Jon, If you have a welder you should be able to fab one up in an afternoon.
I made one many years ago for my first TS. It is still in use in a new
home. Look at a Biesemeyer. It's actually a simple design.
No welder? Hard to do.
Dave
"Jon Wood" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:BQ%[email protected]...
> I'm thinking about upgrading but was wondering if anyone has built thier
own
> rip fence.
>
>
Sure, and you can see it at the link below.
--
Bill Pounds
http://www.billpounds.com/woodshop
"Jon Wood" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:BQ%[email protected]...
> I'm thinking about upgrading but was wondering if anyone has built thier
own
> rip fence.
>
>
On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 02:55:29 GMT, [email protected] (Dave Mundt) wrote:
> Well, after struggling with the fence on the Unisaw for
>slightly too long, I am in the middle of building a Biesemeyer
>clone... So far, so good.
You have to remember that the Unifence is a "kit".
I've had three of them and none of them were dead straight (when
measured against the Starrett Machinist's Straight Edge That Cost More
Money Than Any Married Man Should Put Into Such A Thing But The
Fugger's Straight)
I've shimmed the current one to match up to the
SMSETCMMTAMMSPISATBTFS.
Of course, this eliminates the sliding feature of the fence.
That's no great loss in my view.
What's bad is when you have to put the fence on the left side of the
blade to do something.
That really sucks.
Thomas J. Watson - Cabinetmaker (ret.)
(Real Email is tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/
Pretty much anyone who's ever clamped two ends of a board to their table.
I've done some coving, myself, which demands one. Now how elaborate can
you get before the cost of real machining and metal becomes worth it?
"Jon Wood" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:BQ%[email protected]...
> I'm thinking about upgrading but was wondering if anyone has built thier
own
> rip fence.
>
>
Greetings and Salutations...
On Sun, 01 Feb 2004 05:47:42 GMT, "Mark Jerde"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Jon Wood wrote:
>> I'm thinking about upgrading but was wondering if anyone has built
>> thier own rip fence.
>
>IIRC there's one in Fine Woodworking's book "Shop Accessories You Can
>Build."
>
> -- Mark
>
>
Well, after struggling with the fence on the Unisaw for
slightly too long, I am in the middle of building a Biesemeyer
clone... So far, so good.
Regards
Dave Mundt
I built one for my Unisaw, using the "T-square" approach, which I think
is now Biesmeyer or something like that. However, I have access to welders
and other machine tools for metalworking. I used a 2"x3" rectangular steel
tube (11 gauge = 1/8" thick walls) welded to a piece of angle 1/8 or 3/16"
by 2" by 2" bolted to the table and extending to the right about 53" past the
blade. Fence is also 2" x 3" rectangular tubing with 3/4" x 5" ash facing
on both sides. "T" was built using 3/16" x 1.5" x 1.5" angle and slider
blocks made of HDPE (high-density polyethylene) block attached with flat-head
screws threaded into the angle. I built a cam with an attached plastic
handle so it looks nice and professional. I love it! Your mileage may
vary because this assumes considerable welding skill and experience. I
also welded caps on the ends of the tubing so no dust gets inside.
Clarke
Jon Wood wrote:
>
> I'm thinking about upgrading but was wondering if anyone has built thier own
> rip fence.
I looked that one up. It seems like a good design.
Does it stay straight even in humid weather?
--Jon
"Larry Blanchard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <BQ%[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> > I'm thinking about upgrading but was wondering if anyone has built thier
own
> > rip fence.
> >
> I built one (wooden) following plans in a WOOD magazine book called
> "Woodworking Tools You Can Make". IIRC, I made a few minor changes.
> That was 10-12 years ago. It's still working, although it's beginning to
> show signs of age. I'll probably build a replacement this year or next
> using the same design.
>
> --
> Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?
In article <BQ%[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> I'm thinking about upgrading but was wondering if anyone has built thier own
> rip fence.
>
I built one (wooden) following plans in a WOOD magazine book called
"Woodworking Tools You Can Make". IIRC, I made a few minor changes.
That was 10-12 years ago. It's still working, although it's beginning to
show signs of age. I'll probably build a replacement this year or next
using the same design.
--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> I looked that one up. It seems like a good design.
> Does it stay straight even in humid weather?
> --Jon
>
I haven't noticed any problem. I used 3 pieces of oddball "hardwood"
plywood from a local lumber store. I suspect the "paint grade" stuff at
HD would do as well.
But I do most of my woodworking in the summer and summertime around here
is humidity of 15%-30%.
BTW, the major mod I made was to add a clamping mechanism to the back as
well. I also cut half a dovetail into both front and rear bars, but that
may have been in the original - I don't remember.
--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?
Clarke Echols wrote:
>I built one for my Unisaw, using the "T-square" approach, which I think
>is now Biesmeyer or something like that. However, I have access to welders
>and other machine tools for metalworking. I used a 2"x3" rectangular steel
>tube (11 gauge = 1/8" thick walls) welded to a piece of angle 1/8 or 3/16"
>by 2" by 2" bolted to the table and extending to the right about 53" past the
>blade. Fence is also 2" x 3" rectangular tubing with 3/4" x 5" ash facing
>on both sides. "T" was built using 3/16" x 1.5" x 1.5" angle and slider
>blocks made of HDPE (high-density polyethylene) block attached with flat-head
>screws threaded into the angle. I built a cam with an attached plastic
>handle so it looks nice and professional. I love it! Your mileage may
>vary because this assumes considerable welding skill and experience. I
>also welded caps on the ends of the tubing so no dust gets inside.
>
>Clarke
>
>Jon Wood wrote:
>
>
>>I'm thinking about upgrading but was wondering if anyone has built thier own
>>rip fence.
>>
Got any plans or pictures?? Sounds like it is up my alley. Thanks!
On Sun, 01 Feb 2004 05:07:45 GMT, "Jon Wood" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I'm thinking about upgrading but was wondering if anyone has built thier own
>rip fence.
>
I made one for my bandsaw. it works fine.
On Mon, 02 Feb 2004 22:05:02 -0500, Tom Watson <[email protected]>
scribbled:
>On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 02:55:29 GMT, [email protected] (Dave Mundt) wrote:
>
>
>> Well, after struggling with the fence on the Unisaw for
>>slightly too long, I am in the middle of building a Biesemeyer
>>clone... So far, so good.
>
>You have to remember that the Unifence is a "kit".
>
>I've had three of them and none of them were dead straight (when
>measured against the Starrett Machinist's Straight Edge That Cost More
>Money Than Any Married Man Should Put Into Such A Thing But The
>Fugger's Straight)
Why'ncha make your own instead of buying the SMSETCMMTAMMSPISATBTFS. I
did. Made three of them as a matter of fact. Got me three 1/4" X 3" X
48" (or something like that) steel bars at what passes for the local
Borg (although it doesn't qualify on a number of accounts; i.e. it
ain't big enough, most of the employees know their stuff, it's called
Home Hardware, f.k.a. Beaver Lumber, and it carries much drooled-over
Generals 350 at the same price as HoT in Calgary).
First, I squared off one rounded edge on the grinder, using a drywall
square to make sure the dips were not too deep and the bumps not too
high. Then I took a big honking file, clamped a squared block of wood
to it and used it as a plane to joint the edges of the steel thingies
(planks, boards, strips?). I know the metalworkers reading this will
cringe as they coulda filed it true to a gazillionth of an inch
holding the file perpendicular to the steel using just their eye, but
I'm a wooddorker of sorts and I understand planes and let's just see
them try to fit a tenon into a mortise that were cut a few days
earlier. I digress. Next step was to hail myself over to the auto
parts shop for some valve grinding compound.
Then I cut slots in a couple of short pieces of 2X6 and clamped them
to the bench to hold the steel (almost) straightedges. Then I sort of
followed the directions here:
http://www.tdl.com/~swensen/machines/straight_edge/straight_edge.html
rubbing one edge against another with the valve grinding compound. I
have to admit I eventually did get confused with the A-A' B-B' and
C-C' and at what point in the sequence I was. Anyhoo, to test the
thing, I got out my old metric feeler gauges from when I owned a Fiat
(shoulda been Fial in my case). Cut the 0.05mm (0.019685", Keith) in
half to separate the two straight edges. When the 0.04mm (.0015748",
Keith) gauge slid easily everywhere between any two edges in both
orientations, another piece of 0.05mm dragged slightly all along,
while the 0.06mm (0.0023622", Keith) didn't fit in between. I hadda
try this a few times, wiping off the gooey gritty valve grinding
compound with mineral spirits.
So I figure the straightedges are accurate to within about .01mm
(.0003937, Keith, yup, 4 ten-thousandths of an inch), better than a
gnat's ass.
I then put some 1" masking tape along the straight edge, and spray
painted them a nice bright red with varathane so that I knew which one
was the straight edge. (Sorry Larry, but your Waterlox would not have
worked here). I gave one away to Doug, my cabinet worker friend, and I
still have the other two.
BTW, to get back on topic, Swensen also has direction on how to make a
Biesemeyer fence
http://www.tdl.com/~swensen/machines/fence/fence.html
Luigi
Note the new email address.
Please adjust your krillfiles (tmAD) accordingly
Replace "nonet" with "yukonomics" for real email address
On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 02:55:29 GMT, [email protected] (Dave Mundt) wrote:
> Well, after struggling with the fence on the Unisaw for
>slightly too long, I am in the middle of building a Biesemeyer
>clone... So far, so good.
You have to remember that the Unifence is a "kit".
I've had three of them and none of them were dead straight (when
measured against the Starrett Machinist's Straight Edge That Cost More
Money Than Any Married Man Should Put Into Such A Thing But The
Fugger's Straight)
I've shimmed the current one to match up to the
SMSETCMMTAMMSPISATBTFS.
Of course, this eliminates the sliding feature of the fence.
That's no great loss in my view.
What's bad is when you have to put the fence on the left side of the
blade to do something.
That really sucks.
Thomas J. Watson - Cabinetmaker (ret.)
(Real Email is tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/