# Sacrificial Table Saw Fence & Clamps



## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

After all these years, I got around to buying a couple clamps to hold sacrificial fences to my table saw fence. They work great, and are an alternative to my old method of securing the fence, which involved drilling holes in the both my regular and sacrificial fences, countersinking the holes.

The only disadvantage of the clamps is, they are not permanently mounted to the sacrificial fence, so must be stored so they can found, when the fence is used. 

To solve that problem, I merely made a couple slots in the face of the fence, just below the top, wide enough to, easily, slip Velcro strips through, then turn the clamps over and place them back into the holes, then secure them with the Velcro.


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## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

I have just been laying mine down by where the sacrificial fence is--that's a great idea Kelly. Sure is simple enough for me and i have a good supply of those straps around.

earl


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

If I lay mine down, it'll only take 1/2 hr+/- to find them again.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

I'm cheap and impatient, I made mine, all the tool supply businesses left our area, the only way to get something is to order it on line or one of the small tool and supply shops which takes forever. I hang the S fence on the wall behind the TS and the clamps over it. To date the clamps work fine, the knobs were about 8-$9 total and the rod maybe $5


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Has anyone ever found any issues with the clamps not holding the sacrificial fence vertical? This was one of the issues I looked t when trying to figure out how to attach one to my excalibur fence. I finally drilled holes through it, one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Threads elsewhere suggest you are far from the first to have this problem.

It makes me wonder what would happen if you stood the bent bolt (for lack of a better term) on end and whacked it to add one degree, or bent it in a vice, to remove a degree, depending on need.



Cherryville Chuck said:


> Has anyone ever found any issues with the clamps not holding the sacrificial fence vertical? This was one of the issues I looked t when trying to figure out how to attach one to my excalibur fence. I finally drilled holes through it, one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.


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## bryansong (Mar 4, 2015)

*Thanks for the reminder and great idea.*

Dejure, your fence and storage method look great!

I don't have a permanent place for my table saw since I'm still sharing my garage with other things. I don't get to use the table saw as often as I'd like. It is kind of an inconvenience but that's ok for now. My point, your post reminded me that I ordered the same clamps that you have so I'll be ready to make that fence when I start my next woodworking project. Since then, I've forgotten about the fence project. This is like a bonus remembrance! I know where they are stored for now but I can see your point of losing them. I'm not really sure where I'd store the fence once I build one though I'm hoping I can hang it under the table saw top.

Thanks for the reminder and the Velcro idea.

Bryan


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

My biesemeyer fence inherently does not lock in place @90° to the table, most of the time there's crap between the fence locks silicon offsets and the rail. When the cut is critical I lift the fence and clear the debris then verify 90 with a 4" machinist square. 

When I made my clamps the 1st thing I did was check the S fence to the table with the square. Even though the biesemeyer was @ 90 to the table and the S fence clamp rod holes were bored with the DP and the clamp rods were squared to the 6" machinist square the S fence was not square to the table. The clamp rods fit the s fence holes smooth without being over snug, eventually what I believe I discovered, (right or wrong, convinced at any rate) was that the clamps were pulling more at the vertex and pressing more at the top of the s fence rod hole. 

So 1st I enlarged the s fence rod holes 1/64, no change, then I enlarged the top of the rod hole and it improved the error a couple to 3 thou. I then decided to decrease the angle a couple degrees, (not sure how much), a visual gap at the vertex. This over compensated, so I cut a 1/2" off the bottom of the clamp rod and like magic the fence was now @ 90° to the table.

Through trial and error I believe I redistributed the clamping pressure.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Kelly that kind of fine tuning should get it accurate. 

That's interesting Ron. I wouldn't have thought that the hooks would require that much tuning.

I studied the problem for a while before I drilled my excalibur. I just couldn't think of a practical way to eliminate the problems that I anticipated but had not proven. To qualify things though I'll readily admit that the excalibur extrusion has to the hardest one imagineable to attach anything to. I'm sure the designers only meant for it to be used as a rip fence.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Another advantage of this for many like me - a reminder of what the fence was for. I may go months before I do a project requiring me to bury the blade and I am likely to scratch my head wondering what I'd used this for. Seeing the clamps attached to it would remove that possibility.




bryansong said:


> Dejure, your fence and storage method look great!
> 
> I don't have a permanent place for my table saw since I'm still sharing my garage with other things. I don't get to use the table saw as often as I'd like. It is kind of an inconvenience but that's ok for now. My point, your post reminded me that I ordered the same clamps that you have so I'll be ready to make that fence when I start my next woodworking project. Since then, I've forgotten about the fence project. This is like a bonus remembrance! I know where they are stored for now but I can see your point of losing them. I'm not really sure where I'd store the fence once I build one though I'm hoping I can hang it under the table saw top.
> 
> ...


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## rweerstra (Feb 9, 2010)

*Me Too*

I have been using this exact clamp and fence combo for a few years. I have not had a problem with alignment but I do hold the sacrificial fence to the Bessy fence with my thumb and then tighten the clamps before using. I use the same, but shorter version, for a stop block on my Bessy fence. It works good as well and will slide by the blade for measurement then back toward the front of the saw for cutting.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Charles,
Flew over my head too, I figured Square, Plumb, Level and I'm good to go. I even filed out a notch at the vertex to minimize deformation during bending and then light hammering. In retrospect I think its a couple things, the 3/4" ply frame flexes unlike a proper metal frame and the threaded end of the clamp is way higher than the factory jobs.


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## NickyP (Nov 5, 2015)

Superb idea Kelly! I will definitely be "barrowing" this one. ;-)


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

excellent...


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Kelly that's a great idea . In my case I have an Excalibur fence that detaches so I just made another face


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## bruce thom (Apr 2, 2008)

I made my own from Pictures found on Lumberjocks
Look for DIY Fence clamps..
:wink:


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

Good thread and great info. Thanks to ghidrah and Abthom for the pictures of their DYI clamps.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

If I make another set I'm locking the corners with dove tails


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## Peter Sanders (Sep 16, 2007)

Hi Why not drill another "clamping" hole further away from the end of the sacrificial fence and just tighten the clamp on the end of the sacrificial fence. Position the hole so that there is minimal adjustment required from the "normal" fence clamping distance.

Regards

Peter


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## Thelt (Feb 3, 2009)

How do you keep from loosing the Velcro straps when the fence is in use? LOL


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## RÖENTGEEP (Feb 18, 2014)

I think this is dumb question, but when or for what do you use the sacrificial fence? :|


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

Joseph, a sacrificial fence is used anytime you need to make a cut that would damage the original fence. The main use, that I am aware of anyway, would be for rabbets. Part of the blade set is hidden in the fence, allowing you to move the fence to accurately dial in the rabbet size.


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Like this


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## RÖENTGEEP (Feb 18, 2014)

BrianS said:


> Joseph, a sacrificial fence is used anytime you need to make a cut that would damage the original fence. The main use, that I am aware of anyway, would be for rabbets. Part of the blade set is hidden in the fence, allowing you to move the fence to accurately dial in the rabbet size.





vchiarelli said:


> Like this


Ah, OK, now I know, thanks Brian and Vince. Im going to make me one. :wink:


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## roofner (Aug 1, 2010)

This months Wood magazine has a good article on building a fence using ordinary clamps.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

I just drop my clamps in a drawer that sits on the saw when packed up...

I like Peters idea for storage....


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Another good solution, Peter.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Well, that's just silly. You do like I do and keep a hundred foot roll over on the other side of the shop [where it won't be forgotten, and I'll, eventually, find it again].





Thelt said:


> How do you keep from loosing the Velcro straps when the fence is in use? LOL


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

RÖENTGEEP said:


> I think this is dumb question, but when or for what do you use the sacrificial fence? :|


Joseph I didn't know what a sacrificial fence was till I got here either . Because the face of my aexcalibur fence slides off after its up latched , I made another fence face and included a miter slot so I could attach feather boards when I'm doing a rabbet .
I have clamped down the far end of the fence of I'm concerned the fence will rise as I'm pushing material threw .







As you can see in this pic my fence face clamps in that plate . Went to way more trouble than I had too as I could have just clamped wood my fence , but this works well in my situation


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Good pictures, Rick, No water bottles or coffee cups on the table saw top.:no::no::no:


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

A larger hole for the L shaped rod should _be_ the default design. You only want the clamp rod to contact the sacrificial fence vertically at the _back face of the hole _(ie the fence side). If it contacts anywhere else it'll deflect the sacrificial board. Countersinking the top of the hole sounds like an excellent solution to the bend-in-the-rod touching and pulling the top of the board problem. Maybe even relieving the top back of the hole completely...ie no contact at that point.
I was thinking of making a taller fence. If I drill _up_ (on the DP) from the bottom of the fence, then route a slot in from the back...say from the rip fence ht. up 2"...deep enough to meet the previously drilled hole, that should allow me to slip the bent rod portion in and down into its locked position. Did that make sense?


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Herb Stoops said:


> Good pictures, Rick, No water bottles or coffee cups on the table saw top.:no::no::no:


:lol: 
I actually had to take another look lol


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## RÖENTGEEP (Feb 18, 2014)

TheCableGuy said:


> Joseph I didn't know what a sacrificial fence was till I got here either . Because the face of my aexcalibur fence slides off after its up latched , I made another fence face and included a miter slot so I could attach feather boards when I'm doing a rabbet .
> I have clamped down the far end of the fence of I'm concerned the fence will rise as I'm pushing material threw .
> 
> As you can see in this pic my fence face clamps in that plate . Went to way more trouble than I had too as I could have just clamped wood my fence , but this works well in my situation


Rick I dont know how I missed this post. Yours is a HUGE sacrificial fence, looks fine. 

How did you clamp down the far end of the fence?, do you have a pic of that?

Thanks. :smile:


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

RÖENTGEEP said:


> Rick I dont know how I missed this post. Yours is a HUGE sacrificial fence, looks fine.
> 
> How did you clamp down the far end of the fence?, do you have a pic of that?
> 
> Thanks. :smile:


The rear of original fence is not very high so I just clamp it there . I can get a pic tommorow for you . I love the feather board idea and am very happy with it . There are magnetic feather boards that stick to your table if neccesary though. 
This is my second attempt so I was pretty impressed with my little creation . It's way to easy to just clamp a board to your fence though if you prefer .For me it's the hard way or nothing though lol


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