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Fence Adjustment
Fence locking is controlled by turning the two
handles on the front of the fence. The straight
handle controls the locking clamp on the back rail
and the star knob controls the locking clamp on
the front rail. See Figure 35 for control locations.
Both of these knobs must be loosened when
moving the fence.
When adjusting your fence to the desired cutting
width, use a tape measure or a ruler to measure
the distance from the fence to the blade. Always
lock the front locking knob first.
Figure 35. Fence controls.
If your fence does not clamp square, the adjust-
ment bolts shown in Figure 35 can be loosened
to allow you to slightly adjust the fence one way
or another. When the fence is in the desired posi-
tion, tighten the bolts to lock it in place.
-26- G1012 18" Bandsaw
Front
Locking
Rear
Locking
Adjustment Bolts
Blade Lead
Most bandsaw blades will not appear to cut
straight when using the fence or miter gauge.
This is called “lead.” (See Figure 36.) Lead
occurs (1) if the blade tension is incorrect, (2) if
the teeth are dull on one side, or (3) if the teeth
are set heavier on one side of the blade than the
other.
If you notice that your blade is not cutting
straight (i.e. leading) while using the fence or
miter gauge:
1. Check that the miter slot or fence is parallel
to the blade line.
2. Check that you have proper blade tension. If
the blade tension is correct and it is not con-
venient to replace the blade, compensate for
lead by skewing the fence or adjusting the
table.
To skew your fence:
1. Obtain a piece of scrap wood that is approx-
imately
3
⁄4" thick x 3" wide x 17" long. On a
wide face of the board, draw a straight line
parallel to the long edge.
2. Slide the fence out of the way and cut free-
hand along the line. Stop at the halfway
point. Turn the bandsaw off and wait for the
blade to stop.
3. Clamp the board to the bandsaw table with-
out moving it. Now slide the fence over to
the board so it barely touches one end of the
board.
4. Loosen the two skewing cap screws on top
of the fence. Figure 35.
5. Skew the fence left or right so it is parallel to
the edge of the scrap piece. You may need
to readjust the fence locking mechanisms to
gain maximum adjustment.
6. While maintaining the skew, tighten the cap
screws.