Used Beisemeyer Fence Riding Too Low

Which model Biesemeyer do you have? On the older ones, they can’t ‘ride too low’ as they rest directly on the table top (using little plastic pads attached to the bottom of the fence) and can’t go any lower than that. Perhaps your pads need to be replaced?

Cheers,
Brad

-- Brad in FL - In Dog I trust... everything else is questionable

I do not have a Bies. fence, but my Grizz (Shop Fox) fence is a clone. It has adjusting screws that allow height changes for front and rear.
Check out your set up.
Are your rails adjusted properly?
Bill

-- [email protected]

Not sure of the model, but it is the commercial line, and its about 10-12 years old. It does have the little plastic pads on the bottom (towards the back end) that ride on the top of the saw, but the faces still catch the miter slot. Could it be that the pads are a little worn?

Bill:

I looked it over pretty good for vertical adjustments, but couldn’t find any. It’s only catching by the thickness of a piece of thick paper (approximately.)

There are no adjustments for height on the fence itself. The fence rides on the front guide tube, which must be set at exactly the right height, and on the table top via the glide pad. The rear rail is not needed and is only there so you can attach an extension table. Unfortunately, the VintageMachinery site is down right now, as they have a good Biesemeyer manual for the commercial fence that goes into great detail on how to mount the front rail/tube including a little template. A newer manual can be found here, but it’s not as detailed.

Cheers,
Brad

-- Brad in FL - In Dog I trust... everything else is questionable

With my Sawstop, which is a close clone of Biesemeyer, the face plates are kept by screws that can be loosened from inside and the height adjusted. The screws are accessible from the bottom of the fence. Sawstop even provided a nice screwdriver specifically for that. Check you have the same.

Older bies do not have those vertical adjustments.

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

With my Sawstop, which is a close clone of Biesemeyer, the face plates are kept by screws that can be loosened from inside and the height adjusted. The screws are accessible from the bottom of the fence. Sawstop even provided a nice screwdriver specifically for that. Check you have the same.
- Carloz

As Fridge sez, it’s not the same. The fence faces (laminated 1/2” birch ply) are screwed directly to the fence tube. And the screws are not accessible, as they are covered by the laminate. Here one is with the laminate removed showing the mounting screws:

Cheers,
Brad

-- Brad in FL - In Dog I trust... everything else is questionable

That’s the one I have. So what would be the best way to get it to ride a little higher? Trim the bottom of the face with a router? Add a little height to the plastic pads?

Brad: Thanks for the owner’s manual.

I had to raise my rail when I had the same problem. I replaced the ply with uhmw with bottom running parallel to the tube and a smudge above the wear pad in the back. I also put uhmw tape on all wear points.

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

Does it catch when slid in both directions or just one way?

-- Bill M. "People change, walnut doesn't" by Gene.

can you knock it down with a belt sander ?

-- Tony---- Reinholds,Pa.------ REMEMBER TO ALWAYS HAVE FUN :<))

Bill:

It happens in both directions. The 1/2” face falls into the miter slot and bottoms out the fence. With a little shove, it pops out, but then the other side falls in. Like I said it’s a small amount, but enough to not let it slide smoothly like it should.

Tony:

I was wondering about the belt sander. I think if I clamp a piece of wood of the desired height to the face, and then hit it with the belt sander down to the clamped on piece, it might work. I will have to be careful of the plastic pads so that I don’t create the same problem again.

What’s strange is that it came off of another Unisaw. It makes me wonder if they just put up with it catching.

It happens in both directions. The 1/2” face falls into the miter slot and bottoms out the fence. With a little shove, it pops out, but then the other side falls in. Like I said it s a small amount, but enough to not let it slide smoothly like it should.
- Imakenicefirewood

Does it catch at the rear of the fence or towards the front (head). The fence faces should be level with the bottom of the fence tube, or just slightly below it – but the guide pad raises the fence up enough to keep them from contacting the table. Yours isn’t doing that. If it catches at the front, then you need to raise your front guide tube a bit. If it happens at the rear, then you probably have a worn pad. I would remove material from the bottom of the fence faces only as a last resort. To test the pad, put a straight edge across the bottom of the two fence faces and make sure the glide pad is below the edge of them.

Cheers,
Brad

-- Brad in FL - In Dog I trust... everything else is questionable

I would just get some teflon and make thiker pads. Yours could bd worn out.
https://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/116/3572/=712hrx