Craftsman 10" Table Saw Fence Alignment

This is the third video in the Craftsman 10" table saw tune up. This time I address the fence.

[@ronswoodshack3855]

I own this saw and with this type of fence. You can adjust it like this all day long and it will continue to change. You have to measure the front of the blade and the back of the blade each time you move this fence. It’s a pain but no matter what saw you use you should always measure the front and back of the blade because of the ever changing kerf of the blade as it wears down. As long as you do this you’ll get decent cuts but with an older saw it is what it is.

[@nobuckle40]

Ronnie, thank you for your insight. I most likely will continue to check the front and rear measurements. Old habits die hard. The saw is old and vibration in the saw will cause things to shift. In your experience how long does it take for a high quality carbide toothed blade to wear down to the point of changing the kerf? I was unaware that this could be an issue. Thanks for bring it to my attention. Take care.

[@ronswoodshack3855]

@@nobuckle40 thank you for your response. Small shack woodworkers like myself will use a blade for the longest time and eventually the teeth do wear down. For me it’s not a big deal. I’m not making intricate cuts. I learned this from an old school “tables saw” guy at the cabinet shop wear I worked. Maybe blades are better now. That was many years ago. So for me it’s just habit to check the front and back of the blade. Only takes a few seconds and no one is the wiser that it’s not perfect plus I get more mill time instead of over thinking it. Other than that it’s great saw. Mine is direct drive and it was my father’s. Thank you for the content. Have a great weekend

[@Aspire2Cycle]

That's what I also do, I never trust the fence to be in alinement with the blade.

[@johndaniels9957]

I own this same type of saw and fence. You can chase a few thousandths of an inch until the cows come home but you will never succeed in reaching consistency. I changed to a better aftermarket fence to solve the problem. Still, it never hurts to double-check. Kickback is no fun.

[@michellesnow5784]

@@johndaniels9957what aftermarket dense did you buy?

[@craighaight7291]

I have the same saw and have found this video series very helpful! I have determined at this point that the Craftsman fence is really nothing more than a rough guide at best. Measure front and back then clamp every time. Other than that it is a very reliable saw for me.

[@nobuckle40]

I'm glad that the videos are helpful to you. That was the goal in making them. Thanks for watching.

[@thatsamoreeel4505]

What exactly do you mean by "measure front and back and clamp"? I have this saw, and I can measure the front and back of the blade to fence all day and never get them parallel. If I do manage to get them aligned, it just shifts out of alignment when I tighten it. Are you clamping another way? I've taken to cutting everything oversized so I can plane out the saw marks and burns, which is obviously a terrible approach.

[@matts.8342]

@@thatsamoreeel4505 I tighten it down and measure the front and back of the blade and use a wooden mallet to thwack the fence till I get the measurements to line up.

[@SeniorCrepe]

@@thatsamoreeel4505 I ended up literally clamping my fence down. I had the same exact problem as you. My real solution will be to buy a new fence.

[@cheechedbeats8576]

I thought you were crazy at first, but this actually works great. I will have to check out your other videos on this saw. Just bought one used from a friend and I though the fence was hooped. Thanks

[@hitek835]

Im watching right now dying trying to build my speaker box

[@nobuckle40]

I hope you found it helpful. Thanks for watching.

[@hitek835]

@@nobuckle40 it was helpful. I made one out of wood and put the Craftsman Fence on the shelf.

[@nobuckle40]

@@hitek835 Always glad to help. Take care.

[@Stormy2510]

Appreciate your video on this. I inherited a 113 from my wife's uncle when he passed about a decade ago. Love the saw, but man the fence is going to give me an an aneurysm. Its the same as yours but it uses a push down handle clamp, instead of a spinning knob. I just measure the front and back of the blade but I think I'll give this a shot in order to at least get me closer off the bat... From my understanding it's a common design flaw on "all" fences that use front and back rails due to pivot points.

[@johnnylightning1491]

I use the fat leg of a carpenter's square set against the blade and then align the fence to that. Seems to work OK. You just need to ensure that the square is not resting on a tooth of the blade. This lets you gently hold the fence against the square when you tighten it down. If the edges of the square are not parallel then it will be off but you can check that with your digital mic by holding the square blade on the table and then measure the height at both ends.

[@nobuckle40]

That would be a much faster way than the way I do it. Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for watching.

[@kennethwallace5168]

Now put a square against the fence...they are often not 90° even in the short height distance. I add a wood face and even use a strip or 2 of masking tape to bring the wood face to 90. Another aid to using this fence is to make sure the rails are well waxed or lubricated so the fence easily glides.

[@nobuckle40]

When I had access to this table saw that's what I discovered as well. I ended up using a piece of MDF and some cardboard shims. I often waxed the rails and made sure the bearing on the fence was clean and lubed with light oil. Thanks for the suggestions and for watching.

[@richardcranium5839]

its so much easier to just move it to the edge of the miter slot since the blade is already aligned to it. forget the fancy gage for this step.

[@nobuckle40]

You're probably right. I can tend to make things more complicated than need be. Thanks for watching.

[@19RioR93]

With this fences you HAVE to be push on the clamping part before you tighten it down. It's works fine but you just have to know it's not a big shop saw . Lol

[@nobuckle40]

Thanks for watching and thanks for your insight.

[@BoringDad88]

What did you do to the fence after you loosened the bolts? The camera just stayed on the caliper.

[@nobuckle40]

When I got the fence set to where I wanted it, I tightened the two bolts. Because I didn't want the fence to move as I tightened them, I did it slowly, going back and forth between the bolts until the were tight. I hope this helps and thanks for watching.

[@joeharris2074]

I have this fence and the alignment is different every time you move it. You just have to check it each time. Or get a better fence.

[@nobuckle40]

I think you're right. It's better to check it every time. Measure once and cut twice. Something like that. Thank for the feedback and for watching.

[@DennisMathias]

I think you're making that too hard. You have miter groves on the table top and that's what the fence should be adjusted to. Just loosen the bolts and align it to that (either) groove and tighten. You're done. No caliper needed. Now align the blade to the fence. That's much more challenging because of the trunnion.

[@nobuckle40]

I appreciate your feedback. Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for watching.

[@lonnielafever]

I cheated and put a Shop Fox on my Craftsman, much better saw now.

[@nobuckle40]

I might have to try that. Thanks for watching.

[@davidpowers2394]

What is the name of the digital tool you used and where might it be available? Thanks.

[@nobuckle40]

David, it's called a digital caliper. The one I'm using is 6" in length. They are made by Pittsburgh and sold through Harbor Freight. They did not cost very much. There are higher quality brands such as Starrett and Mitutoyo. I hope this helps and thanks for watching. Take care.

[@RealJeep]

Same saw but an older model fence. Even when tight you can move the back of the fence about 1/32nd of an inch, It's just a poor design.

[@nobuckle40]

I agree. Any ideas about how to make it more rigid? Perhaps a total fence replacement? Thanks for the feedback and for watching.

[@fishbuscharters]

Thanks for posting this video. I'm having trouble with the fence rubbing the table top. The wing droops a bit, so it gets worse the farther the fence is from the blade. Any idea how to bring the fence up? I can only see side to side / parallelism adjustments.

[@nobuckle40]

Friend, thanks for watching. You may want to adjust the front and rear fence rails. The bolt holes in them may be large enough to allow for some adjust up and down. I apologize for not covering this in the video. I may do another video showing that process. I hope this helps.

[@fishbuscharters]

@@nobuckle40 thanks! I lowered the rail; now the fence doesn’t drag on the table.

[@nobuckle40]

@@fishbuscharters Glad to help.

[@tommccabe1019]

Why wouldn't they both be 0?

[@nobuckle40]

This is a debated question. You would think that the fence should be aligned "perfectly" to the miter slot. I prefer to adjust my fence so that it's about .005" out of parallel with the miter slot. This method was recommended to me as a way of reducing binding at the back of the blade. Great question. Thanks for watching.

[@matts.8342]

The thought is that if it opens up slightly after the cut there is less of a chance that the wood will bind on the blade and become a missile (kickback).