# Table Saw Fence? Help Needed



## MKTacop

I have a Kobalt 10" contractor table saw that isn't the best in the world, but it works and is what I have to work with. The fence on it is TERRIBLE. I cannot stand that I have to lock both the front and rear of the fence and hope that I haven't bumped it in the process and thrown the measurement off. I'd really like to get a replacement fence for it that will allow the fence to be more easily positioned and be more accurate. It would be great if the same fence could potentially be moved to a better saw when I upgrade at some point down the road.

All that said, I'm looking for recommendations from you guys (and gals) on what WORKS for you. I can read "reviews" on Amazon, Rockler, Woodcraft, etc all day long, but I'd prefer first-hand information from the people here. You are all using products like what I'm looking for on a regular basis and in my opinion will give the best "real-world" recommendations.

Thanks in advance.

Buddy


----------



## ripjack13

I am interested in a new fence as well for my craftsman saw, so I'm posting to get updates.


----------



## woodtickgreg

I have an older craftsman contractor saw that I upgraded the fence on. Dollar wise and for the features the best fence I found for my money at the time was an HTC, made right here in Michigan. It is a "T" square style fence, or a biesemier clone. The coolest feature on it is the micro adjust, I can lock it, make a cut, and then sneak up on it with the micro adjust. It also has removable and replaceable uhmv sides. I can't remember what the cost was at the time, but I do love this fence!
I don't know if it can be made to fit the kobalt saw, a pic of your saw might help.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


----------



## MKTacop

woodtickgreg said:


> I have an older craftsman contractor saw that I upgraded the fence on. Dollar wise and for the features the best fence I found for my money at the time was an HTC, made right here in Michigan. It is a "T" square style fence, or a biesemier clone. The coolest feature on it is the micro adjust, I can lock it, make a cut, and then sneak up on it with the micro adjust. It also has removable and replaceable uhmv sides. I can't remember what the cost was at the time, but I do love this fence!
> I don't know if it can be made to fit the kobalt saw, a pic of your saw might help.



Thanks Greg. This is the saw I have: http://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-15-Amp-10-in-Table-Saw/50056619


----------



## woodtickgreg

Buddy you are going to be very limited to what is available for that saw. You will have to fab something up and drill out new mounting holes. I know this is probably not what you want to hear but I would be looking for a bigger contractor say that you could mount a better fence to. Craftsman table saws are on craigslist all the time and they can be upgraded easier. Jets are worth a look as are the older Delta's Those portable saws like you have are very limiting on what you can do as far as upgrades, and I am betting that it has a general purpose motor that is loud as heck! The saws that I recommended will have an induction motor,much quieter, smoother, more powerful, and last longer. My craftsman contractor saw is from 1979 and still has the original motor. I don't know of anyone making an after market fence for your saw.


----------



## Kevin

I was going to post what Greg said - mounting a quality aftermarket fence to a Kobalt saw is not going to be easy. I know you don't want to hear it, but probably better to look for a used saw that's a step up from that one that already has a good fence. A quality fence isn't cheap anyway.


----------



## Tony

To echo what Kevin and Greg said, I believe you should go another direction. You can find some good deals on used ones on Craigslist for less than a quality fence will cost, if you could find one for your saw. That would be what I advise. Tony


----------



## JohnF

One more advice to not go thru the hassle of trying to fit something good on the Kobalt. You would probably have to butcher it up to make it fit and then it wouldn't be right for your next saw. I'd look for something in the used market. I see unisaws for 3-400 once in a while on CL. Delta contractor saws seem to run about 1-200. and I doubt you can buy a good fence for that. All that said I like biesemeyer having used them for about 30 years with no real problems.


----------



## MKTacop

Thanks gentlemen. I guess I'll start looking for a better saw and just stick with what I have for now. I appreciate the advice.


----------



## Borsco

Hello, I realize I am very late this with this response. I recently bought the same Kobalt saw. I cleaned everything very well and used FrogLube (a gun cleaner) to buff and protect all metal surfaces; it theoretically did the same thing as paste wax would but I didn’t have any. This drastically improved the fence’s ability to slide back and forth (less sticking) but didn’t clear up any paralleling issues (it was still off by 1/8-1/4” over the 24” or so run). The saw has an extendable table on the right side which, interestingly enough, stays about perfectly parallel. I clamped my fence down at zero clearance to the blade and made it as perfectly parallel as I could and now am just using the extendable table to change cut sizes. I hope this helps.

Scott

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Tom McCarroll

I’ve got the same Kobalt saw, and the same issues with the fence. What I have settled on is this: I have a strip of 1x2 red oak from Lowe’s that happens to fit exactly in the miter slots on the saw table. I lay the oak strip in the slot to the right of the blade then snug the fence up to the wood before clamping the fence down at both ends. Quick and easy, and when I check the fence with a big square it seems to be, well, square. Hope this helps!

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Borsco

Tom McCarroll said:


> I’ve got the same Kobalt saw, and the same issues with the fence. What I have settled on is this: I have a strip of 1x2 red oak from Lowe’s that happens to fit exactly in the miter slots on the saw table. I lay the oak strip in the slot to the right of the blade then snug the fence up to the wood before clamping the fence down at both ends. Quick and easy, and when I check the fence with a big square it seems to be, well, square. Hope this helps!


 

Good call, I did the exact same thing. One thing to keep in mind is that if the piece (I call it a gauge block) has any bow in it you want it to bow away from the fence so it has contact on each end rather than the center. 

Like you said, I square it in the miter slot and lock it down and then just move the extendable table to change cut size. It’s accurate to probably 1/32” over the 2’ travel. It isn’t perfect but it’s what you can expect.


----------

