What the fence is for
The fence guides rip cuts: the work slides along it, so the cut runs parallel to the fence at the width it is set to. SawStop requires a rip fence to be fitted before any rip cut, and saw makers forbid ripping without one. OSHA's woodworking standard sets two requirements on the fence itself: it must lock firmly without changing its alignment, and on a saw whose blade tilts it must stay parallel to the blade at any angle.
Caution— A rip guide, never a crosscut stop
DEWALT tells owners never to use the fence as a guide or length stop when crosscutting, and SawStop to move it out of contact with the work. Guiding the work with the fence and the miter gauge at the same time, DEWALT's DWE7485 manual explains, increases the likelihood of the blade binding and of kickback, because the cut-off piece is trapped between blade and fence. For repeat crosscuts, use a clearance block ahead of the blade — see miter gauges.
Fence types
How fences lock
- Front-locking fences
- The fence clamps to a tube or rail along the front of the saw and glides on the rear. SawStop's T-Glide fence clamps to its main tube with a cam handle and rides on glide pads; its alignment is set at the clamp.
- Front-and-rear fences
- Many jobsite fences latch to rails at both ends. DEWALT's DWE7491 fence snaps onto front and rear rails with latches at each end, and a rail lock lever holds it at the width set.
- Auxiliary fences
- A board clamped to the fence face. SawStop's pattern — a 3/4 in hardwood strip on a 1/2 in plywood base — is for cuts narrower than about 6 in, used with a push block; DEWALT's DWE7485 manual calls for an auxiliary fence touching the table when ripping work less than 2 mm thick, which could otherwise wedge under the fence.
Aligning the fence
Alignment runs in an order, because each step references the one before. DEWALT says to check the blade against the miter slot first, and only then align the fence to the blade. SawStop sets its table so the miter slots are parallel to the blade, then aligns the fence to the slots.
Checking a fence
Unplug the saw
Every maker's procedure starts with the saw off and disconnected.
Check the blade against the slot
Measure from the slot to the same tooth, or a marked point on the plate, at the front and then the rear of the blade. If the two readings differ, the blade or table needs adjusting as your manual describes before the fence is touched.
Bring the fence to a reference
SawStop slides the fence until its face is flush with the edge of the miter slot and checks it along the whole length, by eye or with a finger. DEWALT measures from the fence face to the front and back of the blade.
Compare front and rear
The two distances — A at the front, B at the rear — should match. B − A is the error over the distance between the two measurements.
Adjust as the manual describes
SawStop's fence has parallelism screws at its clamp; DEWALT's has locator pins on the rails. Recheck after tightening.
Square the face to the table
SawStop checks the face plate with a combination square on the table and adjusts the leveling screws until it is square.
Fence error
error = B − A
error at the blade ≈ (B − A) × blade length in contact ÷ distance between A and B
- A
- fence-to-blade (or fence-to-slot) distance near the front (in)
- B
- the same distance near the rear (in)
Geometry, not a tolerance: it scales a measured error to the part of the blade the work touches. A negative result means the fence closes toward the rear.
| Maker | Reference | Method | Published figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| SawStop (Professional Cabinet Saw) | Blade to miter slot | Dial test indicator on a mount sliding in the slot; or calipers or a combination square | About ±0.002 in by dial indicator; about ±0.010 in by the alternative method; 0.002 in or less needs no adjustment |
| SawStop (T-Glide fence) | Fence face to miter slot | Face plate flush with the slot edge along its length | None |
| DEWALT (DWE7491) | Blade to slot, then fence to blade | Measure fence face to front and back of blade | None — "parallel" |
SawStop's figures are the accuracy of its measuring procedures for its saw, not a limit for every saw. Neither maker publishes a toe-out allowance for the fence.
Using the fence safely
- Feed between blade and fence. DEWALT: apply the feed force to the part of the work between the blade and the fence, never to the piece that will be cut off.
- Push sticks close to the blade. DEWALT's DWE7485 manual calls for a push stick when the fence is less than 150 mm (about 6 in) from the blade and a push block under 50 mm (about 2 in); SawStop for a push stick whenever a hand comes within 6 in of the blade. See the safety guide.
- Narrow rips with an auxiliary fence. When the fence is too close to the blade for a push stick, SawStop's method is its auxiliary fence and push block.
- Straight edge against the fence. DEWALT tells owners never to rip work that is twisted, warped or has no straight edge to run along the fence.
- Featherboards hold the work against the fence when a push stick makes that hard; SawStop shows one clamped to the table opposite the fence.
Before ripping
- The blade is parallel to the miter slot
- The fence is locked and parallel to the blade, front and rear
- The fence face is square to the table
- The work has a straight edge against the fence
- A push stick is within reach, and a push block and auxiliary fence for narrow rips
- The miter gauge is off the saw
Sources
Alignment procedures and tolerances are each maker's own for its saw. Neither maker reviewed publishes a deliberate toe-out allowance for the fence, so this guide gives none; follow your saw's manual.
- 1.
29 CFR 1910.213, Woodworking machinery requirements. U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Used for: Fences firmly secured without changing their alignment with the saw, and staying parallel with the saw at any tilt (1910.213(a)(6)).
- 2.
Owner's Manual, 10" Professional Cabinet Saw, Model PCS31230. SawStop.
Used for: A rip fence installed before any rip cut; rip fence moved out of contact with the work when crosscutting; table aligned so the miter slots are parallel to the blade, to about ±0.002 in by dial indicator or about ±0.010 in by calipers or combination square; the auxiliary fence and push block for cuts too narrow for a push stick, and its pattern for cuts under 6 in.
- 3.
T-Glide Fence System, Industrial Series II, Owner's Manual. SawStop.
Used for: The T-Glide fence clamping to its main tube, its face plates aligned parallel to the miter slots by checking a face plate flush with the slot edge along its length, and squared to the table with a combination square.
- 4.
DWE7491 10" (254 mm) Job Site Table Saw, Instruction Manual. DEWALT.
Used for: Fence latched to front and rear rails; checking the blade against the miter slot before aligning the fence; measuring from the fence face to the front and back of the blade; the rip fence never used as a guide or length stop when crosscutting; feed force applied between blade and fence.
- 5.
DWE7485 8-1/4" (210 mm) Compact Job Site Table Saw, Instruction Manual. DEWALT.
Used for: A misaligned fence pinching the workpiece against the blade and causing kickback; never guiding with fence and miter gauge together; an auxiliary fence touching the table for work under 2 mm thick; push stick and push block distances.
About this guide
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