Board buddies question

[Rob Blaustein]

I just reviewed some of the excellent old threads that discuss board buddies and their installation, and have a quick question for those of you who have them. What's the thickness of those phenolic bases that you can buy to mount them on? I bought the board buddies alone and am about to mount them using some BB ply (3/4") with T-track on top of my fence, and I was going to use that same 3/4 ply (it has a phenolic coating/veneer) to make some bases on which I was going to mount the board buddies. I was just wondering if that would raise them up high enough and how my home-made bases will compare to the ones they sell. My guess from looking at them is that I would be ok with that setup.
--Rob

[Joe Mioux]

i screwed the aluminum track right to my fence (General T fence, ala bies).

What kind of fence do you have?

joe

[Rob Blaustein]

Joe,
I have a Shopfox fence on a Grizz 1023 (a Bies clone I think). I was planning to mount the T-track in a dado in the ply and screw that plywood strip to the top of the fence as others have done. That will also let me attach other auxiliary fences when not using the board buddies.
--Rob

[Pat Germain]

I just bought and installed Board Buddies yesterday. My fence has a T-track built into the top. I mounted each wheel assembly on a piece of 3/4 ply, then attached the ply pieces to my fence with bolts and wingnuts. It works pretty well. However...

If I have a wheel toward to the front of the saw, it gets in the way when I try to feed the work into the saw. I don't mean to hijack the thread, but can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong here?

[Gary Keedwell]

Yea Pat, I know where your coming from. I got all caught up in a couple of threads last winter and installed them on my saw. I basically bought them to help me to rip sheet stock. I figured that the mechanics of the BB would help me keep the stock against the fence when pushing through.
It really does help me on my occasional foray sizing sheets.
Thank goodness I installed the BB on tracks...as it makes it easy to move them out of the way. I find that I only use the one buddie on the far side of the blade on alot of applications. Sometimes I can still push stock through, however, with a very slim push-stick that I have hanging over my saw.
Gary

[Pat Germain]

Thanks, Gary. I used both wheels only once, then left just the back wheel in place. This works well, but I wanted to make sure it was a "legitimate" configuration. I'll install the front wheel when it doesn't get in the way.

Rob, the BB's are highly adjustable. It seems to me you could vary the installation height by a few inches and compensate by adjusting the wheels where they screw to the mounting bolt as well as the height adjuster at the back of the mounting bracket.

Funny, I had seen one of those yellow wheels somewhere years ago, but when I asked the guy at Woodcraft about it, he knew nothing. He eventually remembered he stocked something like it, and pointed me to the BBs and a similar Woodcraft brand without the anti-kickback feature. Since the BBs were the same price, I went with those. I was wondering if only I had a problem with stock coming away from the fence. It's nice to learn BBs are in use and favorably reviewed by the folks here on SMC. I sure like them.

[Mike Marcade]

How much better do these work than featherboards?

-Mike

[Gary Keedwell]

How much better do these work than featherboards?

-Mike

I still use featherboards, occasionally, but their not very practical sometimes, especially with sheet goods.
gary

[Cary Swoveland]

I'm very pleased with the Board Buddies, after having tried several other types of hold-downs and featherboards. For narrow rips, I often use two BBs, with two sticks, one stick for pushing the stock (under the front BB) through the end of the cut, the other for holding the stock down after it clears the front BB.

When installing the BBs, I suggest you initially try different heights and left-right positions on top of your fence, using scrap stock. Note that, for each cut, there are two ways of adjusting the BBs: turning the eye bolt and sliding the BB left and right on its base.

Cary

[Mark Singer]

good way to do it is add the blocks from Peach Tree

http://www.ptreeusa.com/tablesaw_products.htm#buddies

[Rob Blaustein]

good way to do it is add the blocks from Peach Tree

http://www.ptreeusa.com/tablesaw_products.htm#buddies

I'm too impatient and want to do this today, so I'm making my own mounting blocks, but I thought I'd start with the same dimensions as those blocks. Do you know how thick they are?

[Roy Wall]

I'm too impatient and want to do this today, so I'm making my own mounting blocks, but I thought I'd start with the same dimensions as those blocks. Do you know how thick they are?

Rob - Those blocks from Peachtree are:

4.75 L x 2 W x .75 thick

the little "tenon" (on the underside for alingment) that fits in my minitrack is a qtr inch wide and just protrudes a 1/8th

[Rob Blaustein]

Rob - Those blocks from Peachtree are:

4.75 L x 2 W x .75 thick

the little "tenon" (on the underside for alingment) that fits in my minitrack is a qtr inch wide and just protrudes a 1/8th

Thanks Roy, just what I was looking for. Your thread on the BB's was extremely helpful. I printed it out and have been referring to it for my own installation. I wasn't planning to have any sort of tenon protruding from the bottom of my blocks, and just figured that tightening the knob/T-bolt would be ok. I might put two knobs per--I'll see how one works.

A related question for you Roy, and others who have used T-track--how do you attach it? The only screws I have that will fit are #6 wood screws, and when you cut a 3/8" dado in 3/4" ply (or 1"), you have to use a pretty short screw, like 1/2". Four of those (I'm using a 30" long track) doesn't strike me as a lot of holding strength. I ended up gluing the T-track into the dado in addition to using screws, but maybe that's overkill.

[Rob Blaustein]

I wasn't planning to have any sort of tenon protruding from the bottom of my blocks, and just figured that tightening the knob/T-bolt would be ok. I might put two knobs per--I'll see how one works.

Hmm, just realized that without that tenon riding in the T-track and only one knob to tighten, the BB can spin, so it sounds like I would need to T-bolts on either side, or add a tenon somehow.

[Roy Wall]

Thanks Roy, just what I was looking for. Your thread on the BB's was extremely helpful. I printed it out and have been referring to it for my own installation. I wasn't planning to have any sort of tenon protruding from the bottom of my blocks, and just figured that tightening the knob/T-bolt would be ok. I might put two knobs per--I'll see how one works.

A related question for you Roy, and others who have used T-track--how do you attach it? The only screws I have that will fit are #6 wood screws, and when you cut a 3/8" dado in 3/4" ply (or 1"), you have to use a pretty short screw, like 1/2". Four of those (I'm using a 30" long track) doesn't strike me as a lot of holding strength. I ended up gluing the T-track into the dado in addition to using screws, but maybe that's overkill.

Rob -

The Peachtree UHMW blocks could be a bit longer... maybe 5.5". The Lock Knob is SO close to the thumbscrews that allow the BB to slide back and forth (dovetailed keyway) it could use a little more clearance. I agree with you a simple T-bolt/knob will fit the bill.

I did the same thing on installing the T-track. Yes, the 3/4" ply with a dado leaves LITTLE "teeth room" for fastening. I think I used the smallest screw, then "clipped" off the ends that protruded through....I don't think I glued it - but that's a good idea. I probably should have used 1" thick material...but it has been holding well ever since installation. I know the 3-4 self tapping metal lag screws I put into the fence tube are super strong

I (still) really enjoy those BB's! I think they keep the work tight against the fence for good accuracy and are EXCELLENT at preventing kickback. I use the rear wheel 100% of the time on rip cuts...the front not so much unless its larger sheet goods.

I'm looking forward to your version....it will be excellent as always!! Show us pics later....