Bridging a Gap for Better Clamping

Bridging a Gap for Better Clamping

A table saw makes a handy assembly and sanding table, but it’s hard to clamp workpieces along the front edge unless your rip fence rails are flush with the table surface.

To fix the problem on my saw, I bridged this gap with a couple of strips of scrap wood, planed to fill the space. I fitted and glued a second strip of 1/4″ plywood into a kerf on the bottom of each filler to form a “T” shape, which keeps the filler strips from falling off the saw.

Now, my saw table is flush all the way to the edge of the fence rail – perfect for clamping. Whenever I need to move the rip fence, my filler strips slide right with it.

– Rob Richards
Mystic, Connecticut

Posted in: