Laguna Tools DriftMaster Fence Installation Guide

[@PaganWizard]

I installed this fence on my Harvey Ambassador C14 bandsaw, and I couldn't be happier. I did NOT have to drill any holes on the bandsaw's table, and only had to remove about a 1 1/2 in. section of the vertical part of the mounting bracket for the fence. The reason for this is that the Harvey bandsaw actually has two miter slots, and the bracket was blocking the slot on the left side of the blade. This fence is amazing compared to the stock fence that my bandsaw originally had. When I was looking to buy a new bandsaw a few months ago, I was looking at four different saws, and quickly eliminated two of them for lack of features. When it came down to the Laguna 14BX and the Harvey, it came down to four deciding factors, first was the brake, I thought Laguna's brake was better than the Harvey in that, the Harvey uses a brake shoe design, common in cars and trucks from the 1980's and older, that applies pressure to the inside of the lower wheel. I can see the potential for this causing undue stress on the wheel, and having to replace it, although that wouldn't happen any time soon, it's more of a very long term issue. I am just about to complete my 60th round trip around the Sun, and I think that the potential for issues with the brake & lower wheel will not happen in my lifetime, and then someone else will have to deal with it. What I liked about the Laguna brake is that, it's bolt on rotor. If it goes bad, you simply unbolt it, and bolt on a replacement without compromising the lower wheel. Next are the ceramic cooling blocks on the Laguna. I am not at all a fan of cooling blocks. The Harvey has thrust bearings behind the blade, and guide bearings on either side of the blade. Next was the motor, the Harvey has a 3HP, 230v motor, where the Laguna has a 1.75HP, 110v motor. The final, and most important (to me) feature was the second miter slot. The Harvey has a second miter slot on the left side of the blade, which can add stability to a cross cut sled, and other jigs that are similar to ones that would be used on a table saw. A bandsaw has a much thinner blade kerf than any table saw has. I'm sure that over the course of me owning this saw, I'll find other uses for that second miter slot. Both the Laguna and the Harvey were comparably priced, so that was not a deciding factor.

[@brianwernham5236]

Just bought one these Driftmaster fences. I am a machine tool mechanic that is a hobby woodworker. Laguna mentioned precision on the box that it came. There is one major flaw with this fence assembly ! The fence lock. Laguna mounted the lock center line off to the side of the linear bearing with no support between the top of the linear rail and the aluminum casting . Therefore depending on how tight you tighten the lock the squareness of the fence to the bandsaw table varies. Therefore you have to check the squareness every single time you take the lock on and off. I believe offsetting the lock center line from the linear bearing will prematurely fail the bearing. Not everyone will tighten the lock the same way. Other than this problem which I think is a major one the design is decent with the price point.

[@Rich32262]

I looked at about six set up videos before I found this one to adjust the fence square to my table. Thanks for taking the time, this was top shelf.

[@tonygomez-jk9to]

Your instructional video is very detailed, i like that you get straight to the point and don't babble. I installed mine last week on my mini-max 45s. The instructions on how to eliminate drift with this fence is awesome, drift has been one of my achilles heels, well done by you and Laguna.

[@jstabiley]

Thank you for the in-depth video. Your explanations and demonstrations are spot-on and were very helpful (easier than reading the manual). Just installed mine on the 18BX and the fence works perfectly (no slop). This DX3 fence is nicer/better than the one that came with the 18BX bandsaw. One 360 degree turn on the handle is 1/4", so easy to get 1/8" veneer pieces off the bandsaw.

[@dutchwalters4450]

Installed mine last week, did not notice the perpendicular adjustment screws in the manual - fixed the one minor area that needed help. Thanks

[@SRG216]

What's the spacing on the many small slots on the universal mounting bracket? I want to see if they will match up with my current mounting holes, or will I need to drill a new hole.

[@570TiKi]

The ends of the rail are very sharp and can scrape your skin very easily. Do you have some kind of protective plastic caps for the ends?

[@LagunaTools]

Thank you for your question! We don't have protective plastic caps at the moment, but we recommend using fine grit sandpaper or a file to knock the sharpness of the edges.

[@josephKEOarthur]

I notice you have holes (dust vent?suction/vacume?) on the bandsaw base. (is this mainly mdf or is that an abs plastic or teflon?) (multiple holes wher the bandsaw blade goes in for the cut)

[@josephKEOarthur]

On the LT-18 i notice the baseplate is different. I have the Laguna 14BX (220v) bandsaw. . the one with the blue ceramic guards.. can i change it out for the black version on the LT-18?>

[@LagunaTools]

Thank you for your question on the bandsaw throat plate inserts. Your 14B|X Bandsaw uses the blue anodized aluminum throat plate insert. This insert has built-in leveling screws and a center screw to secure the insert to the table after leveling. The large, oblong center hole provides clearance to draw the sawdust down through this slot for collection by the dust ports below. This insert fits the 14|12, 14|BX, 14|CX, 18|BX, and 18|CX bandsaws. You can find replacement inserts at www.shop.lagunatools.com/Table-Insert-for-14-12-110-VOLT-BANDSAW. The square black insert that you saw in the video fits our Industrial Series Bandsaws. This insert is much thicker than the insert for your 14|BX and will not fit your saw. This is made from a durable, industrial-grade plastic and features the holes beside the blade slot. These holes assist in dust management for the Industrial Series saws. You can see this insert at www.shop.lagunatools.com/Throatplate-Italian-16HD-37

[@jonathanh2096]

Just got mine, and it’s great. Though there’s a lot of slop in the wheel, and a lot of play before it engages the rack. What’s the best way to tighten this up? Thanks for the great in-depth video, & looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

[@TreeOfLifeWoodworking]

uh oh... not excited to hear that. mine arrives tomorrow. im relying on this being accurate

[@NV..V]

I think he's talking about the drift wheel not the main "left to right" wheel. Mine has NO slop / play whatsoever. Super tight.

[@jonathanh2096]

@@NV..V No, I mean the main left-and-right wheel. But I’m glad to hear yours is ok. I have a call in to Laguna, and will report back!

[@NV..V]

@@jonathanh2096 Ugh Understood my friend. My apologies. I hope they make it right ASAP.

[@NV..V]

Did they ever help you fix it?

[@PrestigeChiro]

dont know if its an issue, helps or isnt necessary but id make the stop flip down so you can have it out of the way and flip it back up if needed

[@CalyoWiselyLaser]

Looks really nice!

[@UndertheWaterDesign]

Looks pretty awesome!!

[@mikejarves7611]

is this compatible with the Shop Fox W1706 14" bandsaw?

[@LagunaTools]

Hi, the DX3 comes with universal mounting brackets that allow it to be mounted on a wide range of bandsaws. One concern would be the fence height. The fence height is 7-1/4" tall in the high position, and the Shop Fox only has 6" of resaw capacity according to online specs. You would need to measure the height from the table to the bottom of the upper wheel covers to see if the 7-1/4" fence would be able to fit and move under the upper housing. Thank you.

[@edwardk7217]

In the video he mentions that this will fit larger saws, 24" and beyond. However, the tech support reps can only repeat what the sales material says.....up to 18" What's the real deal? I have a larger LT24 saw and wondering if this would work on it. It would appear to be fine, but wondering why Laguna says.....no (at least on paper)

[@LagunaTools]

Thank you for your question on the new Laguna DX3 DriftMaster fence system. The short answer is yes, it will fit your saw since it has a universal mounting bracket. The mounting bracket is designed to fit a wide range of saws to make it easy to fit saws like yours. We have a version of this fence coming out soon that has all of the same features, but it has a slightly longer mounting rail and mounting bracket as well as a longer fence extrusion. This version will end up being the best fit for your saw. It is specifically designed for 24" and larger saws. Keep an eye out for it on our website. The standard fence on the DX3 is 23" long with a 31" front rail. The larger version will have a 27" fence and a 37" front rail.

[@NV..V]

Love mine.

[@fussa6013]

I have a Laguna jointer and I hate it. also BE WARNED THEIR LAGUNA CUSTOMER SERVICE IS GOD AWFUL.

[@LagunaTools]

Hi, we're sorry to hear about your experience with your Laguna jointer and our customer service. Please reach out to us directly at [e-mail] with any details and concerns so we can address your issues. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

[@duster8100]

A waste of money, every adjustment needed to correct drift is on every bandsaw.