Any one build a fence micro adjuster?

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  • dbhost
    Slow and steady
    • Apr 2008
    • 9209
    • League City, Texas
    • Ryobi BT3100

    Any one build a fence micro adjuster?

    I failed to get in on the micro adjusters before they went obsolete, and can no longer find one anywhere, so I am considering making my own, but I am not sure what is needed to do this. Has anyone done this, and if so what pointers can you give me on how to pull this off?
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  • Black wallnut
    cycling to health
    • Jan 2003
    • 4715
    • Ellensburg, Wa, USA.
    • BT3k 1999

    #2
    Rod Kirby made a rather nice one.
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    marK in WA and Ryobi Fanatic Association State President ©

    Head servant of the forum

    ©

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    • dbhost
      Slow and steady
      • Apr 2008
      • 9209
      • League City, Texas
      • Ryobi BT3100

      #3
      Duh...

      Use search function dummy!

      Inspired by the several designs offered by others (hats off to Rod Kirby and JimD), I thought I would have a go at building a micro-adjuster. Glad that I did the rip fence moves so easily, it takes the hassle out of that last bit of adjustment. http://www.bt3central.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17186&stc=1&d=1317


      Sorry, too many hours at work last few weeks, brain is kind of numb...

      That is so forehead slapping obvious I am now embarassed I asked...
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      • LCHIEN
        Internet Fact Checker
        • Dec 2002
        • 20920
        • Katy, TX, USA.
        • BT3000 vintage 1999

        #4
        I have the Kirby original DIY BT3 micropositioner. He gave it to me for safekeeping after he sold his BT3...
        I'll post pictures of it shortly.
        Loring in Katy, TX USA
        If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
        BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

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        • LCHIEN
          Internet Fact Checker
          • Dec 2002
          • 20920
          • Katy, TX, USA.
          • BT3000 vintage 1999

          #5
          Rod Kirby's Micropositioner.
          from where 1" = 25.4mm

          SOme pictures of the Kirby device on the rail an held in my hand so you can see the detail. Only three simple pieces of wood and one screw and one threaded rod. I think Rod's predated the availability of the Ryobi device.

          the one comment I have is that its a pusher, not a puller, so it can only move in one direction, however you can mount it to either side of the rip fence. Its height is managed so it sits below the table surface at all times allowing pieces to pass overhead without interfering with feeding the workpieces.

          The third end-on picture shows it; Rod even countersunk a piece of green plastic in the end of the lockscrew so it wouldn't mar his rail.

          The lockscrew and the positioning screw are threaded into the wood. The positioner is a threaded rod, I think he was partial to 1/4-20 hardware so each turn is .050". He locked the ends using a hex "acorn" (closed end) nut and a knurled nut together. Using the hex corners on the acorn nuts on the end you could subdivide it to about 8.25 mils per corner that went by when you rotated it.

          The critical dimensions are:
          1.798" - the length of the middle piece
          1.10" - the height of the middle piece.
          Set the lock screw high enough that its at least above the bottom of the back piece.
          Make the front piece long enough so that it contacts the frontmost part of the rail to hold the piece in place when its not locked.



          In some of the pics you can see my Ryobi micropositioner mounted in my saw.
          Attached Files
          Last edited by LCHIEN; 04-19-2014, 01:28 AM.
          Loring in Katy, TX USA
          If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
          BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

          Comment

          • LCHIEN
            Internet Fact Checker
            • Dec 2002
            • 20920
            • Katy, TX, USA.
            • BT3000 vintage 1999

            #6
            for those of you who are not familiar with using the Ryobi or other micropositioners, its much simpler than it looks.

            When you lock the positioner you need to use very little force. The Ryobi one in particular is sharply pointed but it takes very little actual force to move a rip fence. Using a gentle touch will save your rail's appearance.

            The positioner must be placed against the rip fence head. the Ryobi has a U-bracket they cradles the rip fence head so you can both push and pull it, Others I have seen are just pushers. It either case, the rip fence must be unlocked. You push the head but hte other end does not move for small eadjustments. Then the rip fence is locked the head is already positioned right and the rip fence three-point alignment system causes the end to swing around to the right place and parallel to the blade. So the force to position the rip fence head is very low.
            Loring in Katy, TX USA
            If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
            BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

            Comment

            • tfischer
              Veteran Member
              • Jul 2003
              • 2343
              • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
              • BT3100

              #7
              Just curious how often folks use these. I have one of the Ryobi ones (mine's actually a Craftsman) and I used to use it some but now I find that just tapping the fence slightly gets me just as close and it's easier.

              I actually used to have a Ryobi one and I broke the lock screw on it when I was moving the fence one time (it wasn't in use, just sitting on the rail and it got whacked too hard). I got the Craftsman one from someone on here awhile back.

              Comment

              • LCHIEN
                Internet Fact Checker
                • Dec 2002
                • 20920
                • Katy, TX, USA.
                • BT3000 vintage 1999

                #8
                I use mine a lot. I can dial in a cut very accurately.
                I use calipers to measure the piece first pass. I generally aim a little oversize to I can retest on the same piece without throwing away more scraps. I make enough scraps as it is.
                Then I figure where I want to be and take the difference.
                the ryobi thread is 16 TPI and has four marked divisions each with a different hash mark so they are easy to count in fours or in 1's or even halves.
                Each mark is 1/4 of 1/16th or 1/64th which is 16 mils (.015625") so I can easily dial in 1/2 of a mark so I can get right to 8 mils accuracy. After making the adjustment, check with calipers and its usually within about 5-10 mils. You need to use a good featherboard to keep the workpiece tight against the fence consistently to achieve this level of performance.
                Last edited by LCHIEN; 04-19-2014, 12:18 PM.
                Loring in Katy, TX USA
                If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                Comment

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