rlkeeney wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 5:28 pm
...Other than the obvious alignment issues should I be concerned? ...
I'm not certain, but it looks to me that the second pic is the magnet type but is missing the magnet. I only know of two types. If that is indeed new and from SS, as I'm thinking from the pic labels, I think you got a 'bad' one. Personally I don't use the scales, so the absence of the magnet wouldn't trouble me.
Raising the alignment question has me wondering. I've noticed the rear lock adjustment on my rip fence being sensitive to which table it is on. Like you I have a mix of old/new front rails. I've never noted the rear lock relating to the rail, but will watch for that. Outside of that I don't see an alignment issue with comingling the rail types.
I prefer the algale signature direct read system because it works whether I move the rail or the quill or even the headstock. In essence, it is a metal ruler thin enough to slide under the rip fence. Measure/adjust distance from blade to rip fence. I'm accustomed to micro-adjusting rip width using the quill on the Mark, so this method works and the magnetic direct read scale does not work (for me). To be fair, this probably depends on the accuracy needs of whatever you are working on.
- David
