CNC Table Saw Rip Fence

[clevster]

Hey All,

I saw the thread about adding the stepper to the height adjustment on a table saw. My question is slightly different. I'm wondering if anyone has ever made/designed a system for the rip fence on a table saw. I've been looking around at all the after market fence systems like Incra and Vega and I'm thinking, hey, if I can hook up a cheap computer with a stepper all I'd have to do is punch in the distance and presto. I just finished building my first CNC router so I have a little knowledge of what may be needed. But I wanted to check to see if anyone else has attempted this.

Thanks,
Scott
www.clevercribs.com

[Hacksaw]

I think it would be difficult to get the fence to move smoothly enough and even if you did you would then need some big steppers to hold it in place unless you locked it after it was set.Good idea though

[bp092]

Similar to what we have at work with the tiger stops for saws, but sounds like a lot of work that would gain a whole lot of nothing. No offense, but sometimes things are best left to the human hand. But that's coming from someone that loves his beisemeyer fence system.. . I just don't see any advantage to it. Chop saw/radial arm saw yes because you're often making simple cuts. With the table saw you've got the dado head, sometimes having to bang the fence a 32nd, changing blades would change the accuracy etc. It would drive you nuts. Stick w/ the cnc and get a beisemeyer.

[bp092]

wouldnt you know it, tiger makes a rip fence as well.. link below..

http://www.tigerstop.com/RIP.html

[Genguy]

A DRO for my table saw fence has been on my wishlist for some time now.
Wixey
Digi-kit
If your router is big enough, you could make a skill saw attachment for your Z axis and do it all on one table.
I don't think the cuts would be nearly as nice as a good cabinet saw can make though.

[ger21]

For $250, I'd expect the Digifence to be more accurate than .01, almost 1/64"

[txcowdog]

Actually it is 1/100" which is 50% better than 1/64" and an increment too small to read on a tape measure. That is pretty accurate for a table saw.

[Genguy]

Neither one is particularly accurate considering you can get a Z axis DRO for less money that will do 0.001" or better.
I am guessing that they traded off accuracy for resistance to mis-sampled readings when the fence is moved quickly.

[ger21]

Originally Posted by txcowdog Actually it is 1/100" which is 50% better than 1/64" and an increment too small to read on a tape measure. That is pretty accurate for a table saw.

Unless your eyes are going bad, anyone with a good fence on their saw should be able to get better than .01

If I had to cut multiple parts the same size and they were off .01 all the time, I wouldn't be too happy.

[martinw]

Originally Posted by ger21 Unless your eyes are going bad, anyone with a good fence on their saw should be able to get better than .01 If I had to cut multiple parts the same size and they were off .01 all the time, I wouldn't be too happy

Dear ger21,

I appreciate that you may have better health care in North America, but to suggest that your eyesight can position a rip fence to within a quarter of a millimetre is pushing credulity a bit. The work-pieces may be the same size, but the will not be the size you wanted. IMHO.

Best wishes,

Martin

[ger21]

good fences have very fine scales. Imo, it's not too difficult to repeat a position better than .01

If my fence scale was in mm's, then yes, I could get it better than a quarter mm. Probably within a tenth of a mm, provided I'm positioning to even mm's.

[martinw]

Originally Posted by ger21 good fences have very fine scales. Imo, it's not too difficult to repeat a position better than .01 If my fence scale was in mm's, then yes, I could get it better than a quarter mm. Probably within a tenth of a mm, provided I'm positioning to even mm's.

Dear ger21,

I need to know where you buy your glasses.


Best Wishes ( and with good humour)

Martin