Biesemeyer fence question

[SARGE..g-47]

This triggered a vague memory. I checked the manual for the fence on my saw, and sure enough, the exploded drawing and parts list shows the rear leg, in addition to the UMHW pad. My fence did not actually include the leg, however -- just the pad.

So when you use your clamped-on hold down, you just rely on gravity to keep the fence firmly down on the table? I have used a similar setup but added another Quick Grip at the rear rail, to hold the back end of the fence down.

If you wanted to attempt to use the rear bolt, you could possible tap the bottom rear of the fence with 1/4" or 5/16" threads. Just be sure you tap in a position that puts the bolt approximately center on the rear rail.

Yep.. basically just gravity considering the fence weighs a good bit and the forward cam lock on most Biese clones produces a " death grip from what I have seen. I did the same thing on my Uni-saw for years with the Biesemeyer on it. I have run close to 40,000 linear feet on the Uni-saw and over 3000 linear feet on the Steel City by simply clamping a block of scrap on the fence butted to the top of the stock to be cut below it.

Never had a problem and don't expect to at this point. Now.. with that said I cannot make a qualified call with feed roller systems on the fence as I have never used one. I assume they don't exert any additional pressure but you would be more qualified to answer that than me if you have used one.

Give the clamped hold-down a try and see what you think. IMO.. you will find it very sufficient. Let me know how you felt it worked for you.

[jussi]

I *believe* the rollers are spring loaded so they may exert more pressure than the hold-downs Sarge uses. But I've never used the rollers and I just installed the Bies yesterday so take that info for what it's worth I guess if you really wanted to use the rollers you could just clamp the back side of the fence down. But I assume that would get tedious after a while.

Btw great setup sarge. I'll keep that in mind when I decide to add accessories later on.

[BerniePA]

Thanks for the pictures, Sarge. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Except for decals, your fence is my new ShopFox Aluma-Line Classic that I just got with my new Grizzly, so they are still putting them out there with the "leg" on them. Thanks for clearing things up.

A question for you. What is on the other end of the outfeed table? How long is it?

[SARGE..g-47]

Thanks jussi..

I was not aware that the Shopfox had added it Bernie. As far as the fence not dragging on the table.. it definitely glides better. The Steel City has 6 nylon adjuster screws on the front T handle carriage with two standard metal ones behind the fence like the Biese except you don't have to turn the fence over on it's back to adjust them on the SC.

So.. it will rocket across the rails as I wasn't kidding about that. I demonstrated for Steel City at IWF in August and did just that a bunch of time showing folks just how smooth it was.

As far as scratching your table.. it can't as the bottom doesn't touch the table if you have it adjusted up so you should be very happy on the quick glide and the scratching issue also.

Good luck with that little puppy... off to bed as I didn't come up from the shop until around mid-night.

[BerniePA]

I was not aware that the Shopfox had added it Bernie. As far as the fence not dragging on the table.. it definitely glides better. The Steel City has 6 nylon adjuster screws on the front T handle carriage with two standard metal ones behind the fence like the Biese except you don't have to turn the fence over on it's back to adjust them on the SC.

So.. it will rocket across the rails as I wasn't kidding about that. I demonstrated for Steel City at IWF in August and did just that a bunch of time showing folks just how smooth it was.

Sounds like my Shop Fox is a dead on clone of your Steel City fence. I also have the 6 sdjustment hex screws on the front T, and as you said, it fairly zips across the rails!!

[SARGE..g-47]

Sounds like my Shop Fox is a dead on clone of your Steel City fence. I also have the 6 sdjustment hex screws on the front T, and as you said, it fairly zips across the rails!!

Here's the picture of the Ridgid flip top stand you requested by PM Bernie. If your local HD doesn't have them... I can get you a HD SKU # from my local. Or.. or.. if you want to save money.. you can continue to use the stool you referred to in your PM.. make a block that would shim a piece of MDF table to the height you want on you TS.. then screw it down counter-sinking the heads. That would work fine but.. you can fold it up and the space it takes is just the space it takes.

[LarryG]

Adding to what Sarge wrote, I'll pass along an excellent piece of advice that someone here (I think it was either Ken Massingale or sweensdv; apologies to whomever if that's wrong) gave me when I decided to buy one of the Ridgid flip tops:

While you're at the store, go ahead and buy two of them, to save yourself the extra trip back to get another one. They're that good.

[BerniePA]

Thank you very much, Sarge. According the the internet, my local HD is supposed to have them. A personal trip for that and some MDF is in order!!!

[SARGE..g-47]

Adding to what Sarge wrote, I'll pass along an excellent piece of advice that someone here (I think it was either Ken Massingale or sweensdv; apologies to whomever if that's wrong) gave me when I decided to buy one of the Ridgid flip tops:

While you're at the store, go ahead and buy two of them, to save yourself the extra trip back to get another one. They're that good.

I originally puchased two.. loved them and the company I retired from purchased two more for me when I agreed to build them a round 100' show-room counter as I needed pleny of support doing sections 10'-12' long. I purchased another just after I sold my Uni-saw and got the Steel City 5 HP to use for that rear extention.

So.. what you say is the truth.. the whole truth and nothing but the truth as I see it for my own needs.

[SARGE..g-47]

Thank you very much, Sarge. According the the internet, my local HD is supposed to have them. A personal trip for that and some MDF is in order!!!

If you get one.. write the SKU # down as you will probably want a couple more in the future. My local did not have them for over a year making me think they had been dis-contined but.. they showed up again about a month or so ago. You never know where they will put them either. I have found them in Tools in one store and with accessory tables and ladders in another.

No ryhme or reason and the store employee in most cases won't have a clue what you are talking about if you mention flip top stand. Hopefully they will but I find the new breed of employee not as knowlegeable as the old breed when Arthur Blank and his partner were at the helm. With that said some HD's have the old hands and some have more turn-over than a fast food joint when some other joint offers a $.15 raise per hour.