Aftermarket Rip Fence System

[Robert J Guidry Sr]

I am looking to buy a good aftermarket rip fence for a Ridgid Contractor Saw.  Any Suggestions, I am looking at a Vega 40" and a Delta 50".

[DAVID CZUPRYN]

I have the delta and love it.It's accurate,easy to adjust,simple to remove { for sled operations } holds it's accuracy,after being removed and is easy to upgrade.I bought an upgrade from Peachtree Woodworking,Atlanta,Georgia.The upgrade was made to lenghten the fence and to allow fixtures to be attatched and removed easier.They have even made fences 8 feet long for custom cabinet shops.Mine is 43" long: that's fine for me.Also it can move rearward,if you need to use the fence and miter guage together. {using the fence as a stop block,behind the blade,and then the miter guage,to make repetative cuts all being the same lenght } Instructions come with it,that explain this operation in greater detail. Before you invest in one,They're all a bit pricey,go to where you can see and touch it,first.Don't buy from a picture or a catalog.Ask lot's of questions and get a demonstration.That's my advice Hope this helps.Good luck. Dave

[Robert J Guidry Sr]

Thanks David & Phillip for your info. After having looked at other forums , right now I have it narrowed it down to Delta Uuifence, The Delta Biesemeyer, And the Vega fences.

I looked at the Incra and the thing that turned me off on it is that in the ratings, owners said that it got in the way of the outfeed table, which is the reason that I am looking for a new fence, also they complained about the locking mechanism was too far to the right and also to remove the fence was very cumbersom. The fence that came with the saw works well, and is sturdy, but it clamps to the back of the saw table and you cannot butt a table in the back having to leave a gap that more often than not jams the work coming out of the back. I have even tried to lower the outfeed table, but it defeated the purpose.

I will make my decision when I get a chance. my problem is I have to drive 105 miles to New Orleans to compare them, there is a supplier that has all 3 there, and there is no one else any closer that has any that I can see.

Again thank you very much

Bob

[DAVID CZUPRYN]

I feel your pain,Bob. I had the same problem in the 70's,with my first,used table saw.Because I bought it from a newspaper add, it didn't come with an owners manual.That was a big mistake,but I didn't know it. As time went on, and I became more knowlegeable,I finally sold it. I purchased a Delta,10" contractor's saw from one of my suppliers,because it came with lots of extras thrown in,including the Unifence.That proved to be a blessing in deed. What I didn't know,was no matter WHAT fence I had, it's no good if the saw itself, isn't set up to cut paralel and true. An expensive fence can't perform well if the blade isn't set true to the miter guage slot, and the blade adjusted to 90 degrees. The new saw was able to hold the settings,after I made the necesary adjustments.That was another mistake I made; I assumed the saw was ready to cut properly right out of the box. Boy,was that a huge mitake on my part.My point is,don't do what I almost did. Buy an expensive upgrade,when the saw itself, is unable to hold the correct setting !! The Unifence turned out to be the best investment I ever made and it doesn't need any fastning at the rear of the saw,either. I'll try to post pictures for you. Hope this helps. Dave

[Richard James Anderson]

Grizzly has after market fences that mount to contractor type saws,the Shop Fox is nice,price is comparable.....their service is great and they stock parts if you ever need them