Thread: suggestions for fence stop

The way that you approach this will be determined by how you normally mount the saw and whether or not it's portable.

In concept, you need a mounting rail in metal or timber that can attach to the saw base somehow, and extend to beyond the max length you wish to work with. To this you add a perpendicular fence that can move on the mounting rail, and be locked/clamped to it when in position. A built in tape or rule is handy if you will use it for cutting batches of components of different lengths.

The key things are that the rail maintains a fixed relationship with the saw, not the support structure, is rigid enough that it doesn't flex when the stop is impacted by timber you are feeding through, and stop attaches to the rail rigidly so that it does move unintentionally.

Simplest to implement with a saw fixed to long solid bench as all you need is a raised rail behind the saw and a matching sliding stop. Somewhat harder for a portable saw operating on a stand.

Thank you for your reply.

I have the saw screwed down on a bench top which is on top of one of those ladders that can be converted into a bench. It is about 4ft long.
The fence on the saw is very short so I cannot attatch anything to it.
I am not sure what you mean by raised rail behind the saw


thank you

john macklin

I have roughed out the attached plan view sketch for a saw on benchtop on frame as mentioned.

Basicly derived from the out bench setup we used for Brobo metal saw with roller benches for feed and out sides. I am emphasising attaching the rail and saw very firmly as I was once in the position of having cut rails for a run of 20 tables that grew slightly over the run as the out bench moved away from the saw. Saw and stand were bolted to the floor, the bench was bolted to the floor, but the spindly legs on the beench flexed a little and eich part became slightly longer.

Depending on the weight of the material being fed, and the force applied, it can hit the stop fairly hard and try to spring the rail toward the back of the bench, again causing the parts to extend slightly as the stop moves further from parallel with the blade

Rail could solid hardwood, or maybe 50 x 50 x 2mm+ wall metal tube fixed to the benchtop as close as poss to the saw base and end of bench. For the factory one, we had 150 x 150 x 10 angle iron, forming a base and side with the stop sliding along the and clamping with a 3/8 bolt. For moderate weight timber something lighter would be OK.

An accurately fixed tape on the rail is a godsend if you regularly change cut lengths. We ran a fixed tape on the rail with a wire pointer that we could adjust, and checked length regularly with a metre rule tight against the blade.

Thank you very much malb for your help, I will go to mitre 10 tomorrow to see what I can get, bunnings too far unless I have to got there.


thank you

john macklin

Yeah I just screw the saw to a long heavy plank w another piece attached at the back as a long fence using roofing screws on trestles then screw or clamp the stop in place.
i find it plenty for weatherboards flooring etc