Thread: How to keep the numbers on my arms?

I am getting the same problem. This is after a year of monthly or bi-monthly use.

I have not worked out how to preserve them as yet.

Only recently purchasing my WC2000 I looked at the numbers and thought that this was a possible problem in the future as well.

Although I've come up with no solution yet, I'd most likely consider like a clear coat protector.. maybe like a varnish or something. I would keep clear of tapes etc.

Comes down to where the arms were in the kiln. If they didn't get sufficient heat, then they don't last as well as ones that were toasty. The ones on my WC lasted years of abuse.

I'd be inclined to get some of those magnetic stick-on rules (if you can get one thin enough) (or just ones with a sticky backing) if you can find one that fits between the two longitudinally raised portions of the arms.

One side wears faster then the other, i.e. the side on the outside of the workcentre. When this gets unusable swap the front and rear arms for a bit more life.

Would painting varnish or clear enamel on my brand new rip fence arms have a detrimental effect?

I assume from what Stuart said that the numbers are baked enamel so I am thinking clear enamel baked with my hot air gun might be the way to go.

Unfortunately I can't answer that one. I don;t know if any one has tried to do that yet.

I must admit that I have given up using the numbers at all. In part that is because I have moved the rip fenceto the RH side of the blade and the numbers don't mean anything that way round and in part because I am not sure it is a good idea to rely on the numbers to get the rip fence parallel to the blade.

My current technique is to set the width of the cut by using an appropriate block at the blade level (I have a collection of standard sizes - they are the length of the blade in its highest setting), then, leaving the blocks in place, checking that the fence is perpendicular to the ends of the table using a square (on that I know is square) and then locking. The increase in accuracy has been dramatic since adopting this approach. I am wondering whether to try locking the arms at 90 degrees to the fence, but I think there may be too much friction in the system to cope with that.

jmk89 there is a little arrow sticker that you put about 100mm (measure it to work with your saw) to the right of the blade on the channel that the measuring arm run in and then you measurements with the fence on the right hand side will be true.


I think I will do the experiment with clear enamel and then report back every 6 months or so.

I know, I tried it - it came off.

The main point is that my accuracy went up when I stopped using rulers and set the fence using spacers at the blade (where the cutting takes place) and a square.