TS Fence Faces

[bmuir1616]

I just upgraded to a Ridgid R4511 TS. I am going to put faces on the fence.

I plan on using Birch plywood. Should I:

A. Leave the faces unfinished?
B. Coat the plywood faces front and back with a couple of coats of poly?
C. Cover the faces with some plastic laminate I have left over?

One other question: When mounting the faces, how much room should I leave between the bottom of the face and the TS top?

Thanks for the help.

Bill

[RodKirby]

AT LEAST poly and wax - similar to a router fence - or something like this (aluminum channel)...

Re your question: A poofteenth (technical term for "just a little")

[Bob Crosley]

I would vote for C, as I think that has the greatest chance of offering you a smooth, flat face. And I would suggest, "as little room as possible" on the gap between the saw top and fence, as you don't want the chance that small or thin pieces could get bound up by the gap.

[Tom Slick]

I also vote for C unless you are going to make it sacrificial. My fence face is HDPE, it works great.

[cabinetman]

My vote is for "C" also. As for any gap, just a very slight bevel to clear the table. To keep thin materials like laminate from sliding under the fence, a strip of hardboard or plywood (1/8" to 1/4") or a larger section just set down on the blade to the fence setting will raise thin materials high enough, and also provide a ZC. A stop mounted on the bottom rear will catch on the saw table and keep it from moving forward.
.

[Tom Miller]

Not sure what the profile of the Ridgid fence looks like -- do you have any interest in making the face taller than the the rest? If so, the BB ply is the way to go. And, to answer your question, a couple coats of poly followed by a good waxing will keep your workpieces moving very smoothly.

Concerning how much space to leave between face and table. One approach is to just make it flush with the existing fence bottom. Or, you could build in a little slop, uh, tolerance, in how it attaches to the fence, then set the height with the whole thing in place on the saw. Let the loosened face sit on some shim material on the table, the shim material being the thickness of the desired clearance, and tighten down.

Regards,
Tom

[Knottscott]

If you've got the laminate on hand, I'd cover them with that....so, option "C" for me.