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• Sunday, December 18th, 2016

Very Super Cool table saw fence

How cool is this table saw fence? The answer is in its name: Very Super Cool.

The Saw Stop cabinet saw that has been in my shop since 2005 is still a great machine but the Biesemeyer-style fence that came with it has never measured up in quality. The fence’s travel and locking mechanisms are very good but the fence face is simply not straight enough for the precision I demand and which the saw is otherwise fully capable of delivering.

The relatively flexible MDF-plastic laminate fence face is tightened against the painted metal fence body, which is not machined. This has frustrated my many attempts at shimming to create a true, flat fence.

True, the work piece bridges hollows to some extent but there are still inaccuracies and unpredictable effects at the beginning and end of the cut, depending on the length of the board. Bottom line, the results were wanting.

Enter the VerySuperCool fence. Its prime and great virtue is the incredibly flat and true one-piece, machined, aluminum extrusion fence, 40x80mm in section. Testing with my two-foot Starrett straightedge, both faces were flat everywhere within one thou. Amazingly, the faces are also parallel within one thou, which comes in handy for using the fence on either side of the blade, or for a jig that slides over the whole fence.

Very Super Cool aluminum extrusion

Now I can trust that when I ride a work piece with a nice straight edge against the fence, the cut edge will be just as nicely straight. What a relief.

The fence slides wonderfully smoothly and locks without creeping as the handle is tightened. The hairline cursor is easy to read accurately if you want to cut to an absolute dimension or repeat it.

The set up procedure is eminently logical. The maker walks you through the details with very understandable You Tube videos available via his website. The result is a fence parallel to the blade and square to the table that is adjusted to lock solidly.

The slots in the extrusion can be used with a variety of manufactured and shop-made add-ons, limited only by your ingenuity. Below is shown a simple end stop for cutoffs attached with bolts and T-nuts, using no clamps.

Very Super Cool T-nuts

The VerySuperCools Tools fence was developed and is made in the USA by Allan Little. The personal attention and service I experienced were just what one would expect from a small independent company like this one.

This review is unsolicited and uncompensated. I write this sort of review for two reasons. First, I want to present my experience with beneficial excellent products that may be unfamiliar to my fellow woodworkers. Second, I am in awe of the work of inventive entrepreneurs like Allan Little, Mark Harrell, Ken Rizza, Tico Vogt, Kevin Glen-Drake, and Bob Zajicek, all of whom make products I have reviewed on this blog. I want to support them and urge you also do so. They help make the world go around and America great.

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5 Responses

  1. 1
    Steve 

    Thanks for reviewing this fence Rob. I’ve been looking at his products for a while now, wondering if they were worth the cost…and the work involved converting my saw. With your favorable review I think I’ll order it since I’m not to impressed with my current setup either.

  2. 2
    Rob 

    Steve,

    I think you’ll be pleased. Study the options on his website, then Allan can help you through the details of fitting your rail dimensions, allowing room for the cursor, fence length, etc.

    Once you have the right parts, set up is not difficult because it has been so well thought out. Use the videos.

    I hacksawed a bit of length off the 42″ fence because every inch counts in my small shop.

    That machined extrusion is awesome.

    If you have a chance, let me know how you did with it.

    Rob

  3. Rob,

    So strange, I was watching Marc’s (The Wood Whisperer) video on this product last night and then I tune in to your blog this morning to see this! It is indeed a great looking product.

  4. 4
    william dempsey 

    Rob,
    I am in the market for a table saw. I have the time now to spend in a shop. I want to purchase tools that will last for years and I will not easily outgrow. Would you think a 3hp cabinet saw be sufficient for use in furniture making. The majority of the time I would be ripping 4/4 stock with the occasion 8/4. I would appreciate your insight.
    Thank You

  5. 5
    Rob 

    Hi William,
    A 3HP cabinet saw is plenty for furniture making, and is probably the most typical configuration among small shop furniture makers. I am still very happy with my Saw Stop that I purchased in 2005, even aside from the braking system. The negatives, in my opinion, are the miter gauge and rip fence, which I have upgraded to the Inca 1000HD and VSC, respectively. The OEMs are not bad and probably most woodworkers would be content with them.
    Good luck and let me know if I can help further.
    Rob