Bought a Ridgid 14" band saw but Ridgid quit selling the rip fence for it. Tried a Craftsman, but found it to wobbly on the backside. Went for this Jet model and the rails fit right into my predrilled table holes. Had to drill a hole about 1.5" back from the end on the underside of the fence to fit my table and lock more securily. Had it installed in about 20 minutes and it locks down tight with no play. Also comes with a resaw block. Jet 708718R Band Saw Rip Fence With Resaw Guide
This fence is basically a miniature version of the fence found on the Jet 10" contractors style saw. It is built tough and easy to adust. Once it is adjusted, it stays that way. The fence scale is also extremely accurate and has a micro adjust pointer which can be used to bring your cuts accuracy to within a 32nd of an inch. By far, the best bandsaw fence I have seen and used.
I just (May 2008) installed the fence on my Jet 14" bandsaw, and thought I would add a review to those already here.
Despite a couple of minor things, the assembly of the fence to the bandsaw was quite straightforward. The minor issues were:
1) The telephone number (253-351-6000)on the front of the manual didn't work for me, and it was not an 800 number. After going to WMH's website, the Tech Support number is 800-274-6846.
2) The manual says "...using two M5x20 hex screws, 2 1/4" lock washers and 2 1/4" lock washers..." It doesn't tell you where the lock washers go in relationship to the parts. A call to Tech Support cleared up that the lock washers go just under the head of the screws. Perhaps I should have known that, but I didn't.
3) The holes drilled and tapped into the Guide Rail were a bit burred and I had a little difficulty getting two of the screws started.
4) Adjusting the height above the fence at the rear is a function of where you set the sliding pad with the hex nut you put on. Took me a couple of minutes to figure that out, but it worked well.
I notice there is no adjustment to allow for blade drift as I have seen on some fences. The fence lock seems a bit stiff, but I assume it will loosen up with use.
The fence itself is lighter than I expected it to be. The finish on the rails is excellent. The dial pointer is too high from the measuring rule, introducing far too much parallax in the readings.
Was it worth the price? Sure. Could Jet make a few changes and make it better? In my opinion, yes.
I installed this fence on my RIDGID 14" bandsaw. It went on with no problems although I too had to drill a hole in the bottom of the fence about an inch back from the factory hole which mounts the rear rail slider. Not a big deal, it is designed for a Jet after all, which apparently has a slightly longer table than the RIDGID.
After putting it all together, I had it all squared up in a matter of a few minutes. The adjustments are pretty basic, mostly just tilting the rails a bit until the fence is square with the table, then adjusting it square with the miter gauge slots.
For the money, it seems you can't go wrong with this fence!
I purchased this fence system & love it. It installed very easily in about 30 minutes. I took care to get it leveled up well & to have the fence sit about 1/64" above the saw table so it doesn't chatter when I move it. This fence is vey much like my table saw Biesmeyer fence, just smaller. Much better than the melamine covered particle board table & fence system I had purchased.
first impressions was a very nice and sturdy addition , but after using for about a week it no longer would grip and hold in place, it seems something was missing from the leaver where it grips to hold the fence,have to call jet when i remember, i did cure it temporary by inserting a pad where i think there was one , works ok now but for how long i don't know ,have to sort it cant work without the fence
I bought it, I put it on, it works and I haven't thought of it since. I have a few months of use on it now and I am happy that I bought it. I don't have another bandsaw rip fence to compare it to, but I don't need anything else.
One other reviewer pointed out that the instructions are unclear when it comes to which side of the saw takes which rail during assembly and I completely agree. Once I figured it out though the fence itself is very sturdy and very accurate. I like that the fence hooks onto the back rail (giving two points of locking) and increases reliability/accuracy.
Also the fact that the table on the saw is pre-drilled for the fence is a heavy bonus. All in all a very well made product.
I purchased this instead of the blue high price non-Jet model because it hooks at the back of the fence rail as well as on the front. Took about an hour to install, the only hitch make sure the brace that holds the front rail on, is mounted on the front side of the table, not the back as the instructions kind of indicate. Its not whiz bang, gee golly but it works and its accurate. - Bandsaw - Bandsaw Fence - Saws - Woodworking'
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