The most crucial part of any table saw is a fence because there will ultimately be a crooked cut that nobody wants if there is no fence. I think you wouldn’t be able to work with any wood without a fence. Of course, Blades is the one that cuts, but you surely need a right cut for which the fence is responsible for helping. Besides, people also call it a RIP fence.
Usually, when you get the new Table saw, it comes with a fence. But I find it less reliable and the quality is not good enough for the proper woodwork. Hence, you get two options: to buy the fence, and the other is to make it yourself for a Homemade Table saw.
Don’t worry; making a Table saw fence is not tricky. It just needs focus and few necessary materials that you will need. I will guide you on the easy way to make a Table saw fence for a Homemade Table saw.
Critical Points for A Table Saw Fence
First, read the few pointers before building your very own Table saw fence.
Rigidity: Maintaining rigidity is very important because the Table is the fence going to work through this. When the material is stuck between the fence and the saw blade, it has to go through a lot of pressure, and while this is happening, it can not flex. For this purpose, rigidity is essential.
Perpendicularity: Make sure the fence is perpendicular to the Table saw and the blade is parallel. The fence structure should be accurate, and every feature must be in the right direction, as it can affect the ending results.
Security: You must fix the fence in its right place because it can be a real danger if it starts moving in the middle of the work. When the fence and blade are involved in a machine, you don’t want to risk kickbacks or anything serious.
Materials Needed
Here are necessary things you will need to make a Table saw fence for the Homemade Table saw. Make sure you get everything written here beforehand to save yourself extra time and effort.
Aluminum (preferably of the rectangular profile)
Wood screws (size: 50mm)
Wood pieces (shape: square, size: 2.5X2.5cm)
Wood board (size: 2X7cm)
Some plywood
Few T nuts
Carriage bolts
Tools Required
Prepared Table saw
Hammer
Drill and bits
Clamps
Now, after arranging the tools and material, let’s start making a table saw fence.
Fabrication Of Aluminum Rail
First, Take the rectangular aluminum shape and try to have a 9mm groove in the middle by using the saw to make two passes. For the sliding bolts, this will be a proper slot. For screws, countersink and drill at least five holes.
Rail Installation
To ensure that the rail is properly clean with the tabletop edge, look out at the tabletop’s edge and the wooden board. You should mark first and then drill the holes in the full depth. Afterward, use the 50mm wood screws to make it secure.
Mechanism Of Sliding
Take one square wood piece, and in a row, drill three holes. Make sure that the holes have some distance between them, and all must be drill in depth through all the way.
Now take another square wood piece and drill three holes as you did before. However, drill one hole at the center that goes to another side, and the remaining two holes should be incomplete.
Assembling
At this step, you need to do some severe assembling. Hit T nuts at the side holes for the starter. Then remove a few mm of wood to compensate with the T nuts. Now it’s time to glue both pieces together and use few screws to make them a single unit.
Remember, the purpose of the Table saw fence is not to look pretty and become presentable for anyone. Its primary goal is to stay steady and hard so that you can do your work accurately.
Carriage Bolts
Carriage bolts are utilized for sliders, more precisely, the side bolts that function as a slider. The bolts used in the center are responsible for strengthening the mechanism.
NOTE: The heads of carriage bolts are round in shape. Make sure to grind into two sides to make them fit in the rail.
Fence
You can use 2 by 7 cm of wood material for the fence, and you can also use plywood and glue it to the other piece to make the fence more reliable and steady.
Check the squareness of the blade and use wood screws to attach it. Now, give the fence a little movement and tight it a little more for safety. Check if it needs more screws or glue or anything that can help it get more substantial.
At last, check if the glue is dry and the Table saw fence is ready for checking. If it does, use the small piece of wood material and do some testing cuts. I hope the final result looks professional and powerful.
Why It Is Important to Use A Table Saw Fence
For a straight ripping process, a Table saw fence provides you accuracy in cuts.
Safety is critical when using a Table saw, and the table fence will provide a tremendous amount of protection as you do not have to use your hands directly, which is dangerous. A worker can lose their fingers too if caught with a distraction. So, you must be very careful with the Table saw.
Final Words
A Table saw fence is a necessary element for DIY projects. We can make our fence by following the steps mentioned above. It will help us in saving money and time.
This fence is very convenient and not very unwieldy, so this makes the usage very easy. However, it is vital to learn the basics before making a Table saw fence. It will improvise the steps, so it becomes safer to use and provide high precision of work.
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