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Thread: Fence system for miter saw

  1. #1

    Fence system for miter saw

    HI,

    I am currently looking to build a miter saw station along one wall in my shop, and i have a few questions and wanted to get some opinion. I am looking at the biesmeyer fence system part number 79-808. does any one know is the the table only and you have to buy the fence tube and slide separately or is this the complete package? Also, has any one used the kreg measure system seen here
    http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...86&filter=kreg

    i have also thought about building a table system with cabinets and using the rockler multi track system? Any one have a good suggestion?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,394
    Biesmeyer - I've had this for 10 years, and I absolutely love it. 8' to the right and 2' to the left of the CMS (In previous home, it was the other way).

    It comes with the table on legs (table surface is elevated about 5") with the fence attached. Table frame, legs and fence welded together, with an MDF table that is covered by some type of plastic - same surface that is on the table that comes with the Biesmeyer TS rails. The fence is 1-1/2" x 2-3/4" steel tube. You bolt the legs down to your table's surface. IIRC, it includes adhesive-backed tapes - one L-R and one R-L - but can't swear to it - too long ago. You have to buy the stop(s) separately. This adds up to some bucks, but the thing is basically indestructible. You can knock the stop off-position by hitting it with a board, so its a question of getting the feel for it. Also - you need to recalibrate the stop lense every so often - beats me how the heck it gets out of calibration, but stuff happens. The table system and the CMS just mount on a flat worksurface (you gotta shim stuff to get everything level and in the same plane, of course - steel washers, old credit cards, and hotel card keys are your friends!!).

    Kreg system - I helped a friend put together a general-purpose shop, and had him get this system. Gave it a good workout. Seems to work fine. Not as smooth-operating or as beefy as the Bies by a long shot (applies to all components). You'll need to be careful butting the two 4' tracks together, but even still, there's a slight "hiccup" when I run the stop over that seam - annoying at worst - no operational problem. Same calibration issues as with the Bies. The track attaches to a piece of wood (forget the dimensions). We used red oak. He doesn't have much sawdust-making equipment, so I had him stop by a good lumber source that has milling services, and he picked up the RO rail there - It needs to be straight, square, and level. Also - the wood rail and track mount directly to the work surface. What we did was to build the CMS station with a lowered/recessed section to receive the CMS. More complicated framing and sheathing than the flat surface for the Bies, but not any real big deal.

    Summary: This is definitely one of those "get what you need, and you get what you pay for" decisions. I don't know how much you will use it. For general use, the Kreg will get the job done IMO. If you want/need something serious, the Bies does it - if the $$ can be budgeted. My friend did not need the Bies, so no need to spend the $$. Having used both, I would not give up my Bies. This may be a poor analogy, but a 1.5HP 120v Contractor-grade TS will handle what a whole lot of guys need to do. A 3HP 240v cabinet saw performs the same basic function, but is a different critter.

    Option: You could always get the Bies stop, and an adhesive tape, and just use a properly-sized piece of hardwood as a fence - without spending the $$ on the tracks or the tables. THe Kreg stop wouldn't work IIRC correctly, because it needs the track's channel to run in.
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Aurora, Colorado (Saddle Rock)
    Posts
    514
    I think you are on the right track . I think it all depends on what your budget is going to be. Me, I mainly use mine for cutting boards down to rough dimension and for trim work. Therefore, I went with the Kreg system and I built my own table. I think it works great and I am able to easily get perfectly sized parts. However, I still make the vast majority of my cross-cuts on my TS. There, I have an excalibur sliding table that has a really nice adjustable stop.

    In the end, all you really need is some type of stop system to get perfect repeatable cuts.

  4. glide stop

    OK..I gotta say..the glide stop system is AMAZING. I have a 10" set up and i love it. dead on and solid. its slick.

  5. #5
    I also have one of the Kreg Miter Saw Precision Traks and like it very much. I purchased it at Amazon.com for $124.95 del., but as my luck always goes I see Peachtree stocks it and according to a post in Deals and Discounts, they are offering 25% off everything which would make it about $104 plus shipping.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Alachua, FL
    Posts
    170
    There is a nice table and fence set up that Norm built. http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct.php?0201
    You may want to look at it in total or just the fence which is a lot like the Bies!
    Leo

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Wake Forest, North Carolina
    Posts
    1,981
    Blog Entries
    2
    I have the Biesmeyer. 6 ft table to the left and 3 ft table to the right of the saw.

    I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone thats used the Beismeyer stuff and dosent like it a lot.

    Building your own would no doubt save costs though.

    PHM

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