after market rip fence for craftsman TS
I have a craftsman table saw model # 315.228490 was wondering if anyone knew a good after market rip fence for this model. I looked on Biesemeyers website and they said they have one available, would love to get one but says may need to drill some holes. I worry about that for a number of reasons. I assume that the holes would need to be drilled very precisely and I am sceptical about me being able to do that. Also, how would you drill the holes? With just a regular drill and metal drill bits? The amount of metal i need to cut through is fairly wide and I am wondering if there is a good technique for doing this. Should I use the drill bit and then spray lubricant like WD 40 while I am drilling. When starting to drill how can I make the drill bit keep from wandering?
Are there good Craftsman after market rip fences that anyone can recommend so as to minimize the complexity of the installation process. The rip fence I have is not very good and I would hate to buy a sweet Biesemeyer fence that would be installed incorrectly and totally defeating the purpose of buying one in the first place.
Please help.
Kenney66
Replies
Most any aftermarket fence will fit and require drilling some holes. You don't really need any lubricant to drill cast iron. It's not any more precise than any woodworking project you have attempted. It's real easy. You clamp the rail in place and drill through the hole in the rail. Simple and uses regular drills. Very basic.
good the hear rick. That gives me a lot more confidence reading that. Do you think the Biesmeyer system is a good choice?
Kenney66
I had the Vega on mine before I traded up. It didn't require drilling and was a very nice stable fence. The feeder that rides on the top for small pieces was very useful.
what did you trade up for?
kenney66
A JET JTAS10 :-)Paid $1100 for the dealers demo with 52" jet fence 'bout 10 years ago.
Moved it twice to 1st and now 2nd residence.
The Bies is the one that started all the retrofit fence stuff in the first place. They set the bar so to speak. Everyone else came after and while some may have added a few more bells and whistles none are that much better than the Bies. You can't go wrong with the Bies.
Biesemeyer is the industry standard, and up until just a couple of years ago was typically found on $1000 plus saws as standard equipment. Recently the trend has been to include either a Biese or a decent copy as the original fence on some $500-$600 saws. It's a simple, precise, easy to use, rugged system. Wood Mag rated it #1 over several current aftermarket fences. The Vega was ranked best buy, and I can vouch for that one as well. The Vega is easy to install and features a microadjust that works well. If you want a Biese style fence and are hesitant to spend the money, I'd consider the Shop Fox Alumarip Classic that Grizzly sells for ~ $200...it's essentially a Biese clone but uses slotted aluminum faces on each side of the steel fence tube instead of the laminate faces. http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.aspx?itemnumber=H5742
Whether you get a biesmier,shopfox classic,vega, drilling thru cast iron is easier than steel.Center punch, drill 1/4" pilot hole, then the correct size hole for tapping or thru bolt.Tapping takes a bit more care, mostly because the cast is fairly thick.I believe Grizzly still provides the bit and tap with the shopfox classic fence.
mike
Kenney,
IMHO, I can't recommend Beisemeyer enough! I hesitated for years, finally bought one for my Grizzley cabinet saw and have since wondered WHY DIDN'T I DO IT SOONER!
It's easy to attach, really. What everyone has said about drilling, etc is true. No sweat! You won't be sorry, I promise you. You'll probably wonder why you didn't before too.
Dave
Hey Kenney66
about three months ago I bought the Biesmeyer fence and rails for my 20-year old Powermatic 66..and had the same concerns about it fitting.
When it got here, the holes lined up perfectly...go figure.
Even if I would have had to drill 6-8 holes, it's a sweet fence!
lp
Kenney,
I have an older Craftsman and was thinking about getting a Mulecab after-market fence. This one has come highly recommended by others on this website. Check out this link> http://www.mulecab.com/TableSaw/.
Regards,
Buzzsaw
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie
I agree with everyone here the Bies is pretty much the reference. When I swapped my fence out I opted for the Incra TS-LS joinery system (http://www.incra.biz/Products/TSLSWFNCSYS.html) and couldn't be happier. The lead screw allows you to attain unmatchable precision and being able to make adjustments 1/1000th of an inch at a time is a huge plus.
-w
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