MKC TOOLS10ER Rip Fence FixIn 1952 a new rip fence was introduced (above left) with the knob angled down for easier adjustment when a board is laying on the table next to the fence. It was a nice improvement except for the fact that the fence tended to shift laterally when the knob was tightened because of the angle of the stud to the rip fence bar. After a few months of production (and likely many complaints from customers) a factory mod was made adding a small cast aluminum wedge (above right) to the end of the theaded stud which eliminated the shifting. Below are a couple of fixes I came up with for those fences (likely several thousands) that do not have the wedge tipped stud. First: I found a thin piece of stainless steel which I attached to the inside of the fence base with an aluminum rivet. This could also be done by using one or two small screws to attach the plate. There isn't much room so a very small flat or button head screw would be required. This works nicely and prevents shifting of the fence. Second: For a much easier fix that requires no drilling or modification to the original fence, I made up a piece of .015" thick brass shim stock. 1" x 3 3/8" with 1/4" 90° bends on each end. I placed the shim in a vice and hammered the 1/4" over to get a nice square bend. Bend the ends in slightly so that they sort of clamp on the fence base to prevent movement. Just put it in place before sliding the fence on the bar. This fix works very well preventing any side movement of the fence when tightening the fence knob.
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