All Replies on Powermatic 66: cut Biesemeyer rails or not??

I wouldn’t cut the rails. I would pull them off and store them for future use. Yes, one day you wish you had 52” rails. It’s a cabinet saw, after all. Purchase shorter rails.

-- The Carpenter Bee is derived from the Ancient Greek word wood-cutter "xylokopos/ξυλοκὀπος"

If you can find a set of shorter rails, I would definitely go that route first.

I’m actually in a similar situation, though I don’t need shorter rails, I just don’t need the longer ones, but that was the only option when I was buying my aftermarket fence for my old Walker-Turner saw.

Maybe you can post around and see if there’s anyone local with short rails that might be interested in a trade (either straight swap, or cash+trade). Failing all that, I’d say go ahead and cut it. It’s not something incredibly rare, and you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do to make your tools work for you, but it would be my last resort if it were mine

-- Mos - Twin Cities, MN - http://www.youtube.com/MosquitoMods - http://www.TheModsquito.com

I have a PM66 that the previous owner cut about a foot off of the LEFT side of the rails when he added a sliding table. The table was long gone when I bought the saw so just the stock fence. It is ok that way 99% of the time, but there have been a couple of times I would have liked to have had that foot back. If you were in northern Kalifornia maybe we could work out a trade.

Wayne

If I understand you correctly, the part(s) you’re wanting to cut is a combination of rectangular tube and cold rolled angle steel with holes drilled in it. If it bothers you to cut them, then perhaps you can source some comparable but shorter replacements. Based on your comments, it sounds like you have the skills to do this.

-- Barry, http://BarrysWorkshop.com/

thank you all for your comments. since the 2×4 rail goes 6” past the angle iron that holds the extension wings… maybe i’ll slide the rail down and drill new holes and tap so the rail is an even 6ft with the angle iron. the new holes would only be in the rail and not the angle iron. then take 12’’ of both the angle iron and rail. So in the future I can always slide the rail out past the angle iron to its original holes if needed and that would increase the rip another 6”.
thoughts?

I have a PM66 that the previous owner cut about a foot off of the LEFT side of the rails when he added a sliding table. The table was long gone when I bought the saw so just the stock fence. It is ok that way 99% of the time, but there have been a couple of times I would have liked to have had that foot back. If you were in northern Kalifornia maybe we could work out a trade.

Wayne

- xeddog

I’m coming up there for thanksgiving… where are you located?

Why not just buy a new piece of angle iron and rectangle and the drill/tap to make a new set of rails? Keep the old set in storage for use/sale. The VSCT guys have a detailed guide on how to do it here

If I couldn’t find someone close to swap with I’d cut it.

-- Shooting down the walls of heartache. Bang bang. I am. The warrior.

thats what i was thinking tbh.. and thx for the plans!

Why not just buy a new piece of angle iron and rectangle and the drill/tap to make a new set of rails? Keep the old set in storage for use/sale. The VSCT guys have a detailed guide on how to do it here

- EdDantes

If I couldn’t find someone close to swap with I’d cut it.

- TheFridge

Agree, It’s just a piece of metal. Cut it and move on.
(as long as you don’t think you need the length in the future.)

You can find the angle and the rectangular steel tube here. https://www.onlinemetals.com/

#custom

Cut it. Why bother doing anything else, you will have the max width you can fit.

-- A severed foot is the ultimate stocking stuffer.