front of the rip fence lift up as you lock it?

5) Is the rip fence easy to remove, or does the clamper on the outfeed end of the fence catch on the rear rail?

Looking for something like this …
1) BT3000
2) 10:00
3) 8:00
4) Does not lift
5) Difficult to remove
Please add any comments that you feel are relevant.

I’ll compile your answers; tweek my fence; and post my findings ... hopefully with a way to eliminate the problem that some of us have with the fence lifting.

Thanks in advance for your help,

- Lonnie

[eccentrictinkerer]

1) BT3000

2)11:00

3) 9:00

4) No

5) Clamper catches on rear rail, but easily removed

If your fence handle goes below 12:30 it's a safe bet you have a bent component in the miter fence.

See my post at #13 http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...420#post438420

[Turaj]

1) BT3000
2) 9:30 (!!)
3) 8:00
4) Does not lift
5) Very easy to remove

I know that the fence supposed to be locked at higher point, but as it locks in place firmly, I never bothered to check into it.

[dbhost]

1) Which BT do you have?
BT3100-1

2) Looking from the right side of the saw, in what position is the handle on the rip fence when the mechanism first starts to lock against the rail?
09:30

3) Again looking from the right side of the saw, in what position is the handle on the rip fence when the fence is firmly locked?
07:30

(There is an adjustment for this, mine has been somewhat loose since I replaced the head piece. I really should tighten it because in the locked position it interferes with the hand wheel.

4) Does the front of the rip fence lift up as you lock it?
Does not lift

5) Is the rip fence easy to remove, or does the clamper on the outfeed end of the fence catch on the rear rail?
Easy to remove, not so easy to put back in place when I got the saw (used) Prior exposure to water caused this. I have since cleaned and lubed it, and it is now easy to remove and install.

[Lonnie in Orlando]

e-tinkerer --

Your post is exactly why I took another look at my fence. My handle is at 10:00 when the fence starts to lock and is at 8:00 when fully locked. It starts to ride up when the handle moves below 9:00. I backed out the screw on "Clamper B" on the outfeed side of the fence years ago so that the clamp would not hang on the rear rail. Tonight, I screwed it in deeper, which allowed to handle to lock at 9:00, but the fence is now VERY difficult to remove from the rear rail.

Did you straighten the bent "Clamper A" in the front block of the fence or replace the part? If you straightened it, did it remain straight, or did it bend back again? Did you just punch out the pin that holds Clamper A in the front block, or is there a magic way to remove it? I can't get it out to see if mine is bent.

Been bamboozled for 13 years as to why my fence lifts. I let a person use my saw when it was brand new. Pretty sure that he locked the handle way below 9:00. Bet that's when my problem started. Hope that I can adjust the screw in the outfeed Clamper B to compensate.

Thanks,

- Lonnie

EDIT:

I read your original post again. I see that you said that the adjustment screw won't correct the problem. Rats.

[Lonnie in Orlando]

Turaj and dbhost ...

I was hoping that all "good" fences acted the same. Looks like there is a lot of varience.

All - please continue to respond. Gotta be some common thread that makes "good" fences good and "bad" fences bad.

Probably won't compile the results until after New Years.

- Lonnie

[cwsmith]

1) BT3100-1

2) 3:00

3) 9:00

4) No

5) Rear tongue fits in rear rail channel and cannot be lifted from that end, but is easy to lift front and then remove from rail channel at back.

I recently noticed that my fence wasn't moving smoothly, sort of a drag-skip at the back rail. Readjusted it and now is smooth.


CWS

[RayintheUK]

Are you sure that the rear clamper is correctly set in the rear rail? Look at these side elevations, where the gray is the rear rail, the clamper is shown in black:



Diagram "A" shows the correct method of fitting the fence to the rear rail, and the "angle of attack" means that the clamper usually needs its adjusting screw to be slacked right off first.

Hold the fence at an angle of around 35 - 40 degrees to the table (operating handle uppermost) and make sure that the clamper slides in and under the inner lip of the rear rail, then lower the front of the fence down onto the front rail, making sure that the clamper remains as at "A." When the clamper works correctly, it operates as in diagram "B."

The symptoms you describe can be caused by an incorrectly fitting clamper, operating as in "C."

1) I have the 3000.
2) 10 o'clock
3) 8 o'clock.
4) No.
5) Yes, provided the clamper is slackened right off first.

HTH

Ray

[eccentrictinkerer]

e-tinkerer --

Your post is exactly why I took another look at my fence. My handle is at 10:00 when the fence starts to lock and is at 8:00 when fully locked. It starts to ride up when the handle moves below 9:00. I backed out the screw on "Clamper B" on the outfeed side of the fence years ago so that the clamp would not hang on the rear rail. Tonight, I screwed it in deeper, which allowed to handle to lock at 9:00, but the fence is now VERY difficult to remove from the rear rail.

Did you straighten the bent "Clamper A" in the front block of the fence or replace the part? If you straightened it, did it remain straight, or did it bend back again? Did you just punch out the pin that holds Clamper A in the front block, or is there a magic way to remove it? I can't get it out to see if mine is bent.

Been bamboozled for 13 years as to why my fence lifts. I let a person use my saw when it was brand new. Pretty sure that he locked the handle way below 9:00. Bet that's when my problem started. Hope that I can adjust the screw in the outfeed Clamper B to compensate.

Thanks,

- Lonnie

EDIT:

I read your original post again. I see that you said that the adjustment screw won't correct the problem. Rats.

It's easy to straighten the 'clamper'. Clamp the tip in a vise and tap it a few times with a hammer. I've straightened 5 of these and none have bent back. I go easy on the fence handle. You don't need much force to lock a fence if everything is set up correctly.





To get at the 'clamper' part, unscrew the handle. Once that's done, you can tap out the eccentric pin. Pull out the 'clamper'. Takes less time to do than describe it.

Good luck!

J.D.

[rcp612]

(1) BT3100-1

(2) 10:00

(3) 8:30

(4) No

(5) Difficult,,,,,,,,,but, I know that I have the clamper set fairly tight, so I expected this.