Auxiliary Shaper Fences
Aftermarket and shop-rigged solutions for add-on outboard fences for a shaper. October 29, 2008
Question
Is there an aftermarket outboard fence that is accurate and easy to use that I could add to a shaper in addition to the existing fence? Maybe guide rails that you add to the sides of the shaper.
Forum Responses
(Solid Wood Machining Forum)
From contributor G:
Weaver has a very nice, simple, inexpensive outboard fence. They do sell it separately from their shaper systems. I have their six shaper system and like it and the fence very much. The fence replaces the regular fence with one that has a spring-loaded infeed that pushes the work piece against their outboard fence. Use different shop-made wood spacers for different widths of work pieces. I actually bought a second outboard fence from them for a dedicated setup of a different profile. We no longer run that profile, so I may be interested in selling the fence. I am probably going to sell the Delta shaper I have it mounted on also. Let me know if you are interested.
From contributor F:
I use the table slot for my fence. I glue a strip of wood that fits the slot and attach it to the width of board that will make my wood piece the correct width after running. I then use different sizes to make different widths just by changing the jig. All you will ever have to set up when changing will be the h. I also use it for bars for divided light doors, which make a nicer door than add on bars.
From contributor K:
I have a setup on two of my shapers I made using an auxiliary table screwed on top of my PM 26 to make it a larger table. You could make almost any table size you want, but this one is a piece of 3/4" Baltic birch laminated with white matte (don't use high gloss, as it causes more friction) plastic laminate, 48" wide x 32" front to back and flush at the back edge of the iron table. I purchased some "garage sale" parts from the web site of 80/20 Inc. These are aluminum extrusions which I use as rails and which have "T" slots in their sides and have been designed to receive their linear bearing of "ultra high molecular weight plastic" as the bearing surfaces on the extrusions and interlocking with the "T" slots. The extrusions are bolted to the underside of the ends of the table front to back using the "T" slots so you can slide a fence attached to the bearings into or away from the spindle. I attached air clamp cylinders to the sides of the bearing housing and into the "T" slot of the rails as a clamp device. Also I incorporated an Accurate Technologies digital ruler. I get repeatable accuracy to any of the edge shaping process I do down to .002" + or - .002". I use a 66" long piece of 1/2" phenolic board as my fence to minimize wear and for stiffness. This is a fast, easy to use setup and quick to knock down if needed. I had to buy a full sheet of the phenolic board to get a fence that long, but I use the rest for other things around the shop. It's great stuff!
From the original questioner:
Thanks for all the responses for my outboard fence problem. Has anyone ever used a table saw fence like the Vega as an outboard fence? Could you put the two rails on the sides and lock the fence in on the outboard side of the fence?
From contributor K:
I see two possible problems, but both could be overcome. First, most saw fences are too high for most feeders to reach down past the fence to contact the work piece. An auxiliary fence could be set up to correct that. Second, you may need some way to fix the outfeed end of the fence to make it rigid enough to not deflect under the outward pressure of the power feeder.
From contributor A:
If you drill and tap two holes (3/8), you can use flat head allen bolts to hold a sheet of melamine to your shaper table. Extend it in both directions a few inches. This will give you an easy place to use regular c-clamps to clamp a straight fence (wood/plywood, etc).
You could upgrade it with some glued in t-track. I use the same holes to bolt my coping jig to my sliding table on my shaper. It indexes squarely every time for about 5 years.
