Ridgid 4512 fence upgrade

[Volksdad]

Last year I started a slush fund for my sawstop. Kids needed some extra dental work, and now I’m at least another year away.

I hate the fence most on my 4512. It rarely tightens square, and I’ve spent hours trying to adjust it.
What aftermarket fences can you recommend Or suggest looking at for this table saw? I can swing a couple of hundred for a new fence... and that might make waiting not so terrible.
Thanks for any advice you can share.

 

[creasman]

I was in a similar situation. My first (and current) table saw is a Delta contractor saw. It was a floor model at a local builder's supply so I got a good deal. Like you I didn't really like the fence and a few years later I upgraded to an Incra fence (INCRA TOOLS :: Precision Fences :: TS-LS Table Saw Fence).

I've had this saw now for over 30 years. It's on it's second motor and still going strong. I know there are better saws. I would have upgraded if not for the fence. The Incra fence cost as much as I paid for the saw. It was worth the money, though. Once installed it is always square. You can quickly set any width down to a 1/32" increment. With a bit more effort you can set it to 1/100" of an inch (something I rarely ever need to do).

The downsides are 1) cost (do you want to put the money into a fence or a new saw) and 2) the design of the Incra means you need double the space on the right of the saw for the sliding bar to move. For example, if you're ripping a 30" width then you have 30" of the sliding bar to the right of the table saw. I have the space so it's not a problem for me. On the plus side if you do upgrade your table saw down the road you'll have a good fence to put on your new one.

Hope this helps,
Jim

 

[Volksdad]

Jim thanks for your help. Unfortunately I do have a staircase about 20” from the saw on the right- but my saw has a mobile base. I’m going to look at the incra any way though.

 

[Eric G]

I bought the Delta T3 fence from Home Depot to upgrade the stock fence on my Craftsman 113. At $220 it doesn't break the bank (even though that's more than 2x what I paid for the saw!). I had to drill a few extra holes to get it to fit on the 113, but there is a Q&A on the product page where people state it fits on the Ridgid 4512. I've had it for 2 years now and I'm still pleased with it.

 

[spartyon8]

I put a T3 fence on my r4512. While it is worlds better than the Ridgid one, the holes make the rails sit a little higher and in turn make the fence sit higher. I have about a 1/8” gap from table to fence. When working with thinner material I just use a piece of ply to fill the gap.

 

[Volksdad]

I looked at the incra and I see it getting destroyed in my shop.
The t3 sounds promising. I saw a FINE woodworking tip where someone used thin magnetic sheets to take up a gap... thank you Eric and thank you Peter for weighing in!

 

[zdorsch]

My father in law has one of the Vega fences and they are quite stout. A little more than the delta though.