Clever, Easy-to-Use Bandsaw Fence
This versatile bandsaw fence sets up in seconds.
Mar 09, 2018
Many times, when working with small pieces on a bandsaw, the upper guide hits the fence and can’t drop down to where we all know it should be, just above the surface of the wood. This is a problem that affects both safety and cut quality.
Many bandsaw fences are double-sided–one tall side, one short side–allowing you to drop the guide lower when the fence is close to the blade. The problem is, this requires you to slide the fence off and flip it around. Sure, this only takes a minute, but too often that’s enough of an excuse for many woodworkers to avoid it, thus making that “one last cut” with the guides too high.
Recently, contributing editor Michael Fortune showed us the clever low fence that he keeps on all of his bandsaws to make sure that switching to a low fence takes mere seconds, not minutes. His fence hooks onto the back of his regular fence, and a magnet on the front mates up to a screw embedded in the front that is always at the ready. No excuses now!
More on FineWoodworking.com:
- Make Your Own Bandsaw Fence – Smooth-sliding fence lets you rip and resaw with precision
- Resawing on the Bandsaw – For predictable results, use a high fence and a very tight blade
- 7 Great Bandsaw Tips – In the first of our seven-part series on bandsaw tips, Michael Fortune addresses sharp bandsaw blades
Comments
Great idea! Hey, does anybody know what brand of machine he's using?
As always, Michael has great solutions to common problems. I also noticed that he has what appears to be an eraser attached to a retractable cord, on his apron. the bandsaw is a 14 inch General, made in Canada.
I have the same problem. I just made a fence with two pieces of 1-by material joined with a butt joint at right angles along the long edge. Clamp one edge to the fence and the bottom edge sticks out like Mike's does. No cute magnet or hook, but very simple and I'm sure it does an equal job.
Nice. I've been doing this for years with just any old piece from the scrap bin. I might save time if I formalized it with a permanent fence.
Great solution!
It looks like a 15" General Manufacturing bandsaw, I have one, it was made in the early 60's and is build like a tank, thick steel welded to make the base and stamped for the upper structure,
Great idea, will make myself one
What a solution to a common bandsaw problem! The quick and easy accessibility of Michael Fortune's low fence, with its hook-and-magnet mechanism, not only ensures safety and precision but also eliminates the common excuse of time constraints. Thanks for sharing this practical tip
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