Introduction: Retrofitting a Delta T2 Fence to a Craftsman Table Saw
If you have one of these older Craftsman table saws, you already know two things:
1) With a little tweaking, they're surprisingly adequate saws.
2) The fence really sucks. Like, a lot.
Luckily there are a lot of options out there to upgrade that shotty old fence. In this instructable, I'll cover the procedure for installing a Delta 36-T30 T2 fence & rail system onto a Craftsman 113.298762. This is a popular upgrade for these old saws, but the documentation out there on how to do it is pretty sparse. Hopefully this little guide will help a few folks.
Step 1: A Note About Compatiblity...
The Delta 36-T30 fence & rails are a bargain no matter how you look at it. Its basically a clone of the ever popular and ever expensive Biesemeyer fences. Those can run upwards of $300-400+. The T2 is sold by Lowe's for around $150. A true bargain. But here's the thing...
The Delta T2 rails are supposedly universal, but none of the pre-drilled holes line up on Craftsman saws. There's lots of drilling and nervousness involved, so be forewarned. If you take your time and measure, measure, measure, this works great. If you try to rush through it, you could damage the fence and render it unusable...and un-returnable.
The saw in this instructable is a Craftsman 113.298762, but this process should apply to most other Craftsman table saws.
Step 2: What You'll Need...
To do this properly you'll need:
Combination Square
24" Carpenters Square
7/16" Drill Bit
3/8" Drill Bit
5/8" Countersink Bit
Flat Head/Phillips Head Screwdrivers
Wrenches (various sizes)
Socket Set
Various Clamps
Drill
WD-40
Note about the drill:
I used a drill press for all the drilling in this Instructable, and recommend you do the same if you have one available to you. The accuracy and repeatability of a drill press made this go a lot smoother. You could certainly do this with a hand held drill, but make sure to use a center punch so your bit doesn't wander.
Step 3: Establish the Zero Reference Line...
The fence's guide tube has an integrated measuring tape, so you have to take care to make sure that it lines up properly. Here's how I went about that.
Go ahead and attach the guide tube to the front rail. Using your square against the front edge of the guide tube, find the "Zero" line and transfer a pencil mark to the front rail. Now, butt the back rail up to the front rail and transfer the mark. Set the back rail aside.
Now go ahead and pop the fence onto the front rail/guide tube assembly. Line up the sight on the fence with the zero line on the guide tube and lock it down. Raise the blade up to full height...you did unplug your saw, right? Of course you did. Lay the fence on the table and slide it firmly against the saw blade. Also make sure that the front rail is firmly against the front of the saw. Use a couple small clamps to make sure that the front rail is fairly level and that everything is secure.
Now transfer the pencil mark from the front rail to the front of your saw table. Remove the fence and front rail and set them aside. Now, using a small square, extend that pencil mark up the front of the table. Using a larger square, extend the pencil mark all the way across the top of the table, and then down the back of the table. Now we have all the guides we need to line the scale up properly.
Note: The fence's sight is adjustable a few millimeters from side to side, so you have a small margin for error in this step.
Step 4: Mark the Front Rail for Drilling...
There are a couple different ways to go about making this fence fit. You can use the pre-existing holes in the front rail and drill new holes in the saw table. Or, you can use the pre-existing holes in the table and drill the front rail. I chose the latter simply because I can't get my table saw onto my drill press.
First, we need to get the front rail/guide tube into position. I just propped the whole front rail assembly up on a saw horse and slid it up to the front of the saw table. I lined up the line I drew on the front rail with the line I just marked on the table. I then used a combination of scrap wood and paper to shim it up to where I wanted it. I would occasionally clamp the front rail in place and pop the fence on to check it for clearance over the table top.
This required a LOT of trial and error. If you position the rail too high, the fence will ride really high over the table. If you position it too low, you'll have to drill too close to the edge of the rail. Take your time and find a good equilibrium. On my saw, 13/16" from the top of the saw table to the top of the rail was the butter zone. I used a combination square to make sure that this measurement was constant across the entire length of the rail. That gave me just enough room to drill, and the fence rides a mere 1/16" over the table.
Note: Another thing to look out for are the little nylon adjusting screws on either side of the fence. If your fence is riding too high, they will actually be above the level of the table top and will interfere with your work piece.
Once the fence was where I wanted it, I used a Sharpie marker to mark the drilling locations. I just crouched down beneath the saw table and marked through the existing holes in the table top. Once I was confident that everything was marked correctly, I disassembled the front rail & guide tub and headed for the drill press.
Step 5: Drilling the Front Rail...
To simplify things at the drill press, I set up my makeshift fence. Its just a piece of aluminum angle that pivots on a bolt on one end and is secured by a c-clamp on the other. Its crude, but it works well. I actually drilled into the back of the rail since that's where my marks were made. I used a couple of blocks of wood to elevate the rail off the table and referenced the bottom of the rail against the fence (see the first pic for clarification).
I used a 7/16" drill bit for all the holes. Its roughly the same size as the pre-drilled holes in the rail, and it gives us a little wiggle room for fine tuning later. When drilling the holes, be sure to keep a can of WD-40 handy to keep things cool. Also, be sure you've got your safety glasses on as you'll be flinging around lots of metal shavings. After the first hole is drilled, just slide the rail down and drill the second hole.
Next, mount a 5/8" countersink bit into the drill press. Countersink the holes just until the screw heads sit flush. The front rail is done, just mount the guide tube to it and bolt it to the saw and make sure everything lines up as it should.
Step 6: Drilling the Rear Rail...
Go ahead and put the fence in place. Because of the motor sticking out of the back of the saw, we have to approach the rear rail a bit differently. We can't get the saw horse up to the saw, so we have to use clamps to hold it in place. Luckily, the rear rail is lighter and much less cumbersome, so its pretty easy to just clamp it in place making sure to line up your zero reference lines. With a clamp on each end, just loosen one end at a time and bump the rail up until the fence is raised off the table evenly with the front (in my case, 1/16"), and even across the back of the saw. On my saw, the top of the rear rail was 11/16" below the table top. Once you're confident everything is where it should be, mark the holes for drilling just like you did on the front. Using a similar set up on the drill press, drill the holes. However, it is not necessary to countersink these holes since the bolt heads won't interfere with anything. Now bolt the rear rail on and install the fence.
One thing to note, I actually used a couple of smaller diameter bolts I had laying around the shop for the rear rail. This gave me a little more room to tweak and fine tune things.
Step 7: And That's It.
Now, just make sure everything is lined up as it should be. Raise the blade and slide the fence over until it touches the right side of the blade. If the sight on the fence doesn't read "Zero" on the scale, just loosen the two screws on the sight and line it up.
And there you have it. If all has gone well, this thing should be solid and glide like butter.

Participated in the
Craftsman Workshop of the Future Contest
60 Comments
2 years ago on Step 7
Thank you for your time to write this tutorial and obviously you are a details person. I'm on the fence either buy the T2 or mount fence and rails from an old Rockwell saved from years past.
Question 3 years ago
i installed the T2 fence and set it up just like your instructions, however when i set the scale at zero right up against the blade, then move the fence to 30 inches, it doesn`t read right. its 1/8 inch too far. instead of 30 inches, it measures 30 1/8 inches. what did I do wrong?
6 years ago
I can't find a schematic or info anywhere. Do you have the center to center holes for the manufactured two bolt holes that secure the front/rear to the table top? I have an older Rockwell with holes 16" on center and can't get any confirmation as to whether the t3 rail has holes 16" on center. I'd rather not drill anything.
7 years ago
Thank you for the detailed instructions. I installed the Delta 36-T30 T3 on an old Delta Super 10 model 34-470 table saw. Without your instructions it would have been a disaster. The only holes that lined up were the ones on the stamped extension wings. I drilled the rails verses the table. The top of the table is thin and shallow in depth but I was able to get about 1/16 clearance between fence and table top. The fence really isn't square, sides are scalloped but not horribly. I was able to square one side of the fence to the table however it caused the screws holding the fence site to protrude above the level of the table top. After unsuccessfully looking for low profile screws, I opted to grind the top of the screws to prevent the screws from interfering with the work pieces. Because the table depth was less 27" I moved the rear metal clip and nylon guide to correct this.
Thank goodness for the internet and people like you who take the time to post detailed instructions with pictures! Thanks again!
To JohnL289: if I can do this (62 yr, 5'2" female with limited experience with tools), anyone can! Be patient, double check your measurements. It'll be worth it.
7 years ago
does this work with the Delta 36-T30 T3 as well or is there another retro fit for that one as well?
8 years ago on Introduction
That model is 113.241691.
8 years ago on Introduction
I have a Craftsman 113.24167 and new a up-grade fence for it. Will the Delta t-2 work on this model as well? Any help would be appreciated much since I can't afford to buy a new table saw on my SS income.
9 years ago on Step 5
I started my retrofit tonight and couldn't do it without this.
However I am really disappointed as the Delta fence I received seems to be either defective and/or damaged. First the holes in front rail do not line up very well in the holes in the guide tube. This resulted in an uneven gap between the rail and guide tube, 3/8" on one end and 3/4" on the other. When I tried to put the fence onto the guide tube it wouldn't go on. After pushing very hard it went on but is basically locked in place and won't slide and yes I have the lever up. I will be calling the place I bought it from tomorrow to find out why I am having these problems. I am wondering if Delta quality isn't what I thought it would be. And damn this thing is heavy, I am going to need help putting it on the saw while I figure out where the mounting holes go.
Reply 9 years ago on Step 5
Ok after reading the Delta instructions I was able to get fence on and sliding by adjusting the two allen screws on the fence. One was way too far in. I am still not happy about the gap not being even between the rail and guide tube, its off by about 1/16" from one end to the other. Hopefully the screws to adjust the fence square to the saw will make up for that. If not then I will have to slot the holes in the front rail even through they already have tons of slop.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
That sounds incredibly frustrating. When I installed my second T2 kit, I had one bolt on the rail that didn't quite line up, but nothing that caused that much of a misalignment. Did you manage get it dialed in?
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
After spending a whole day lining up the rails and drilling the holes I discovered that the fence was welded crooked to the bracket that slides on the guide tube, so it is impossible to adjust it square to my saw table. I checked it with a square and it is at least a few degrees out of square. I called Delta customer service and they are sending me a new fence which should arrive tomorrow after waiting a week. I was almost ready to return the whole thing and was considering paying more for a Vega fence, but decided since i already did the work and drilled holes to stay the course. One question I have is how far should the locking lever go down? Mine only goes down about 45 degrees from vertical and doesn't really lock it just gets tight and won't go any further. Again thanks for the detailed instructions, without this I wouldn't even attempt to do this on my own.
Reply 9 years ago
My locking lever is the same way. It doesn't go all the way down like you'd assume a cam lock should, but it still locks in place firmly.
Glad that Delta was able to get you straightened out. Hopefully you'll be up and running soon.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Have you seen this? I have the stamped metal extension wings and they are really crappy and was looking for something better. I think this may be my next project for the TS:
http://lumberjocks.com/Dustmite/blog/15531
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
I need to do that to the left side of my saw as well. I have the aluminum wings, but they're less than flat. I did something very similar to the right side to incorporate a router table. I actually posted that on lumberjocks as well...
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/94535
My next project will to build a rolling cabinet base for my saw, too.
9 years ago on Introduction
I will be installing a Delta T2 on a Craftsman 113.298240 and I am wondering if anyone has had any luck with putting the blade guard back on after installing the fence and rails?
Reply 9 years ago
The new rail is only marginally larger than the original rail, so I don't imagine it would be an issue.
9 years ago on Introduction
I am trying to put the t2 on my model 113226880 craftsman but the fence is 29" and the table is 23". Anyone have ideas if it can be tweaked?
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
The far end of the fence slides on top of the back rail on a UHMW block. I've seen where folks have just removed and remounted the block further up the fence to accommodate a shorter table. I would need to run downstairs and look at my fence again to confirm that this is plausible.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
It is possible.. I did it and it works great. You just need to,measure ,measure ,measure. So you mount it in the new spot correctly.
Thanks
9 years ago on Step 7
Thank you so very much for your article! I just finished installing the new rails and fence on my 34 year old Sears 113.298031. The details you provided gave me the confidence to try it and now I can't believe how much more fun it is to use. Your notes on things to look out for were especially helpful and probably saved me hours of frustration. I really appreciated the detail you provided to describe your methods for accomplishing each step. The photos were really helpful. Thanks again. I never would have tried this if I hadn't found your article.