A fence is a part of many woodworking tools, they are typically used to guide or secure a workpiece while it is being sawn, planed, routed or marked. Fences play an important role for both accuracy and safety. Fences are usually straight and vertical, and made from metal, wood or plastic. Most fences either remain static with the workpiece guided along it, or are moved relative to the blade.

Auxiliary and a sacrificial fences

An auxiliary or sacrificial fence is a fence made of a material not liable to damage the blade – such as wood or plastic – and is usually attached to an existing fence. Such a fence may be used for situations where it is desirable or necessary for the fence to be in contact with, or particularly close to, the blade. They may also be used for attaching accessories to the fence, such as stop blocks and featherboards. Zero-clearance sacrificial fences can also be used to make cleaner cuts. Such fences may be considered sacrificial as they will be cut into or damaged during use.

Examples

Table saws

For safety on a

table saw A table saw (also known as a sawbench or bench saw in England) is a woodworking tool, consisting of a circular saw blade, mounted on an arbor, that is driven by an electric motor (either directly, by belt, or by gears). The blade protrudes t ...

it is necessary that the workpiece is always in contact with a fence or jig – the workpiece is never cut freehand. Failure to use a suitable fence or jig can result in injuries, such as those caused by kick-back. The most common fence on a

is a rip fence, and is provided as standard with any new table saw. The rip fence is parallel to the saw blade and can be adjusted to different distances from the blade to set the size of the final cut. The fence remains static, while the workpiece is guided along the fence. For crosscuts a sliding cross-cut fence or a mitre gauge – which incorporates a fence – is used. The workpiece is either held or clamped against the fence. Alternatively a workpiece might be held or secured to a jig, such as a crosscut sled, that will be guided by a fence or tracks in the table surface.

Mitre saws and mitre boxes

Mitre saws and mitre boxes have fences that remains static, with the workpiece held or clamped against them. The saw blade is then moved relative to the fence and workpiece.

Router tables

Router tables usually incorporate a fence which has a gap in the middle for the router bit. The fence can be adjusted relative to the table and router bit. Once adjusted the fence remains static, while the workpiece is guided along it. Many router table fences also incorporate a nozzle behind the router bit for connecting a dust extractor or

shop vac A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum or a hoover, is a device that causes suction in order to remove dirt from floors, upholstery, draperies, and other surfaces. It is generally electrically driven. The dirt is collected by either a ...

Planers

planer The term planer may refer to several types of carpentry tools, woodworking machines or metalworking machine tools. *Plane (tool), a hand tool used to produce flat surfaces by shaving the surface of the wood * Thickness planer (North America) or thi ...

, also known as a jointer, has a fence along the length of the tool, perpendicular to the blade. The fence remains static while the workpiece is guided along it.

Biscuit joiners

Biscuit joiners incorporate a fence, with a basic fence able to cut 0° and 45° slots.

Marking gauges

Marking gauges incorporate a fence that can be adjusted to set the distance between the fence and scribe or blade. In use the fence moved along the edge of the workpiece.

Woodworking appliances

Appliances such as

shooting board A shooting board is a jig for woodworking which is used in combination with a hand plane to trim and square up the edges and ends of boards. It would typically be used on a workbench. A plank or board with edges planed flat is called a shot ed ...

bench hook A bench hook is a workbench appliance used in woodworking to hold a workpiece in place while crosscutting with a hand saw. A bench hook is a simple method used to improve accuracy and safety. Construction Bench hooks are simple in constructi ...

s and mitre boxes include static fences that the workpiece is held or clamped to.

Gallery

File:Miter Gauge.jpg, A table saw mitre gauge incorporates a fence. File:Jet table saw.jpg, A standard rip fence on a table saw. File:Surface planer.jpg,

Planer The term planer may refer to several types of carpentry tools, woodworking machines or metalworking machine tools. *Plane (tool), a hand tool used to produce flat surfaces by shaving the surface of the wood * Thickness planer (North America) or thi ...

, or jointer, with a standard vertical metal fence. File:Lamello-top.jpg,

Biscuit joiner A biscuit joiner or biscuit jointer (or sometimes plate joiner) is a woodworking tool used to join two pieces of wood together. A biscuit joiner uses a small circular saw blade to cut a crescent-shaped hole (called the mouth) in the opposite e ...

with the fence (front) set at 90°. File:Illustration showing how to use a marking gauge.png, A

marking gauge A marking gauge, also known as a scratch gauge, is used in woodworking and metalworking to mark out lines for cutting or other operations. The purpose of the gauge is to scribe a line parallel to a reference edge or surface. It is used in joiner ...

fence is guided along the edge of the workpiece. File:Bench hook illustration.png, The workpiece is held against the fence of a

. File:Verstekbak.jpg, The sides of a basic

mitre box A mitre box or miter box (American English) is a wood working appliance used to guide a hand saw for making precise cuts, usually 45° mitre cuts. Traditional mitre boxes are simple in construction and made of wood, while adjustable mitre boxes ...

act as a fence.

References

Woodworking jigs Woodworking tools {{Woodworking-stub