Bandsaw fence
Keep your blade on track
Bandsaws are like after-dinner speakers: They're a lot more enjoyable if they don't wander too far off course. Here's the jig you need to produce nice, straight cuts. Begin by cutting the pieces and assembling them as shown in the drawings, available in pdf below. Once you have all the parts assembled, position the fence on your bandsaw, and tighten the 3/8" handle to secure the fence in place. Test-rip on a piece of scrap, and alternately loosen one machine screw and tighten the other until the fence is parallel to the cutting track of the blade. Be sure to loosen and tighten the screws the same amount to avoid bowing the fence.
--Chuck Hedlund, WOOD® magazine
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wdorin@cfl.rr.com; Aluminum plate on end of fence rests against far side of table. 3/4 x 1 1/2 x 8" "crossboard" rests against edge of table closest to you. Tightening knob tensions the two to "clamp" the fence to the table. Lyndamike1209599 has the better idea by using thicker aluminum and threading it. I foresee using a wrench to hold the locknut while tightening the knob if done as in the instructions. Note, I haven't built this yet, but it's on my "to do" list and one day I will get to it!
12/29/2011 07:24:13 PM Report AbuseI don't understand how this fence is mounted? looks like it just sits on the table loose. Can you elaborate?
12/29/2011 03:54:53 PM Report AbuseThis is probably a nice idea if one knew how it works. A disappointing effort.
5/27/2011 10:40:04 AM Report AbuseI built this fence, and have it installed on my old sears 12inch bandsaw and can now rip perfectly straight lines. I was getting rid of the b/s because it would never cut straight, it is now my go to tool for ripping when I need to save on wood.
5/19/2011 06:05:16 PM Report AbuseIt would work better if the aluminum plate was 1/4" thick and tapped for the all-thread rod. Otherwise, the nut will just spin when the knob is turned. Also, I would relieve the back end of the body 1/16" starting 3/8" from the top so the aluminum plate has room to move to clamp the table. The "shank holes" for the #6 screws in the aluminum plate should 5/32" diameter so the screws are loose in the holes. (#6 screws are .138" diameter.)
5/19/2011 11:23:47 AM Report Abuse