I still remember the snap of cold steel under my fingertips the first morning I clamped an Accusquare table saw fence to my battered contractor sawnew-tool adrenaline mixed with the smell of fresh coffee and oak dust. Moments later that tired saw sliced maple like it had swallowed a laser. I grinned, shook the chill from my sleeves, and kept feeding boards until the lunch whistle. If you long for that kind of shop magic, pull up a stool because this guide walks through every nut, slot, and sweet-spot trick I have learned after years with this fence.
What the fence is and why it matters
The system follows a T-square pattern, yet it swaps heavy steel for a thick aluminum extrusion. That swap knocks weight down, holds stiffness, and frees you to add jigs on all three sides through built-in T-slots. Up front a steel head grabs a rail; spin the cam lever and the fence bites tight. Slide, lock, rip, repeatthat rhythm keeps shops moving.
Key high points
- Parallel stays parallel once dialed
- Dual hairline cursor reads the scale from either work side
- Slots accept featherboards, sacrificial faces, or dust hoods in seconds
- Lifetime parts promise plus a ninety-day return window
I lashed one to a thirty-year-old Delta and another to a shiny Grizzly. Both saws felt younger, safer, and quicker the same afternoon.
Engineering translated to plain talk
Picture two contact faces kissing the rail the moment you twist the cam. Nothing squishy hides inside; there is only steel on steel, so the fence locks true under gentle hand pressure. Less force means less wear which leads to repeatable cuts and fewer burnt boards.
The extrusion stands tall without flex, even when a stubborn sheet leans against it. Corners stay square. The long face stays flat. Add a plywood skin if you need zero-clearance support; the core remains honest.
The cursor? Two crisp hairlines under clear acrylic match standard tape sizes from Lufkin, Stanley, or Starrett. One glance and you trust the numberno mental math, no hovering eyes.
Will it fit your saw?
I have bolted Accusquare table saw fences onto Craftsman, Jet, Grizzly, Powermatic, Rockwell, and an old Shopsmith that groaned each dawn yet sliced true by noon. If your top is cast iron or thick laminate, chances are good.
Fast test steps
- Measure the table front-to-back where the rail sits
- Confirm room for bolts near the lip
- Check wing strength; webbed wings may need spacer blocks
- Sight the tabletop for twist; shim before rail work if required
Minor drilling may scare some owners, yet a cordless drill, sharp bit, and steady wrist handle it fine.
Three model lengths
| Model | Right rip reach | Front rail span | Shop fit notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1025 | 25 inches | ~48 inches | Tight rooms, side tables, jewelry boxes |
| M1040 | 40 inches | ~60 inches | Mid-size builds, router table on right wing |
| M1050 | 50 inches | ~72 inches | Full sheet goods, kitchen runs, tall bookcases |
Slide rails left or right during install for custom spacing. A friend shifted his rails to snag thirty-six right and twenty left; face-frame parts ride left of the blade where the motor hump stays clear.
T-slots turn a fence into a jig station
Grab square nuts, drop them into the channels, and your fence converts from guide to work partner.
A few rigs I keep ready
- Tall plywood face for panels on edge
- Skinny zero-clearance face for dado stacks
- Featherboard that rides the side slot
- Dust hood tied to a four-inch hose for router work in the right wing
Swap takes seconds. When a project shifts, the fence shifts with it.
A closer look at the lock
Some fences drift when hardwood pushes back. This one holds. Two faces on the head clamp to the front rail while a spring keeps alignment during travel. I once leaned into inch-thick hickory until the motor lugged; the fence never twitched.
If you feel grit on a powder-coated rail, rub it with gray Scotch-Brite, wipe on paste wax, buff dry, and enjoy finger-tip glide again. Slick tape on the head helps, too.
Dialing the dual cursor
Set-up time saves lumber later.
- Mount rails loose
- Align the fence to the left miter slot with feeler gauges
- Lock it, kiss the blade with scrap stock, and slice a clean edge
- Measure that rip with your favorite tape
- Loosen cursor screws, line hairline to scale, snug screws
- Cut again at random width, verify match
If you swap thin-kerf and full-kerf blades, mark pencil lines under the acrylic to remember offsets. Two thin washers under the cursor drop it lower if it rubs stock on left-hand cuts.
Installation walk-through
Tools on deck
Tape measure, square, drill, sharp bits, center punch, file, socket set, straightedge, wax.
Steps
- Scrub and wax the table top
- Tune blade square to table
- Clamp front rail so the fence floats a paper thickness above iron
- Punch, drill, deburr, bolt
- Hang back rail slightly under the surface so the fence never rides it
- Sight rails, shim until dead-straight
- Lock fence, measure gap at slot front and back, tweak head bolts until numbers match
- Stick the scale, align cursor, make test cuts
Take it slow. Each minute here echoes for years in cut quality.
Advanced tricks for tighter tolerances
- Clamp a stop block on the fence for duplicate parts
- Featherboards tame chatter on knotty pine
- Tall face supports beveled cabinet doors
- Zero-clearance face curbs tear-out on oak veneer ply
- Pencil next-rip dimension on the top surface to spare brain cycles
Micro shifts with no micro wheelslide a thin feeler gauge under the infeed side, bump fence, pull gauge, lock. Tiny moves, big payoff.
Care routine
- Dust rag over rails after each session
- Fresh wax monthly
- Snug head bolts every season
- Clear cursor lens if clouded
- Check scale adhesion after deep winter chills
A quick wipe before a long ripping day keeps motion smooth and morale high.
Troubleshooting corner
Problem: Rough slide
Fix: Scotch-Brite the rail, wax, add slick tape if needed.
Problem: Fence drifts while locked
Fix: Tighten cam pivot, verify rail straightness with a string, apply moderate lock force rather than gorilla torque.
Problem: Cursor strikes stock left side
Fix: Add washers under cursor or drop back rail height a touch.
Problem: Fence kisses back rail on tall work
Fix: Lower back rail or screw a taller sacrificial face to the fence.
How it stacks against the field
Stock fences on budget saws feel loose after one hard season. Heavy iron Biesemeyer clones stay square yet lack T-slots for quick jigs. The Accusquare table saw fence falls in the sweet spot: light enough for a home shop shoulder, stiff enough for cabinet runs, flexible enough for odd builds. Against Delta T3 it wins on jig speed, against Shop Fox steel it wins on weight, against several boutique aluminum faces it wins on price and availability.
Support? Mule answers the phone, ships parts with no drama, and honors that lifetime promise. Hard to argue with peace of mind.
Selecting the right length for your space
Pick M1025 if space squeezes you and sheet goods rarely visit.
Pick M1040 if you split time between boxes and closets.
Pick M1050 if a plywood stack sits in the corner every Monday.
Measure blade-to-wall distance, mark rail park zones, and plan an outfeed that still lets the fence slide off the rail end.
Safety and flow tips
- Push sticks every narrow rip
- Featherboard in the T-slot keeps fingers clear
- Keep outfeed level with the saw
- Never trap offcuts between blade and fence
- Clean pitch from the fence face to prevent drag
I hang a stubby paintbrush on a magnet stuck to the fence; one swipe clears scale dust before each setting.
Frequently asked questions
Will it fit my vintage Craftsman?
Yes, drill the rails to match existing holes or add new ones, use spacers on thin wings.
Can I trim rails?
Yes, cut square with a fine hack saw or metal blade, file burrs, replace plastic caps.
Can the fence ride left of the blade?
Yes, lock strength matches right-side cuts; drop cursor height if it scuffs plywood.
Does it include micro adjust?
No wheel, yet gentle pressure or feeler-gauge trick gives hairline shifts.
What sees lifetime cover?
Any defect in parts; labor is on you though the design keeps repairs simple.
Print-ready setup checklist
- Wax tabletop
- Square blade
- Clamp and drill front rail
- Mount back rail low
- Straighten rails
- Align fence to miter slot
- Apply scale
- Set cursor
- Make test rips
- Add sacrificial face
- Wax rails again
Stick this sheet near your saw; future you will nod in thanks.
Closing thoughts from the sawdust zone
I have built dining tables that host holiday spills, bookcases that cradle fantasy sagas, and window seats where tired pups nap, all ripped against this fence. It glides, it locks, it listens to small tweaks. If your saw wobbles through rough plywood today, an Accusquare table saw fence could hand it fresh confidence tomorrow. Install slow, keep it clean, trust the cursor, and watch each board exit crisp and square. When that first flawless stack leans against the wall, step back, breathe the cedar smell, and smileyou earned it.