C'Man fence upgrade

[Mike Tempel]

How difficult would it be to add a fence (looking at 50" Biesemeyer) to a C'Man contractors TS? I would like to just upgrade my saw but I am also trying to save some bucks in the process. I was wondering if anyone had added the 50" Biesemeyer or similar to their contractors saw and if so can you post some pics of it please. Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance - Mike.

[Herb Blair]

Mike,
I added a Vega 26" fence to my Craftsman Contractor saw. It made a world of difference. I used that for several years, and last year I upgraded (new rails) to the 50" version. I made my own extension table from MDF and laminate. Later I upgraded the extension table to a router table. I can't say enough how good I think the vega fence is. I've used the biesemyer and beleive that the Vega is better in a lot of ways.

[Jim Becker]

Virtually all the aftermarket fences are relatively easy to add to an exisiting saw. In many cases, no drilling is required; and sometimes just a little. The trick to a successful install is to be careful with your measurements and be sure that your rails are exactly parallel to the saw surface at the required height.

[Lou Morrissette]

Mike,

I upgraded my old Craftsman saw with a Jet Xacta fence a few years back and what a difference! I had to redrill a few holes but the installation was a snap. My only advice is ANY good after market fence is a 100% improvement on the stock fences that come with Craftsman saws in that era. Sorry, no pics. My son now has my saw and loves it.

Lou

[JayStPeter]

A new fence makes a world of difference on those saws. Just keep the old fence. Upgraded c'man saws aren't worth much when you finally decide to replace the whole saw (another world of difference). You can probably get more for a Bies fence than one attached to a c'man saw. I sold my upgraded c'man saw for less than the cost of the upgrades. I probably could've parted out the upgrades for more on that auction site. Then unloaded the stock saw in the local want ads. Too bad I didn't keep the stock parts.

Jay

[Carl Eyman]

I installed the 50" Vega some 8 years ago and what a difference. It was easy. I don't believe I had to drill any holes - very straightforward.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I have thought of this upgrade a few times as well. It is good to know that it is easy.

[John Hulett]

I just ordered and partially received an Incra setup. I don't have the rails yet, but I've already attached the mounting brackets on which the rails will rest. Being that the whole system is t-slot based, I don't anticipate any issues with fit. Included in the mounting bracket hardware were 3 sets of bolts - all of different sizes; Incra recommended using the largest bolt that would fit in the existing hole. Also, you can see from the picture, the brackets are easily adjustable up and down.

I opted to go with a full system setup from Woodpeck, but there's a guy on eBay that sells just the TSLS32 (read that 32" rip) for a little less than woodpeck. Just search tools for Incra. He's listed on Incra's web site as a reseller (Leroy's Tool Shack).

[mil ford]

Just wondering what exactly is the problem with your current fence? I have two cman saws, a five yr old contractors and the current 22124. I have not really seen a major advantage between the beis on the 22124 and the 12/24 on the old saw. When I lock both fences at say 5 inches I get a five inch wide board. Just wondering if there is something that I'm missing, because I always hear people on various forums say that cman fences are "crap". Also people always say that there is a world of difference when you "upgrade" the cman fence; what is this world of difference?

[John Hulett]

I had two problems; first, though there was supposed to be a 24" rip capacity, I had to move the rear rail in order to get full extension, then back in for a narrow cut. Second, it moved with not much effort when locked; there was nothing more frustrating than hoisting up a full sheet of melamine, tapping the fence with the stock, and having to bring it back down to readjust the fence.

[Brian Austin]

I did an upgrade on my C'man contractor saw a few years ago as well. Went with an Incra TSIII. Absolutely no issues with installation. No holes to drill, easy install.

My original fence was so out of square it wasn't funny. I brought a square to the local Sears store, tested their display models and one of the salesmen actually opened two boxes out of curiosity when I explained the situation. NONE of the fence extrusions were square front to back. Some had a gradual warp, some were consistently out of square. That's the point where I decided to go aftermarket.

All things considered, the TSIII was probably overkill but I had a friend who had one, loved it and showed me how to use it. Later, as I became more familiar with other fences, I can see myself going to a Bies or clone on my next saw (hopefully a Delta Unisaw or Powermatic 66).

[Byron Trantham]

How difficult would it be to add a fence (looking at 50" Biesemeyer) to a C'Man contractors TS? I would like to just upgrade my saw but I am also trying to save some bucks in the process. I was wondering if anyone had added the 50" Biesemeyer or similar to their contractors saw and if so can you post some pics of it please. Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance - Mike.

Mike,
I added one to my old TS. It was realtively easy to install and I couldn't believe the difference. Here is a pic. I made the "wings" from MDF and Formica.

[Norman Hitt]

Mike,
I added one to my old TS. It was realtively easy to install and I couldn't believe the difference. Here is a pic. I made the "wings" from MDF and Formica.

Byron, I really like the Neat and Brite appearance of your shop cabinetry. What material did you use for the base cabinets? Is it painted plywood, white melamine, or mdf painted? I will have to make that decision sooner or later when I get to that point in my shop.

[Byron Trantham]

Norman,
My whole shop is "white". This was my wife's idea and it really works [for me]. The material is MDF with TWO coats of a nice high gloss white enamel. It has been about six years since those pics were taken and the "white" has held up pretty well. MDF weighs a ton but much to my surprise, it has really held up. Inside the various cabinets are roll out drawers that contain tools, supplies, you name it. Want to see more go to www.woodreams.net.

[JayStPeter]

Just wondering what exactly is the problem with your current fence? I have two cman saws, a five yr old contractors and the current 22124. I have not really seen a major advantage between the beis on the 22124 and the 12/24 on the old saw. When I lock both fences at say 5 inches I get a five inch wide board. Just wondering if there is something that I'm missing, because I always hear people on various forums say that cman fences are "crap". Also people always say that there is a world of difference when you "upgrade" the cman fence; what is this world of difference?

Try a saw that's a little older. I think you'll immediately see that your current fences are significantly better.

But, even the newer (not sure about newest) fences are not great compared to a Bies style. They get knocked out of adjustment when whacked by a full sheet of plywood and the adjustment mechanism is poor. Some of them can also get locked out of whack if you're not careful to push in the right direction as you're locking.

Jay