Introduction: DIY Table Saw Fence & Router Table Fence (+ FREE PLAN)

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About: Hi! My name is Marija and this is the Creativity Hero channel! I make a variety of videos like DIY projects, crafts and lifehacks that anyone can complete with just a little time and creativity. My mission…

In this Instructable I’ll show you how I made a table saw fence and a router table fence for my multipurpose workbench.

If you want to build this fence yourself you can find a FREE PLAN on my official website.

This is very simple design of a fence and also it provides perfect cuts.

Here are the materials I used:

Types of tools I used:

Step 1: Cutting the Plywood Board to Size and Sanding the Pieces.

This fence I made out of plywood board with 21mm thickness. So, I cut the longer pieces on my table saw. Due to the fact that I still don’t have a fence, I used a scrap of plywood and used it as a guide for precision.

For the smaller pieces I used a jigsaw. You can find all the dimensions in the free plan.

Before assembling the fence I’m going to sand the pieces separately with a 180 grit sandpaper. For the larger pieces I used a random orbit sander, but for the smaller pieces I used a sanding block.

I’m going to make knobs out of the smallest pieces, and for that purpose I’m going to round their corners a little to make them handy and much easier to turn.

Step 2: Assembling.

Now I can move on to assembling the fence.

I’ll start with gluing the three longest boards together with a wood glue and some clamps.

Squaring is most important here.So, I recommend working on a flat surface and measuring twice before driving the screws in.

Then, I pre-drill holes with a countersink drill bit on each side, making them deep enough so that the screws will be flush with the surface. This is another thing you need to pay special attention to if you want to make accurate cuts with your table saw.

After that I’m driving 5 cm long screws on each side and they will hold the pieces tight in place.

Step 3: Attaching the Front and the Back of the Fence.

I can now move on to the front and the back of the fence.

The front piece needs to be perpendicular with the main body of the fence and 65 mm of it need to go below the fence. I drew a line that will help me achieve the right distance. I pre drilled holes and attached it on the fence with 5 cm screws as well.

It was a bit difficult to do, because I don’t have that long clamps. I decided to apply a wood glue, add some weight and wait for it do dry for a while so I can secure it in place.

To create the lock mechanism of the fence I turned the fence upside down and drilled 2 holes on the bottom of the front piece.

In order to prevent any flexing I need extra support on the back of the fence and one small piece of plywood will provide that support.

Step 4: Creating the Lock Mechanism of the Fence.

These two plywood pieces will be secured together. I need to make two holes all the way through both pieces. This means that I need to work carefully and make them straight.

Then I installed the T-nuts. I applied 5-minute epoxy and pulled them into the wood with a clamp.

In order to make knobs I drilled holes in the middle of the smallest pieces of plywood where the bolts will be inserted.

Step 5: Turning the Table Saw Fence Into a Router Table Fence.

This fence can be used both as a table saw fence, and a router table fence. I needed to make a 35 mm hole on one side of the fence before assembling it, but I’m doing it after that with a Forstner bit.

All the excess plywood I removed with a coping saw which is awesome for this job.

This hole helped me turn this table saw fence into a router table fence as well.

Step 6: Applying a Wood Finish.

Now I need to protect the wood with a finish. All the pieces that I’m going to cut in the future will slide smoothly on the fence, and the finish will help me achieve that.

I applied one coat of water-based polyurethane with a rag. It is transparent finish which will provide a contrast between the workbench and the accessories.

The longest piece of plywood is a guide rail of the fence and I’m going to place it under the top of the workbench. But first, I’ll protect it with walnut stain, the same that I used for the workbench.

I left all the pieces to dry. Once they’re dry I can put everything together.

Step 7: Putting All the Pieces Together.

I didn’t have 10 cm long bolts, but I had threaded rod, so I made two bolts out it. Then I pulled those DIY bolts into the knobs and used nuts and washers on both sides to tighten them well.

After that I inserted the knobs into the holes that I previously made, and finally I insert the last piece on the other side. Now I’m done with the lock mechanism.

Step 8: Attaching the Guide Rail of the Fence Below the Workbench.

The last thing that I need to attach is the guide rail of the fence. I applied just enough wood glue making sure that I don’t make a mess and clamped it below the top with a bunch of clamps. It needs to be flush with the front of the table.

I pre-drilled holes with a countersink bit, and at the end I attached 35 mm screws on a shorter distance because the rail needs to be firm and flush with the front of the workbench.

Step 9: Running Some Test Cuts.

To attach the fence to the workbench I have to slide it in and lock it with the knobs. Once it is locked in place it’s not moving which means that it will provide accurate cuts.

At the end I run some test cuts and check the squaring.

Now I can finally cut wood evenly, precisely and safely.

There are some other accessories that are a must have for every workbench. I plan to build them in my next videos. I’ll give you free plans for them as well.

I hope this Instructable was helpful. If you need some more details don’t forget to watch the video and subscribe to my YouTube channel Creativity Hero for more fun projects.

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