Best router fence?

[glenn bradley]

In the 'keep it simple' camp, I run Rockler's old style fence and have for years. I have upgraded the table top, the router, added a lift, etc. but have always kept the same fence. I made a micro adjust doo-hickey that I really no longer use. I just snug one side and nudge the other for micro-adjustment.

Just goes to show we are all different. It really bothered me not having very specific control over the router height, therefor the lift, but the fence has always done very well for me. Less bling, less to go wrong I guess. They are still blowing them out for about $30. I picked up a second one and it is one of three fences I use on the DP. All my stop blocks, etc. can move easily between my RT and DP.

[paul dyar]

I have had the Incra for 12 years, and am very satified with it.

Paul

[Greg Hines, MD]

I have a pair of fences. One is from Wood Magazine, and is a high split fence with T-track across it for feather boards, and I can use shims to joint with it. My other fence is a standard Incra original jig and fence, very simple, and straight.

Doc

[Paul Murphy]

I see no reason the fence has to be parallel to the miter slot to do cope and stick. For the coping you should be using a miter gauge or a sled and that just has to be made perpendicular to the miter slot. It has nothing to do with the fence.

Unless you need repeatability to the .001, I vote make your own and save the money. MDF is easy to get perfectly straight and it doesn't warp. Just don't make one out of hardwood. It will move on you.

Never said the fence HAD to be parallel, but it may just ultimately be easier and cheaper. Also the original poster mentioned a desire for a micro adjuster, to aid setup and repeatability. The Kreg has the micro-adjuster, while most floating fences do not. The scale on the parallel fence would aid setup and make multi-step /multi-profile operations much easier.

Cost example:
I have the Bench Dog Tools 40-132 profence @ $139.99. If I want the repeatability and ease of setup for cope and stick I can buy a JessEm MITE-R-SLIDE @ $259.00, or a Woodpeckers Coping Sled @ $139.99. The coping sled costs at least as much as my fence. The Kreg is cheaper in total cost, and setup might just be easier for many operations.

Some cutters do not have a guide bearing, so without a fence set to parallel/depth, or a sled adjusted for depth, how will the second end of the rail be cut to proper total length?

The Kreg seems cheaper and simpler in the long run, if starting from scratch. More than one poster mentioned using a squared piece of scrap for an inexpensive backer-board/sled. I use this method, and it works pretty well with bearing guided cope/stick, but the setup is more involved on cutters without guide bearings. Repeatability depends on the same effort as the original setup, and multi-bit/multi-step profiles involve multiplying setup times by the number of bits.

If someone has a floating fence solution to all the above, I for one am very interested to learn more!

[dan sherman]

A floating fence can actually be set more precisely thanks to geometry. This is accomplished by by keeping one end fixed, and moving the other. If you move the loose end .001" the fence might have only moved .0005" by the bit.

For cope and stick joints all you need is a fence ridding sled, made from scrap plywood or hardboard.

[Paul Murphy]

A floating fence can actually be set more precisely thanks to geometry. This is accomplished by by keeping one end fixed, and moving the other. If you move the loose end .001" the fence might have only moved .0005" by the bit.

For cope and stick joints all you need is a fence ridding sled, made from scrap plywood or hardboard.

Dan, perhaps I am missing something, but I have one cutter pair without guide bearings, and they are very time consuming to setup properly so as to produce rails of the proper finished length. I have better results with the bearing guided cutter pairs. Not such a big deal if I'm setting up for a larger run of parts, but in a small project it becomes a time waster.

Anyone have setup tips for the situation where you have no guide bearing on your cutters?

[Stephen Edwards]

Here you go.

http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_101...arpentry+Tools

Thank you very much.

[Bill Huber]

There are more ways to make a fence out there then I think there are router tables.

When I was looking at them some of the things I wanted was NOT to have slots on the table. My first one had slots and I hated them, so in finding a fence I went with the Jessem.

The fence is not cheap but it is not made cheap, it is built like a battleship. It has rails that bolt to the table and then the fence rides in the rails. It has all the T slots you could ask for.

You can go here and see the fence close up and also see the micro adjuster I made for it.

http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/micro_adjuster

[dan sherman]

Anyone have setup tips for the situation where you have no guide bearing on your cutters?

What brand/model bits do you have?

[Paul Murphy]

The set that I have the most trouble with are tongue and groove cutters that I think came from MLCS. I made farmhouse style cabinet doors with them, and the setup took me longer than cutting the parts. This was the experience that had me looking at the fences that had micro-adjusters, and some sort of repeatibility measurement scale.

[dan sherman]

do you mean 2 bits sets like #7842, #7736 on this page?

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops...ue_groove.html

if so, setting up bit's like these that don't even have a steel pilot are always a pita. However once you get the depth of cut right for the first bit, the tedious work is done.

before you switch to the second bit, place a piece of scrap up against each end of the fence, and then clamp them down to the table. Your now have two points to reference your fence off of once you switch out the bits.

I would recommend skipping over bits like this in the future, and only use ones that have pilots (steal or ball bearing) that way you can use the ruler trick to set up the fence.


My dad has the Kreg fence, and both of use have found the micro adjust to be overrated, it's nothing more than a brass bolt threaded into aluminum. a $15 dial indicator mounted on a wood block clamped to the bench blows it out of the water.

The set that I have the most trouble with are tongue and groove cutters that I think came from MLCS. I made farmhouse style cabinet doors with them, and the setup took me longer than cutting the parts. This was the experience that had me looking at the fences that had micro-adjusters, and some sort of repeatability measurement scale.

[Paul Murphy]

Thanks for the tip Dan, The reference idea sounds like it will save me some time. I had to pretty much start over when changing to the second bit.

I agree about not buying these type of bits without bearings in the future!

For the benefit of the original poster, is your Dad happy with the Kreg fence? I can't help thinking that the scale referenced to the cutter centerline would make some operations easier, especially those with multiple steps or bits.

[dan sherman]

For the benefit of the original poster, is your Dad happy with the Kreg fence? I can't help thinking that the scale referenced to the cutter centerline would make some operations easier, especially those with multiple steps or bits.

I haven't specifically talked about him with it, but when I have worked with him he used the scale for course adjustments. and the ruler trick or test pieces fore fine adjustments.

[Dennis Lopeman]

Here you go.

http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_101...arpentry+Tools

OMG!!!! I was so excited that I was about to learn about some new fangled dangled tool!!! I had no idea it had a new name! I have like 7 of these. Now I have to go and change all their labels!! Geesh!

[Brent Ring]

+3 or +4 for the Incra.