Saved a busted table saw fence with a 20 cent hardware store part

I picked up a free Craftsman table saw off the curb last month and the fence would never lock square no matter how hard I cranked. I tried shimming it with scrap wood and even thought about just trashing the whole thing. Then I noticed the locking cam was worn down maybe a quarter inch from years of use. I grabbed a pack of 3/8 inch nylon washers from Ace for like 60 cents total and stacked two under the cam. It tightens up dead straight now and I didn't have to spend $150 on a new fence. Anyone else ever fixed a tool with just a washer or two from the hardware aisle?

2 comments

2 Comments

sanchez.mary13d ago

Huh, I gotta push back a little here. A worn cam is a wear part, and stacking nylon washers is a band-aid, not a fix. That cam locks against the rail under constant vibration and sawdust, and nylon washers will crush or deform over time. You might get a few cuts before it loosens up again and throws your alignment off. I've seen guys do this with a fender washer too, but if the cam itself is worn by a quarter inch, the real fix is replacing that cam or the whole fence assembly. It's a decent temporary trick if you're broke and need to finish a project, but don't kid yourself that it's a permanent solution. You're basically running on borrowed time until that stack of washers fails mid-cut and your board kicks back. I'd rather spend the money on a proper replacement part than trust my fingers to a 60 cent patch job.

jessica_miller12d ago

Yeah, I've been down this exact road before. Stacked some nylon washers on an old Delta fence that had a worn cam, thought I was being clever. It held up for maybe two cuts before it started slipping again and I noticed the fence was drifting out of square. Ended up swapping the whole cam assembly and it was night and day difference. The temporary patch is fine if you're just trying to get through a weekend project but anything more than that and you're just asking for trouble. I'd rather eat the cost of a new part than deal with a kickback situation.

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