Biesemeyer on a Mark V?

[toolpig]

Does anybody know if a Biesemeyer 30" commercial fence will fit on a Shopsmith Mark V? Here's a link with product info...

http://www.amazon.com/Biesemeyer-36-B30 ... 739&sr=8-1

Lowe's has been clearing them out for $80 a piece.

TP

[Ed in Tampa]

Does anybody know if a Biesemeyer 30" commercial fence will fit on a Shopsmith Mark V? Here's a link with product info...

http://www.amazon.com/Biesemeyer-36-B30 ... 739&sr=8-1

Lowe's has been clearing them out for $80 a piece.

TP

Toolpig
You have found a great deal at $80 a piece, everyone else is reporting clearance at $200 which is about 50% of normal retail. I would think it would be easier for Lowes to scrap the fence and take a write off than to sell them for $80. I would buy all I could find at $80 and sell them on E-bay for $200+.

However your question of using it on a Shopsmith makes me ask why? I know the Biesemeyer is the "IN" fence but it has some real flaws that people tend to over look.

First the back edge will and does lift from time to time. Try cutting a piece of thin material without using an aux clamp on the fence.

Second if you do mess up one of the faces of the fence it is nearly impossible to fix. The fence board is screwed to the fence then the laminate is applied completely covering the screws.

Third attaching a jig or fixture to the fence, again nearly impossible without modifing the fence (drilling holes, installing clips, etc.)

Number four the fence does not ride on rails but must have contigious table to support the back end of the fence. Any gap between the SS tables and the fence will fall through.

Number 5 since the rails aren't designed for multiple applications the fence system would have to be removed to put the SS into some other configuration. Such as Drill press, or drum sanding mode.

Number 6 installing a Biesemeyer fence on your SS would all but eliminate bevel cuts.

Number 7 You would almost have to take the fence system off the machine to adjust the cut depth, unless you could figure a way to lift the whole table/fence system at once.

Number 8 Whether or not people admit it the back end of the Biesemeyer fence because it is not locked down will deflect. Don't believe me? Go to any store selling one and push on the back end of the fence and see for yourself it will move enough that you can see it.

Number 9 the fence is heavy and hard to store when not on the machine.

Number 10 the 520 fence on the SS in my opinion is far superior to the Biesemeyer fence in many ways and equal in all the rest.
Ed

[james.miller]

Yes $80 is a great price. If you want to step up from the SS fence then look at the Incra for Shopsmith http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... tempkg.htm or Jointech for Shopsmith http://www.jointech.com/shopsmith.htm

I have the Incra and wow it is great especially because it includes the router table. I have cut several dovetail joints with it and they are flawless. You can set it up for the table saw and dial in a cut to .001" accuracy which is way more accurate than the woods stability is capable of with humidity changes.

Just remember if you add a different fence it will have to be removed and the SS fence used in drill press mode.