Tall fence yet another project

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 3:25 pm

Last week I started on a bunch of small projects that have been sitting in a list for sometimes years. I figured getting some of them done would use up some scrap wood and get them off the list and into use in the shop.

Most all of these are beginner level projects and things that might come in handy in your shop. Rather then giving details about the build or techniques for drilling this post is related to taking plans and making them your own. Added features, improvements, checking the plans out, and looking for potential errors.

When I upgraded my 500 to a 520 several of my old 500 jig and fixtures were moved on to other purposes and others effectively lost. I did manage to save a good number of them but the tall fence was not one of them.

I wanted to make a tall fence for the 500 that included a miter track and a second set of holes to allow it to mount correctly on both the left and right side of the rip fence.

When I built my first version I had no reason for a miter track and I lived with the different alignment of the fence depending on if it was mounted to the left or right of the rip fence.

The general design provided by shopsmith looks like this:

[ATTACH]14239[/ATTACH]

The first issue I want to address is "variable" length of the fence. I did this by a simple measurement. You could make it longer or shorter depending on how you feel about it. I would caution again making it to long where it will interfere with the tightening and loosening features of the fence.

[ATTACH]14236[/ATTACH]

As can be seen a length of 22" looks to be a good starting point. So with the length established we need to look at the location of the mounting holes. The height of the holes seems fine at 1-13/16 for a 500 fence.

The horizontal dimension of 1-3/4" to the first hole confused me. So I went to the rip fence and took a few dimensions for myself. Based on the length of fence I planned on using the first hole looks like it should be at 4-1/2"

[ATTACH]14237[/ATTACH]

While I still had tape in hand I then checked the distance between holes. It was as shown 14-1/2", also the dimension shown in the drawing.

[ATTACH]14238[/ATTACH]

Just blind building one of these from the plan, just like any other project can be risky. In some case you just have to go by blind faith, other times you are better off taking the time to evaluate and measure to be sure. If I would have proceeded to drilling the hole at 1-3/4" as shown on the drawing the position of the fence would not have been to my liking at all.

Before we move on let's do a bit of math. First hole is going to be 4-1/2" from the edge. The second hole is then 14-1/2" from that hole, that puts the hole at about 4-1/2 + 14-1/2 = 19" along the way. That leaves about 3" until we get to the end of the work piece. Keep this in mind when we get into this next time in the next post.

Ed

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 4:18 pm

Welcome back.

We finished the last post looking at the horizontal hole positions for mounting the tall fence to the 500 rip fence. Keeping in mind that the countersunk holes and miter slot are all on one side of the fence we have just made this fence to fit only on the right side of the rip fence. Remember when I was showing taking the measurements and working on the right side of the fence?

If you recall the first hole is 4-1/2" in, and if we were to measure from the other edge the last hole is just 3" in from that edge. So when we go to mount on the other side of the rip fence (left side) the whole tall fence needs to rotate to keep the countersunk holes and miter slot useable... in doing so this makes the tall fence mount so that the 3" spacing of tall fence edge to hole at the front of the rip fence. The 4-1/2" spacing is off the backside and the tall fence is no longer center on the rip fence.

This is where one solution would be to add a second set of holes, to be used when mounting on the left side. To do this you need to measure the spacing backwards. The right side of the tall fence is the starting point, you would then measure over (to the left) 4-1/2" then the 14-1/2" for the second hole.

Here area a few pictures to help you sort out what I just said. The tall fence mounted to the right of the rip fence and using the holes that have it centered. (If you look at the left edge of the jig the starting hole for mounting on this side is the second one and the last one on the right).

[ATTACH]14240[/ATTACH]

If you used those same holes and mounted the fence on the other side of the rip fence (left side) then this picture would show the result.

[ATTACH]14241[/ATTACH]

By changing to the correct set of holes will let it look like this:

[ATTACH]14242[/ATTACH]

I personally like this better but I did live with it the other way for years.

When I made my first tall fence shopsmith didn't offer featherboards so there was no reason to have a slot. Now since they are common it only makes since to take advantage of them. I did debate if I wanted to drill a series of holes for mounting or go with the miter slot. As you can see the slot won out.

[ATTACH]14243[/ATTACH]

Project finished except for some sanding and finding/buying some hardware. Of course if you have questions or have one of these that you have built feel free to ask or comment.

Ed

SDSSmith · Post by **SDSSmith** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 4:41 pm

Nice job, Ed. Before calling it finished, you could flip the fence over and drill another set of holes (only one pair) and use it as a jointer fence extension. I believe the hole spacing is the same 14-1/2" to mount on the jointer fence. However, you will have to use the jointer to cut clearance for the cutter.

SDSSmith · Post by **SDSSmith** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 4:48 pm

Nice job, Ed. Before calling it finished, you could flip the fence over and drill another set of holes (only one pair) and use it as a jointer fence extension like the one shown here from PTWFE.

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 4:49 pm

Ed, wood it knot work out that if ya placed the first hole in 3.75', it wood be even on both ends and either side?

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 5:14 pm

That is a good idea! Especially if you own the shopsmith jointer as I'm sure many of you do. Always nice to save the time of building another jig and having to store it.

I'd demo that except I don't own the shopsmith jointer. Perhaps if one of you that do own the jointer and make this jig could do so that would be great.

Thanks!

Ed

SDSSmith wrote:Nice job, Ed. Before calling it finished, you could flip the fence over and drill another set of holes (only one pair) and use it as a jointer fence extension like the one shown here from PTWFE.

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 5:23 pm

Another good method of doing this coming out of the woodworkers here.

I term this splitting the difference. The spacing of the pairs of holes is simply split so that you need only drill one set of holes. Keep in mind the critical dimension remains the hole to hole space of 14-1/2". So measure in the 3-3/4" then measure the 14-1/2 for the second hole. If you were to measure in 3-3/4" in from both ends in theory you should end up with the holes being the 14-1/2" but if your 22" length is slightly off then so too will be the hole spacing.

Thanks for sharing.

Ed

beeg wrote:Ed, wood it knot work out that if ya placed the fist hole in 3.75', it wood be even on both ends and either side?

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 6:25 pm

Since I was still set up from my 500 model tall fence I went on with the 520 version.

Checking for length gave me 24-3/8", a good number to work with. So the variable this time is 24-3/8" long.

I also checked for the center line of the t-miter track on the 520 fence, this turned out to be 1-7/8".

Since I'm planing on taking advantage of the t-nuts the horizontal position is pretty much up to me. Unlike last time there is no critical hole to hole spacing. I therefor picked 5" in from each end. I'm going with a single hole for each of the two t-nuts, meaning I have only two holes to drill.

Results:

[ATTACH]14244[/ATTACH]

I'm happy with this one too.

Ed

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:23 pm

My 'tall fence' is currently buried, so pix is unlikely, but I inherited it from the 510 PO and added the second set of holes to allow using it on either the saw or the jointer.

mountainbreeze · Post by **mountainbreeze** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:37 pm

I find myself wondering if, when the tall fence is installed and it is not at 90° to the table, how would you adjust it?