I’ve been getting a lot of questions recently about my sacrificial fence setup on my tablesaw. The truth is, it’s incredibly simple. All I do is cut a piece of scrap plywood that is just a little longer than my regular fence face. The real magic of my setup actually comes from the clamps that I use. In the past I would have to secure the fence using F-style clamps which certainly got the job done. But as you can imagine, the clamp head would frequently get in the way and if I needed to run a tall piece through, I’d have to come up with a different strategy.
So everything changed about a year ago when I picked up a set of Rockler’s Universal Fence Clamps. They are very simple devices that are made specifically for this task. Now all I need to do is drill a couple of holes in the top of my fence stock and the clamp does the rest of the work. The biggest benefit is that I can now secure the sacrificial fence with absolutely nothing getting in the way of the work. The clamps have numerous other applications but I pretty much dedicate mine to sacrificial fence duty.
Now the reason I bring this up is because I just noticed Rockler is having an Online ONLY sale right now. You can get a pair of these bad boys for about 28% off: $12.99. At that price, I recommend buying two pair. That way you can explore some of the other interesting applications using these clamps. Below are a few pictures from the Rockler site that show how versatile these little guys are. So pick up a set before they raise the price!
Thanks for the heads up, Marc. I already had one pair of these, and just got four more pairs at the sale price. Every “fenced” tool will now have a set so I don’t have to “rob Peter to pay Paul”.
I have 2 sets and use them on cauls when gluing up panels. Loveem!!! I think I’ll get 2 more sets.
I’ve had a pair of these for several years. I agree, they are great!
All good suggestions here. I have a pair that I bought when they first came out at $14.99. Sadly, I haven’t yet used them, but all of these suggestions are inspiring me. :) Now if I could just squeeze a few more hours out of each day, I’d be able to spend more time in the shop working on projects.
I have a set and could probably use another set also.
I do have a hint or two about your sacrificial fence.
#1 I used 2 x 4 yellow pine for my fence and planed it down to exactly 1″ thick. That way when I get ready to use it I can just set the fence scale to 1″ longer than the desired distance and be fairly close to the correct dimension.
#2. If you plan ahead when drilling the holes for the clamps and drill the hole the same distance from the end of the sacrificial fence as the distance the clamps will be used in the saw fence, you can just swivel the clamp 90 and clamp to the end of the wood fence and give a twist of the knob, for storage
Rog
I was recently in a Rockler Store and they were priced at over $15 and the salesman said that was for each. Obviously a mistake on his part. But I guess it saved me from buying them before the sale.
They definitely are handy. I could probably use a few more.
These are great for holding different fence jigs! I have had them for a while now and keep finding new uses.
I have a set of these and my only regret/complaint is that I don’t own more. They’re very useful!
I’m ordering two pair today.
Looking for my catalog to see if I have a Free Shipping Code.
Thanks for the heads up, Marc! I attach my shop made adjustable router fence to the table saw fence with a set of these. They work great!
Thanks for the heads up. I really like mine so I bought a second set.
thanks marc!
You’re right, these clamps are great. I love my set as well.
Some pretty neat different idea’s on how to use these around the shop . The price ain’t bad either .
Those clamps really come in handy.
They work great on my sacrificial fence.
But, I paid $17.99… :(
Jump on this deal.
I like them better than bar clamps for the Clamp-It assembly squares.
I have a set of those. I really like the idea of using them for a resaw fence on the bandsaw. I’ll have to buy a few more now.
It’s basically like a quick-release mechanism for fence accessories, and there’s nothing to interfere with the stock’s travel. Rockler’s catalog was the thing I used for design ideas when building my first shop.
Your right F-clamps can get in the way. I recently had need of a taller face on my rip fence. I made an H type assembly which on the fence side could F clamped and on the other, different accessories could be simply screwed to the sacrificial fence.
This design was inspired by John White’s article in FWW http://www.finewoodworking.com.....x?id=33749