Squaring a Biesemeyer Fence

Turn the fence over and on the back side of the angle iron (the piece that rides on the bar) there will be 2 allen screws (one on each side) just turn one or the other in or out. After adjusting, make sure you recheck your tape.

As long as your fence is parallel with your miter slot, and blade, I wouldn’t worry about the table.

You check the square of the fence by measuring from the miter groove with a combination square or a feeler gauge on each end of the fence. If it’s out of square you can adjust the fence by turning screws on the bottom of the t part of the fence . You should be able to find a diagram on line of were the screws are.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com

bentlyj. No set screws to adjust the fence for square. I’ve seen other fences that have this adjustment, but my Biesemeyer fence doesn’t have these adjustment screws.

a1jim I’m talking perpendicular to the table, not parallel to the miter gauge. If you hold you square against the table and vertical against the fence, this is the measurement that is off.

The only thing that I can think of is to loosen the entire rail along the front and adjust that, but that would be a very course adjustment IMHO.

-- Chunk

ChuckyC, now Bentlyj knows something here are you sure where to check. I’ve had been around plenty of Biesemeyer’s and this is the only way to adjust. Take the fence off the rail and flip it over on the bottom side that rides toward the table top look closely because the factory paint job will fill the allen fitting w/paint making it hard to see, inspect closely and you should find the fittings. You should find one on each side of the locking knob. Toe in and toe out…I hope this helps…Blkcherry

If you fence is not square to the top of you table then you do need to adjust the rail.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com

“Toe in and toe out” NO! I’m talking square to table / vertical / perpendicular. Think “plumb.”

“If you fence is not square to the top of you table then you do need to adjust the rail.” Ugg! The problem with that is that you have to take the fence rail off in order to loosen the screws that hold the angle iron piece to the front of the table. That’s a lot of off an on of the rail to get adjusted.

Do you think that the plastic slider piece could be sanded to adjust the angle? I wonder why there isn’t any adjustment for square??

-- Chunk

My Vega Fence has a wooden top on it whiich I took off and it screws inside. Also I have a alignment system that rides in the miter slot for both fence alignment and blade alignment. Boy I’m glad I checked it too when I first bought it which was off by 1/4 inch which could have caused a kickback besides bad cuts. Also check this often and if you get a jam, kickback or in my case drop the fence.

-- Jeff Schnell, Tuckahoe, NJ

I apologize if I’m not communicating this issue very well. If you think anything to do with the miter slot, then you’ve not got the jest of the problem.

This is what I mean when I say “square.”

The picture doesn’t show it but the fence falls away from the square about 1/64”. Normally this wouldn’t be a huge deal but I’m working on a deal for some rough cut lumber that I’ll need to do a little re-sawing to. That 1/64” will start to add up in a hurry.

-- Chunk

try sanding or padding one of the plastic sliders on the bottom of the square ,
they seem to be pressed into 2 holes , maybe you can put a slight shim under one of them ?

-- david ,new mexico ,allheart

I sold a saw a while back and my biesimeyer fence went with it, so Im going by wore out memory, dosnt it have some plastic type wear pad underneath that runs on top to make it run smooth, Im pretty sure it should have 4 of these pads. [2 for in and out and 2 for running back and forth} so check to make sure that your not missing a pad out ones not wore more than the other, theese pads would affect your problem. if Im not making sence I apolgize, my wife had a massive heart attack almost two weeks ago so Im pretty freid from being at hospital so much.

-- Randy, Fla http://www.kelleyscabinetsupply.com

Sorry to hear about your wife Randy.

Your memory is correct. There are a total of 4 pads. Two that have an adjustment for parallel (toe in and toe out) and two that ride on the top of the fence rail, no readily apparent adjustment.

Not missing any pads and the fence is brand new so they shouldn’t be worn.

-- Chunk

Loosening the rail and moving it up or down is the normal way to adjust for plumb. It is usually not very difficult. You can use a piece of wood from the floor and a couple of shims to set the rail to plumb. Then tighten and you’re there.

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

Chunk, call Biesimeyer and ask to speak with a tech specialist. He or she will tell you exactly what to do.

Don

-- Don

Sorry for the misunderstanding ChunkC…J Ormsby has the answer to adjusting the rails. He’s dead on to the solution….Blkcherry

Hey Chunk, I misunderstood also, sorry about that.
You may want to put some shims in between the angle iron and the square tubing and leave the rails that are attached to the table saw alone.

“You may want to put some shims in between the angle iron and the square tubing and leave the rails that are attached to the table saw alone.”

I think shimming is the answer but just not sure where one would shim. Taking the rail off to adjust the rail frame is not a precise operation. There is absolutely no way of getting the bolts that bolt the rail frame to the table without first completely removing the fence, and fence rail. I’m thinking that maybe adding a shim or two under the fence rail and the fence rail frame might be the answer.

A Biesemeyer fence has three main components; (1) The fence, (2) The fence rail – this is the part the fence slides on and (3) The fence rail frame. The fence rail frame is a piece of angle iron that bolts to the front of the saw’s table and the fence rail then bolts to this.

The only vertical adjustment that I can see is from the fence rail frame but once the fence rail is bolted to the fence rail frame, the bolts are blocked and they can’t be accessed. And the fence rail is bolted from the under side so there isn’t any vertical adjustment there. So I can’t see how adjusting the fence rail frame would work. I suppose you could get lucky.

-- Chunk