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Like any table saw rip fence, mine needs occasional realignment to the blade. Because my miter gauge slots are aligned parallel to the blade, I just set my fence parallel to the right-hand slot. However, instead of mounting a dial indicator on a miter gauge to check the fence alignment, I made a gauge board that’s much quicker to use. The gauge board is nothing more than a piece of straight-sided scrap plywood attached to a runner that rides in my saw’s miter gauge slot. To set the fence, I simply place the runner in the right-hand table slot with the panel extending over to the right. Then I adjust my rip fence so that it contacts the panel’s edge when the fence is locked in place.
To ensure that the gauge board is parallel to the table slot, begin by making a runner that fits your table slot with no side-to-side play. Screw it to the edge of a panel that’s a little wider than the distance between your left-hand table slot and the blade. With the runner in the left-hand slot, trim the panel to width. Now it can be used in the right-hand slot with the certainty that it’s parallel to the blade. — Lyndal Anthony
