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DIY Aluminum Extrusion Fence

21K views 38 replies 10 participants last post by  rhybeka 
#1 ·
My journey towards better accuracy

So this blog is being started as a journey for me. That and the original thread is pretty big. Hutch and TeenAngel have done a fantastic job, but I would like to keep my specifics somewhere I can find them. And possibly give some folks with the same/similar saw more pictures since I know I am quite visual when working with this kind of stuff.

Anyway, to get started the original blog is here: http://lumberjocks.com/Hutch/blog/2740.

I'll have to edit this post later with exactly the pieces I ordered so they're at least in the first post :)

I own a Craftsman table saw - model 113.298341. This was passed down to me from my dad / grandad and still works like a champ. I have both wings and the stand, but the wheels don't work very well so I'm looking to build a stand….but that's a different blog. My order was on Jan.13th 2015 so prices may have changed </disclaimer>.
I combined the original order put together by TeenAngel and Joe L. and got:

8020 T Slot Linear Bearing Brake Kit 40 S 40-6800 N
Quantity:1
Item Price: US $13.75

8020 T Slot Aluminum Extrusion 15 S 1515×48 N
Quantity: 2
Item Price US $54.78

80/20 T Slot Aluminum Extrusion 15 S 3030 L x 36 N
Quantity:1
Item Price: US $45.80

8020 T Slot Hardware Bolt Assembly 15 S 3439 (25 pcs) N
Quantity:1
US $14.50

8020 T Slot Aluminum Linear Bearing 15 S 6816 N
Quantity: 2
Item Price US $117.90

8020 T Slot 3030 End Cap with Push-In 15 S 2050-PLAIN N
Quantity:4
Item Price: $1.95

8020 T Slot 1515 End Cap with Push-In 15 S 2030-PLAIN N
Quantity:2
Item Price: $1.55
 
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#2 ·
Looking forward to following along, as your journey unfolds….

BTW: What TS do you have?

But…. uh…. yeah….
NO pictures, it DIDN'T happen!!!
 
#4 ·
LOL I have a Craftsman - I'll post all the details in the top so there's a bit less searching. I honestly was so on the run this morning I just wanted to put in a bookmark to remind myself
 
#6 ·
Anybody know what happened to the original blog:

http://lumberjocks.com/Hutch/blog/2740

I get some sort of application error when I try to open it up.

I have had the parts for a while but now I have a little time to replace my fence so I wanted to revisit the the instructions contained in the blog before proceeding…

Teenangel - are you out there? Since you & I have the exact same model Craftsman saw I plan to follow your instructions to the letter.
 
#7 ·
Bigfoot I followed TeenAngels blog as well, but I didn't have the same success he did, and I ended up selling that saw a few months back. I will tell you, it makes good sense to put a brake on the front and the back like one of the commenters on TeenAngel's posts did (or it could've been TA himself). Make sure you take your time in shimming out the rails and getting the holes drilled parallel. very important! I ended up just using the aluminum extrusion and clamping it down front and back. that worked for the few things I needed to do but of course the main goal was accuracy but by that point I was just over it. Good Luck!!
 
#8 ·
It's On! now for the hard part...

Sorry all, kinda forgot I'd started a blog on this process! Well, I can give you the short version to catch everybody up.
I ordered the parts and they sat in my shop for about six months until I was able to actually open them up and start trying to figure out how they would all end up on my saw. I found out the 3/4" bolts that Hutch used on his design were too short for my saw, and 1" were too long. I trimmed the 1" down to 7/8" and they work pretty well.

It's a pretty tight fit as of right now and I'm trying to figure out how to get it to slide a bit easier. I'm not looking for a greased pig, but having to pound on it with a rubber mallet I'm sure isn't doing my accuracy much good. here's what it looks like on. I still have to figure out how to install the 'brake' piece.
Motor vehicle Automotive tire Automotive lighting Vehicle Bumper


The holes on my table saw and wings are below. I'm thinking about taking out the bolts on the wings and just having it bolted to the saw body itself. Still thinking on that.

Gas Audio equipment Machine Machine tool Auto part


Wood Gas Composite material Auto part Machine
 

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#9 ·
It's On! now for the hard part...

Sorry all, kinda forgot I'd started a blog on this process! Well, I can give you the short version to catch everybody up.
I ordered the parts and they sat in my shop for about six months until I was able to actually open them up and start trying to figure out how they would all end up on my saw. I found out the 3/4" bolts that Hutch used on his design were too short for my saw, and 1" were too long. I trimmed the 1" down to 7/8" and they work pretty well.

It's a pretty tight fit as of right now and I'm trying to figure out how to get it to slide a bit easier. I'm not looking for a greased pig, but having to pound on it with a rubber mallet I'm sure isn't doing my accuracy much good. here's what it looks like on. I still have to figure out how to install the 'brake' piece.
Motor vehicle Automotive tire Automotive lighting Vehicle Bumper


The holes on my table saw and wings are below. I'm thinking about taking out the bolts on the wings and just having it bolted to the saw body itself. Still thinking on that.

Gas Audio equipment Machine Machine tool Auto part


Wood Gas Composite material Auto part Machine
That looks like some really good stuff and could be used for a lot of things. :)

Where did you buy it at?
 

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#27 ·
Last steps - brake installation and other stuff...

So I went out to the shop and finished drilling the holes on the other side of the saw and got everything installed there. I realized I hadn't installed the brake on the front bearing! duh! I started doing this only to come to the conclusion either I need to drill a new hole for the brake to go through, or bore out one of the existing holes (into which a screw goes to hold the pads the bearings use to slide on the extrusion with) Hrm.

Also realized I was missing one other piece from Hutch's blog. a Wixey digital saw read out. At $90 it's a bit steep atm. Will have to think on this one a bit. Maybe careful measuring for now??

EDIT

took a short, choppy video with my phone on the fence movement. I'm thinking about using some of the shims that came with the linear bearings to see if they will help. Sorry in advance for my video sucking - still working on those skills!" https://youtu.be/JTHUVoMArOo":https://youtu.be/JTHUVoMArOo
 
#28 ·
#30 ·
Confession

drilling the hole for this brake makes me nervous. If I mess it up, I'll have to order a new linear bearing…. they aren't expensive but they aren't cheap. And I'm just mechanically challenged…I'm still a new woodworker…but I know nothing about metal. Well - except how to put holes in it. And I really need this to work on the first shot (which as of right now, I haven't had enough practice at stuff to get it right on the first try!) but not much confidence that it will. I have more of a reputation of getting frustrated and pulling the 'just do it' and being wrong and kicking myself for it later than being right. But I also need to move this project towards completion so I can use my saw again!
 
#31 ·
When drilling in Aluminum I was told that if you use kerosene as a lubricant it will go better.

Maybe someone else can confirm this.

You can also google:

"drilling aluminum with kerosene as lubricant" and you will find references on this topic.
 
#35 ·
Fine Tuning begins....

So for the moment, this is a placeholder for a bunch of pictures I'm going to toss up here on the latest step of this process. It's all together and as long as I can get it fine tuned, will be great. The lineal bearings slide perfectly until the 3×3 piece of extrusion is tightened down to it so I'm assuming there's some flex in there somewhere causing this to happen. I've shimmed the bearings and that has done the opposite and made it not move what so ever
EDIT
So here's the pics I promised. This one is just of the linear bearing with the 3×3 on top
Wood Gas Hardwood Machine Hat


Here's what a shim looks like/how thick it is:
Wood Finger Gas Nail Screw


Finger Wood Thumb Nail Hardwood


Here's where those shims go:
Rectangle Wood Gas Composite material Metal


Here's a video of before I added the shims:


here's a video of how it slides before I tighten the 3×3 to the linear bearings…


wondering if it may require some shims of its own so it doesn't clamp itself to the table when the bolts are tightened. Maybe that is what is causing my problem?
 

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#36 ·
Fine Tuning begins....

So for the moment, this is a placeholder for a bunch of pictures I'm going to toss up here on the latest step of this process. It's all together and as long as I can get it fine tuned, will be great. The lineal bearings slide perfectly until the 3×3 piece of extrusion is tightened down to it so I'm assuming there's some flex in there somewhere causing this to happen. I've shimmed the bearings and that has done the opposite and made it not move what so ever
EDIT
So here's the pics I promised. This one is just of the linear bearing with the 3×3 on top
Wood Gas Hardwood Machine Hat


Here's what a shim looks like/how thick it is:
Wood Finger Gas Nail Screw


Finger Wood Thumb Nail Hardwood


Here's where those shims go:
Rectangle Wood Gas Composite material Metal


Here's a video of before I added the shims:


here's a video of how it slides before I tighten the 3×3 to the linear bearings…


wondering if it may require some shims of its own so it doesn't clamp itself to the table when the bolts are tightened. Maybe that is what is causing my problem?
Place holder you say….

Patiently awaiting an update….
 

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#37 ·
frustration...

so I got the left side of the saw sliding nicely - but the smallest cut I can take is 3 1/4 inches… well that's not going to 'cut it'. So, I moved the fence over to the right side of the table (it's separated in two because there's a blade guard assembly in the middle that I want to maintain use of). I get down to an inch and some cut there - just nothing finer than about 1 1/4 inches. I know there may be times I'll want to do something smaller…but the question is do I change my workflow, or do I figure another way to mount the rail lower and shim the extrusion up high enough??

/sigh/
 
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