My miter saw fence gave out halfway through a big crown molding job

It happened yesterday afternoon while I was cutting a 45 for a 12-foot piece. The locking mechanism on the fence just snapped, sending the piece flying. I was using a DeWalt 12-inch sliding saw I've had for about three years. Had to stop everything, clamp a straight board to the table as a makeshift guide, and finish the cuts by hand. Took me an extra two hours to get back on track. Anyone have a good fix for a broken fence lock, or is it just time for a new part?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_campbell251mo agoMost Upvoted

Was it the actual fence or just the locking lever that broke? I've had the lever strip out before, but the fence itself is usually fine.

bennett.jana1mo ago

Honestly it's probably just the lever, those things are made of cheap pot metal. People act like their whole table saw is junked over a stripped screw. Just get a replacement part online for like twenty bucks, it's a fifteen minute fix. Not exactly a crisis.

kellys781mo ago

Pot metal" is right, but a snapped lever on a sliding miter saw is way more of a pain than on a table saw. You're stuck without a solid fence until it's fixed.