Align your tablesaw fence for bind-free cuts

By aligning the rip fence parallel to the miter-gauge slot, you automatically put the fence parallel to the blade. We like to use a dial indicator for this step because it also reveals whether the fence itself is straight when locked into place.First, plane a piece of wood until its thickness exactly matches the width of your miter-gauge slot, and screw the dial indicator to it. You can skip the planing by selecting a slightly undersize piece of wood and using flathead screws to achieve a perfect fit. Zero the dial indicator against the fence at the infeed side of the table, and then check the reading at the outfeed end of the slot. Finally, adjust your fence until the two readings perfectly match.A dial indicator screwed to a shop-made block helps you check that the rip fence is parallel to the miter-gauge slot.