Laguna recently introduced a new bandsaw fence called the Drift Master. It fits any 14-in. to 24-in. bandsaw, no matter the manufacturer, though some models require that you drill a pair of holes in the front of the saw table. After giving the fence a good workout on my 14-in. Jet bandsaw, I discovered several appealing features.

It’s surprisingly easy to adjust the angle of the fence to account for blade drift. Just release two lever clamps and rotate a star wheel to set the fence to an angle that eliminates drift.

Bandsaw fence is unique. Laguna’s new fence fits most bandsaws, and it adjusts easily for drift and distance to the blade.

With a generous length of 31-1/2 in., the Drift Master offers a good measure of support when cutting long pieces. Also, the fence has two height options and it’s easy to change from one to the other. When resawing wide stock, the tall (4-in.) fence offers extra vertical support during the cut. But when ripping thin, narrow stock, the short fence lets you position the blade guides and blade guard close to the stock for improved safety and blade support.

Especially useful is a crank handle that turns a feed screw to micro-adjust the fence left or right when the workpiece needs to be cut to a precise thickness. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been cutting tenons on the bandsaw, edging the fence over with gentle taps, only to have it move when I tighten the locking handle. The Drift Master offers the ability to edge up on the cut with absolute precision. One rotation of the handle moves the fence 0.07 in. Index marks allow for even finer adjustment.

You can also get veneers of identical thickness by cutting each slice to the right of the blade, and turning the micro-adjust handle the same amount after each cut.

The Drift Master sells for $400. For more info, go to www.lagunatools.com, or call 800-234-1976.

Photos: Roland Johnson

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