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I finally got back to a project I started at least a month ago, making auxiliary fences for my miter saw.

Why do you want to do this? As they say "good question". Like the saw kerf on a table saw you make a zero clearance insert for the table (zci). On a miter say you can do the same basic thing either by making one or buying one. But the cut also likes to splinter on the fence size of the cut. So you want to make something like this to fix that issue.

Another thing that comes up is when you want to cut smaller pieces that can't bridge the gap between the parts on your miter saw. Or in general are too small to be done safely with the existing fences. With this you still have to take all safety issues into account but at least the small parts can be managed better. If it feels unsafe don't do it!

So now that you know the why, how about a look at what I did:
As a basic method to make something like this I just cut some 1/2" baltic birch plywood and traced the existing fences including the hole locations. Some fences may not have mounting holes but it shouldn't be too hard to make some?? Then it was just a matter of cutting them out and making sure they fit as expected. If the tops of your existing fences slide and a lot will, you may have to account for that to allow them to slide with the extra parts on.

I still have to sand mine and round some edges but I'm done for the day on this project so that will be another day.

Ed

Wow Ed you jumped hook line and sinker into the Festool line. A Kapex wow! That put a hole in the old tool budget! Your Aux fence is a great idea! Best to you my friend keep those nature pictures coming! Love them!

Your fence looks great. Very similar to the one I bought made from aluminum. Its of course more expensive but it preserves most of your cut capacity and never wears out.

https://www.customfabricatingsolutions. ... nce.html#/

I really like it but it does interfere with the dust collection boot as you slide over it to complete a cut. To alleviate that somewhat I slide the waste side fence out of the way and it works better while still preventing chip out on the good side.

Ed in Tampa wrote:Wow Ed you jumped hook line and sinker into the Festool line. A Kapex wow! That put a hole in the old tool budget! Your Aux fence is a great idea! Best to you my friend keep those nature pictures coming! Love them!

The kapex is about 15 months old now. I really do love it and yes it was expensive but I'd do it again.

The fence bits are not my idea, just my take on the idea. These were my first and follow the couture of the existing fences on the saw but are long enough to give a zci at the middle when needed. The application I actually made them for was to do some small cut offs. I had a set up for my other miter saw but I have since sent that saw off to storage so it was either bring that saw back or make these.

Ed

sehast wrote:Your fence looks great. Very similar to the one I bought made from aluminum. Its of course more expensive but it preserves most of your cut capacity and never wears out.

https://www.customfabricatingsolutions. ... nce.html#/

I really like it but it does interfere with the dust collection boot as you slide over it to complete a cut. To alleviate that somewhat I slide the waste side fence out of the way and it works better while still preventing chip out on the good side.

I did look at those but went the homemade route at least for now. I'm still looking at making a replaceable end where I can replace that part at some point but again that will be a future development.

I'm also looking to make a trenching cut spacer so you can get a flat cut through the whole work piece. Haven't figured out the distance I need to space the work piece out, not that it is hard to do but just haven't done it yet. For now a piece of scrap wood works but still, like to do things jigs and fixtures so it is for enjoyment as much as anything.

Ed

Looks nice Ed. I have considered making a jig for my miter saw that incorporates both a ZCI and hold down ability. I would really like the ability to hold short sections. I saw one that looks interesting that I was thinking about, but maybe instead of using T-track cut the grooves for use with the Matchfit system. Here is a link to the jig I liked. https://diycreators.com/3-in-one-diy-miter-saw-station/

thunderbirdbat wrote:Looks nice Ed. I have considered making a jig for my miter saw that incorporates both a ZCI and hold down ability. I would really like the ability to hold short sections. I saw one that looks interesting that I was thinking about, but maybe instead of using T-track cut the grooves for use with the Matchfit system. Here is a link to the jig I liked. https://diycreators.com/3-in-one-diy-miter-saw-station/

Does a ZCI have any effect on a miter saw?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4FaoSJD6Mg[/youtube]

ZCI do make a difference but you have to ask what you are looking for. For a miter saw the opening can be quite large and the bits you are trimming off can be quite small...... so where do you want those little cut offs going??? Take a look at the video and see where his go.

So are they worth it? Absolutely. You just need to ask the right question to get the right answer.

Ed

ps: just went back to check the comments......looks like I was not alone in my thoughts above.

rpd wrote:

thunderbirdbat wrote:Looks nice Ed. I have considered making a jig for my miter saw that incorporates both a ZCI and hold down ability. I would really like the ability to hold short sections. I saw one that looks interesting that I was thinking about, but maybe instead of using T-track cut the grooves for use with the Matchfit system. Here is a link to the jig I liked. https://diycreators.com/3-in-one-diy-miter-saw-station/

Does a ZCI have any effect on a miter saw?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4FaoSJD6Mg[/youtube]

I want a ZCI for lining up my cuts and to prevent small pieces from falling through the gap around the blade on my DeWalt.

In that video, Colin was talking about a ZCI in the table slot of a miter saw. I agree with him on that, mostly. The exception is at the front of a wide board, which will be cut while the teeth are still on the downstroke. This is more of a limitation on a non-sliding CMS, like my Makita - but I prefer theose because they tend to be more rigid.

A zero-clearance fence is a whole different story. The teeth always pull the wood fibers toward the fence when cutting. Without a zero-clearance fence, tearout on that face is likely. Colin had quite a bit on both of his example cuts.

But I agree with Brenda — having a zero-clearance slot as an alignment mark is a great benefit in and of itself. Not to mention the better offcut control.