TS rear rail does what, exactly?

[EliotMason]

Hi folks, I need your help preventing a poor decision.

In looking at my need for a better side table and an extension table (like a fixed & folding Jim Becker type), I'm wondering about that rear rail. The saw is a DeWalt 746 with the DeWalt fence. The rear rail serves no function in locking the fence, but supports the back of the fence, provides something for a little plastic tab to keep the fence from backing off the front of the saw (not sure how that could happen), and generally provides a way for the right side table to connect to something.

I figure the fence might drag a bit on the table - so maybe some of those "slick sheets" adhered to the bottom would do the trick. And I can determine this by trial and (mostly) error. And I might need it for the sliding table.

But is that all the downside to this idea? Why did those of you with extension tables keep the rear rail? Is the lack of a rear rail going to offend the woodworking spirits and prompt them to cause spiteful kickback, burning and chatter?

Thanks for the input!

Eliot Mason
Wondering in Waunakee

[Jim Becker]

Eliot, the function of the rear rail varies with the brand/type of fence. For the Biesemeyer style fences, UniFence and some others, it's primary job is to support the table board extension to the right of the metal saw table. That makes it also a convenient place to attach an outfeed solution as I did with mine. Some fences do use it for locking, or at least for support as it sounds like yours does. You may need to add something on to be able to offset the outfeed table enough to clear the parts of the fence that ride on the rail. Or you may need to consider a different design that does not expect the saw to support that edge.

[Rob Russell]

There are several ways the rear rail can work with a rip fence.

1) The fence locks on both ends. The old Delta Jetlock fence is an example of this. So was my old Craftsman contractors saw.
2) I forget the brand, but there is a fence with a cable that runs along the rear rail and it's part of keeping the fence square.
3) On some Bies clones, like the Voss Technologies fence I had on my Unisaw, the rear rail prevented the rear of the fence from lifting. This is especially useful if you're attaching a featherboard or board buddies to the rip fence which would make it rise, or using a power feeder with the rip fence.

Rob

[EliotMason]

Aha! Rob's got the answer...

There are several ways the rear rail can work with a rip fence.

3) On some Bies clones, like the Voss Technologies fence I had on my Unisaw, the rear rail prevented the rear of the fence from lifting. This is especially useful if you're attaching a featherboard or board buddies to the rip fence which would make it rise, or using a power feeder with the rip fence.

Rob

Ok - that's what mine is for then. I knew there was something out there like this. The DeWalt fence doesn't use the rear rail for locking or alignment, but it does latch onto that rail so it can't lift! I haven't used featherboards applying downward force so this hadn't occurred to me.

All told then, I think I can safely remove the rear rail - I'll just have to carefully consider use of featherboards.

Thanks guys!

Eliot Mason

[Dan Cameron]

I put a fold-down extension table on my 746 without having to remove the rear rail. If you would like, I can send some pics.

[EliotMason]

Dan, please do! I can handle big files at this end.

The reason I'm considering removing the rail is because the DeWalt extension table is hard to convert to a good router table (the table uses, effectively, angle iron to support a 3/4" MDF top, and thus I can't make a thicker table unless I remove the rear rail OR expand the bolt slots in the angle iron). And, without the rear rail I can build a seamless & gapless surface that wraps around the saw.

I'm spending too much time THINKING and not enough DOING!

[Dan Cameron]

Eliot
Here are the pics. The hinges are supported using 5/16 x 1.1" threaded
couplers with bolts in existing holes. This provides that the leading edge
of the table is out beyond the fence rear hold-down. The gateleg table
suppport also uses existing holes in the saw.

For my router/osc sander table I chose to use a single 3/4" layer that is
supported all the way around and accross the middle instead of a thick
table.

[EliotMason]

Thanks Dan!

Is that the DeWalt sliding table I see too?

I take it the angled support isn't attached to the table. So you just fold the support in/out and then the table hinges up and down?