Unifence installation challenges
forestgirl
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
Putting the Unfence back onto the Unisaw. The little bolts that fasten it to the extension table are mystifying me. At least I found the instructions that explain just how you’re supposed to get the nuts lined up inside the channel, many inches away from the opening in the end of the fence rail.
Here’s what I don’t get though: the bolts are small, which means the nuts are small — too small, it seems to me, to actually be captured by the channel they’re in. What kind of magic do I use to make this work?
forestgirl — you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can’t take the forest out of the girl 😉
Replies
Could it be the bolt heads go in the channel, not the nuts?
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Nope, there's no way to get the bolts inside the fence rail. It's a blind tube, with only the end open. You're supposed to stick the nut to a long, narrow piece of cardboard and put that inside the tube until the nut lines up with the hole and you can fasten the bolt through from the backside of the table frame.
Obviously, the guy who had the saw before me made this small hardware work. I'm too heat-pummeled from today's weather to go out and mess with it tonight, so thought I'd check with the Unisaw/fence people out there and get their tips.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 5/18/2008 1:09 am by forestgirl
On my old Unifence the rail was drilled and tapped for 1/4" x 20 bolts.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
"Life is not a success only journey." Dr. Phil
Jerry, was that the rail where it attached to the saw table, or the extension table frame?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
My rail had 4 holes for 3/8" bolts to attach to saw top, not all holes were used. Two holes were tapped for 1/4" bolts that were used to attach the angle iron under the extension table. My Unisaw/Unifence was built in 1986.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
"Life is not a success only journey." Dr. Phil
Maybe the parts breakdown in the link below will help. Also, item 61 in the parts breakdown is important. Item 61 are 2 washers that fit into a machined surface on the saw top. They provide a nice flat and straight surface for guide bar mounting.
http://www.acetoolrepair.com/36920-p-1638.html?osCsid=soaafoc2q4gtc2u2vq93jqqpd5
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
"Life is not a success only journey." Dr. Phil
Edited 5/18/2008 1:29 pm ET by JerryPacMan
Hi, Jerry. Those are the two threaded studs that hold the rail to the cast iron saw table top. I've done fine with those. Actually, your post prompted me to re-re-read the instructions, and I discovered that the other end of the rail (the one I was perplexed by) does not require nuts on the inside of that channeled rail, so everything is OK!!! Thanks.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Take pics to show the problem. I have that setup so we could compare with the end result.
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
Hi, Peter. Won't have time to do pics until this afternoon at the earliest.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Here all day.
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
Peter, the bolts I'm referring to are small diameter, 1/2" long bolts that go from the inside of the extension table frame, through the frame and into the backside of the fence rail. I found today that the holes in the fence rail are threaded, so I just mounted the fence rail and didn't worry about the nuts.
[Edit: upon re-re-reading the instruction, prompted by Jerry's post above, I've discovered nuts are not required on the far end of the fence] Hopefully, the threads in the rail will hold that part of the rail well. No time for pictures -- took the grandson out for a treat this afternoon. I'll just live with this arrangement and see if anything goes wrong. Thanks!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 5/19/2008 1:12 am by forestgirl
Sound like you have the cart before the horse, Separate the tube from the angle iron. Angle iron goes on first before the "tube". Clamp the extension table between the front and rear angle irons and get it level with the cast iron saw table top then drill the holes for the little 1/4-20 screws through the angle iron holes and through the wood frame. Flat head screws set into the angle iron.
The tube should be pre tapped for the bolts that hold the rail to the tube.
OOPS, My mistake Unifence not Bies, Sorry. Read too fast.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Edited 5/18/2008 12:13 pm ET by BruceS
Edited 5/18/2008 5:03 pm ET by BruceS
Edited 5/18/2008 5:04 pm ET by BruceS
"OOPS, My mistake Unifence not Bies, Sorry. " Whew! I was getting very confused, LOL! Tube? What tube? Angle Iron?? Oh, dear.....forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
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