Biesemeyer Fence Won’t Lock – Set Screws Backed Out All the Way
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[Just moved this over from the Power Tools & Machinery Forum. My guess is that I’m probably more suited here. Thanks!]
All,
I’ve been working to restore an old Biese fence that I bought used and was really excited about – finally get to upgrade from the stock fence that came with my Sears Craftsman. I’ve attached it to the saw, got it all leveled, but the handle/cam won’t lock down far enough. I’ve backed out the set screws all the way out (even taken them out), but I can’t get the handle to lock down – the flapper hits the guide tube, but it won’t lock; there’s no pressure on it. The flap doesn’t have the UHMW pad on it – could that be a problem?
Anyone have any ideas? Should I try to grind down the cam? Am I wrong in thinking that there’s a “lock” more than just steady pressure? Is it possible that the fence, rails and guide tube aren’t of the same brand and hence won’t actually work together (I though that all that stuff was more or less interchangeable – the guide tube that I have is 2″x3″, which I think is standard)? Should I try to order a different handle/cam (from where?)? Drill a new hole to move the handle out away from the tube?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. It seems so simple, but something is not working. I know that there’s another post about not locking the fence, but it seemed that one was the result of the set screws not being right . . . which I don’t think is my problem.
Thanks in advance.
Replies
Biesmeyer is a complete unit rails and fence together. Go to a woodworking store and look at the fence to see the difference and Bring along your fence to see if it locks on the B rails. If it does your rails need to be replaced with Biesmeyer rails.
Well, drat. That's not what I was hoping to hear. Thanks for the feedback. I assumed that if the guide rails were the same size, the cam would be able to lock regardless of the brand. Do you know what it is that makes this not so?
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
UHMW pad
User, I had the same problem with my fence. Originally, there was a piece of plastic laminate on the tab that became loose and fell off. Once the laminate was replaced it worked just fine. The original was attached with some sort of adhesive (rubber cement?) but I used double sided tape to attach the new one. This is an easy fix that you should try before anything else.
Steve Pippins
Alright - that's worth a shot. Thanks. Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to wrap our heads around - that's how I feel here.
Now if I can just figure out how to change the name "user" . . .
name change
You'll need to contact the administrators to change your user name.
cam lock adjustment
Hello what ever your name is,
You said you backed the set screws out , maybe try putting them
back in and see if that makes it tighter . They are there for a reason .
good luck dusty ,boxmaker
Dusty
Thanks for the reply. The problem was actually that it was TOO tight, so tightening up the set screws made the problem worse (there wasn't enough distance between the lever and the guide tube to create a solid lock with the cam).
I ended up grinding down the cam a little bit, and this helped. Right now, it's "good enough," even though the threaded end where the black handle screws on just snapped off . . . I guess this is what happens when you find "great" deals through craiglist.
All told, it's still a massive improvement from my old fence, which was just awful.
Thanks everyone for their help!
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