Auxiliary Fences

[forrestb]

I made the pictured aux fence to allow me to cut 4x8 plywood without help. It proves very handy when ripping long boards like the 6 ft. VG Fir on the table.

It hangs on the wall and the Rockler heavy duty roller stands serve as infeed and outfeed support.

Everything has to roll away at night so that SWMBO's car can fit in my 'shop' at night.

Forrest

[dusty]

Neat idea. It sure would have been helpful for me to have had that a number of times.

I just may build something like that to have in the shop for when the kids begin using the shop more than I do.

[mbcabinetmaker]

Man that is some nice looking fir. That stuff is like buying gold bullion here on the east coast.

[forrestb]

Right! About $6 per boardfoot here.

It is beautiful but must be used properly to take advantage of the terrific lines. It is very, very susceptible to 'flaking off' on the grain lines if you try to use it wrong - too thin on the grain lines.

Forrest

[JPG]

Right! About $6 per boardfoot here.

It is beautiful but must be used properly to take advantage of the terrific lines. It is very, very susceptible to 'flaking off' on the grain lines if you try to use it wrong - too thin on the grain lines.

Forrest

That causes splinters also. Not my favorite 'species'. I am sensitive to it also(makes my nose run etc.).

Anybody seen DF plywood lately?

[foxtrapper]

A can appreciate the thought and effort, but really I question the worth and even the safety of that fence. For it's attached to the stock fence, and just extends any and all inaccuracies along its length. It's also quite wiggly.

I'd think the vertical support would be wonderfully helpfull, but horizontally, I dunno about that.

[dusty]

A can appreciate the thought and effort, but really I question the worth and even the safety of that fence. For it's attached to the stock fence, and just extends any and all inaccuracies along its length. It's also quite wiggly.

I'd think the vertical support would be wonderfully helpfull, but horizontally, I dunno about that.

I think I understand your concern but do remember - If you keep the work against the actual fence (for the entire length of the actual fence) there will be no additional inaccuracies established. The actual fence is the determining factor. This said - the axillary fence must not be allowed to introduce and deviation.

[forrestb]

A can appreciate the thought and effort, but really I question the worth and even the safety of that fence. For it's attached to the stock fence, and just extends any and all inaccuracies along its length. It's also quite wiggly.

I'd think the vertical support would be wonderfully helpfull, but horizontally, I dunno about that.

The long 2x4 that is clamped to the fence was jointed and thicknessed to be very straight and has not, over the last year, lost that. I deliberately choose a thick piece for the long extension to keep "wiggly" out. As for "extends any and all inaccuracies along its length" that is true but at the blade it assumes the straightness of the 501(502?) ShopSmith fence. Were there too many inaccuracies I would expect to experience blade binding - which I haven't seen as yet. The work piece, so far, lays up against the 2x4 all the way to the end. Any deviation is so small as to not be recognizable.
Forrest

[heathicus]

I think this is a great jig for ripping long boards, especially if you're going it by yourself. I had to rip a long board on my old Hitachi "job site" table saw (before I ever had a Shopsmith) that had a slightly larger table and longer fence than the Shopsmith. I experienced a lot of blade binding because it was really hard to keep the board straight doing it by myself. The relatively short fence acted as a pivot point. Now, before I do anything like that again, I would build a jig like this. So thanks for posting, Forrest!

[wannabewoodworker]

Awesome post thank you for sharing your great idea. I have been trying to come up with a good way to cut larger stock on the saw by myself and this looks to be the ticket for sure.