# Delta 34-410 table saw fence issues



## kingshutterbug (Jan 6, 2014)

I've been a long time observer of LumberJocks but this is my first post. I recently acquired the table saw in the picture at a garage sale for $50. It is an older Delta 34-410. I fired up the motor and it seems to run well with minimal excess vibration.

My issue is the rip fence will not clamp down parallel to the blade/miter slots. It angles away from the blade by a pretty good deal, and I've had to manually place a clamp to make a straight cut.

Tips for adjusting this style of fence, or comments on alternative solutions would be helpful.

Thanks,
Kevin


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Some folks like them just fine, but I've never used a jetlock style fence like the one on your saw that I cared for. There may be some adjustments to make it better, but since the saw was only $50, it could be worth adding a better fence if you plan to use the saw for anything resembling precision work. IMO, the saw is worth the investment of something like a Delta T2 fence for ~ $200 shipped. It should be a direct bolt on, and would make that saw much nicer to use. You could even sell the stock fence for about what you paid for the saw.


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## anneb3 (Feb 23, 2014)

I think it can be adjusted by losening the bolts on top. Getting it set up square and tightening them back up again At least that is the way mine works.


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## kingshutterbug (Jan 6, 2014)

Thank you for the quick response guys. I've seen the T2 fence get mentioned on other threads as well. I'll give the fence adjustment a shot first. After looking at my fence a little more I think the fence may have been dropped in the past. In which case the T2 fence seems to be the way to go. I'll do another post with how it goes.


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## kingshutterbug (Jan 6, 2014)

Update on the rip fence. I got it adjusted to parallel with the blade and created a lot of sawdust last night. In general I'm not very impressed with the jetlock fence system though. Since it clamps on the front and back rail, it is susceptible to locking down at an ever so slightly different angle each time. Plus it is not rock solid when I apply pressure to the end of the fence. If I find the time to get more serious about woodworking I'll definitely be swapping out the existing fence.


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## GregD (Oct 24, 2009)

I had a saw with this fence on it. You ought to be able to get the fence to clamp down "rock solid". As I recall, you can adjust the clamping action on both the front and back rails. If you cannot get the fence to clamp solidly onto the front rail I would be inclined to give up on the fence. If the fence is not clamping solidly on the back rail this can be adjusted as I recall.

The trick I never learned was how to consistently clamp down the fence parallel to the blade. Over time I could get close, but I usually ended up measuring the blade/fence distance at both the front and back of the blade. When I was feeling extra fussy I would raise the blade all the way, adjust the fence front & back, and then lower the blade to an appropriate height for the cut.

The fence is actually pretty acceptable for a lot of carpentry work if you get some experience with it. But it does take effort, especially if you need more precise cuts and particularly if you don't have so much experience. After many years I upgraded to the T2 fence and the saw was much more fun to use. But not long after that I upgraded to a cabinet saw.

My recommendation is to work with the saw just the way it is and see how good you can get with it. It is very capable, up to a point, and your results will improve with experience. You will eventually find that the fence is not the only limitation of the saw for very precise work.


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 30, 2013)

Aren't you supposed to square your blade to the miter slots, and then square your fence to them??? ........ Jerry (in Tucson)


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