Magnetic bandsaw fence and guide

[woodspiral]

Hey,

I was looking at the Carter products magnetic fence and alignment ruler and thought about ordering it from the UK. I can't find a distributor here in the UK so would need to order direct from the US. After postage and taxes it gets quite expensive.

Does anyone know of comparable products manufactured on this side of the pond?

Thanks,
Spiral.

 

[MikeJhn]

A combination of these two, plus some kind of extrusion will get you there much cheaper:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magswitch-MagJ ... B01JZX9LUC

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magswitch-Univ ... S4YNQ8BJWN

Mike

EDIT: or you could use this in conjunction with the above: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magswitch-Dual ... ASSN124S1A

 

[woodspiral]

They look good, but I need a fence which is 8" high, since I'm ripping some massive oak beams. They're pro-fence attachment looks good as it could support a taller fence, but I'm concerned it might not be rigid enough. I see they also sell magnets on their own - so that might be the way for me to go, to attach those to my existing tall fence.

Also what about the Carter guide - that is a little ruler-like tool which attaches to the blade by magnets and shows precisely which direction the blade is pointing. Does anyone have any experience with that - is it a gimmick or does it work? Is there a Euro-equivalent?

 

[transatlantic]

How about this?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magswitch-Univ ... 004IOC7SM/

 

[MikeJhn]

Only thing I know of is this: https://www.axminster.co.uk/ujk-technol ... ddy-101807

Lots of aluminium extrusions available on the net that you could attach to the Pro-fence.

Mike

 

[woodspiral]

The fence really isn't my problem, I'm more interested in finding an equivalent to their alignment tool. I can't post product links (no permissions) but if you search for this you will find it:

Carter fast-fence-alignment-system-tool

It's not obvious from the photos how this works, but the concept is pretty simple - you click this ruler-like instrument to the blade and it then exaggerates the direction the blade is pointing. I wonder if anyone on this forum has used something like this to counteract drift and if something similar is available in the UK.

 

[Lazurus]

Hmmmm looks like you need one for each width blade. I find a piece of timber with one planed edge, mark a parallel line to that edge run free hand keeping cut on penciled line then adjust fence to planed edge. Simple quick very accurate and not limited by blade size, also if you twist a blade so the run out changes its easy to repeat and re true the fence. Also it is not just the way the blade is pointing that affects the run of the cut so this method catches all the variables, when you have it right allows super thin cuts perfectly parallel. Look up any articles by mark duginske my bandsaw hero......
Stuart

 

[MikeJhn]

Guys I put a link to the Axminster version two post up.

Mike

 

[woodspiral]

So sorry - I missed that. I've now ordered one from Axminster. Hooray!

 

[woodspiral]

Hmmmm looks like you need one for each width blade. I find a piece of timber with one planed edge, mark a parallel line to that edge run free hand keeping cut on penciled line then adjust fence to planed edge. Simple quick very accurate and not limited by blade size, also if you twist a blade so the run out changes its easy to repeat and re true the fence. Also it is not just the way the blade is pointing that affects the run of the cut so this method catches all the variables, when you have it right allows super thin cuts perfectly parallel. Look up any articles by mark duginske my bandsaw hero......
Stuart

I'm not exactly following the procedure you describe although I have a vague feeling I've seen this on a video somewhere. If you know of a YouTube video or something like that, a link would be appreciated.

Thanks also for the Duginske's book reference. I'll order his book.

 

[transatlantic]

The fence really isn't my problem

My bad - you initial post seems to suggest you wanted that too

 

[woodspiral]

The fence really isn't my problem

My bad - you initial post seems to suggest you wanted that too

Sorry it's my fault - I should have made the drift issue clear. Eventually yes I'd like a magnetic fence, but I can adjust my existing fence (with clamps) manually for now, albeit more slowly. Neither manual or magnetic fence is not going to sort out the drift!

 

[MikeJhn]

IMO drift is due either by blunt blades, bad guides or an inadequate set up, never have any drift on my bandsaw since adopting the Alex Snodgrass set up regime and buying TuffSaw blades.

MIk

 

[woodspiral]

Hmmmm looks like you need one for each width blade. I find a piece of timber with one planed edge, mark a parallel line to that edge run free hand keeping cut on penciled line then adjust fence to planed edge. Simple quick very accurate and not limited by blade size, also if you twist a blade so the run out changes its easy to repeat and re true the fence. Also it is not just the way the blade is pointing that affects the run of the cut so this method catches all the variables, when you have it right allows super thin cuts perfectly parallel. Look up any articles by mark duginske my bandsaw hero......
Stuart

I'm not exactly following the procedure you describe although I have a vague feeling I've seen this on a video somewhere. If you know of a YouTube video or something like that, a link would be appreciated.

Thanks also for the Duginske's book reference. I'll order his book.

Book ordered, and I found that Duginske's video is available as a download from Taunton's webstore. The DVD is region locked, so could be an issue in the UK. I've watched most of the film and he seems to offer some very sound advice. The procedure he uses is that he uses a planed board about 2' long, marks a parallel line about 1/2" in from the edge and cuts along that about half-way - i.e. about 12" along the board. He then stops the saw and adjusts the fence to the angle of the cut and cuts the remainder of the board.

 

[woodspiral]

IMO drift is due either by blunt blades, bad guides or an inadequate set up, never have any drift on my bandsaw since adopting the Alex Snodgrass set up regime and buying TuffSaw blades.
MIk

It's possibly a combination of all three. I only started having these issues after having put on a new Tuff Saws blade, which admittedly should be good to go, but probably needed some post install adjustment, which I probably fluffed up. Having subsequently watched the Snodgrass video on YouTube and now Duginske's video I feel confident enough to tackle it again and hopefully should get good results next time.

 

[galleywood]

Adjust the tracking in small steps to get the cut true to the fence.

 

[woodspiral]

Lots of aluminium extrusions available on the net that you could attach to the Pro-fence.
Mike

Could you post a link to one or two, please? I seem to be having issues finding extrusions of the right type. I can find plenty of box-section type extrusions but none that would serve as a high fence (even if doubled-up). I found pictures of one but that was not for sale and it was US-based.

 

[MikeJhn]

Found this one: http://www.ratrig.com/aluminium-profile ... e-cut.html

I am sure a google search will bring up more.

Mike

 

[woodspiral]

Thanks very much for all your help guys. I've taken the plunge and ordered a MagSwitch kit and the universal fence, plus the resaw fence.

Thanks for the extrusion link - in the meantime I also found the Bosch's Rexroth system. They do a 50-100 profile which seems chunky enough for a 200mm high fence. One point is not clear to me, however, which is how to butt-join profiles together, so say one had a 50-100 profile xx and wanted to join two together to make xxxx then this xx+xx what would go in the + part to connect them? Joining pieces at right-angles seems to be pretty well documented but joining extrusions along their length like this seems not to be.

 

[MikeJhn]

T bolt in both extrusions and a splice plate on the back as many as you need for the length of the fence.

Mike