INCRA Tools TS-LS Fence, Up For Review

I found myself desperately wanting/needing an upgrade from the supplied fence on my 40’s era Walker Turner 1180b table saw.  Of all the fences out there, the only one I hadn’t used at one time or another was the Incra TS-LS.  The fence works similarly to the rack and pinion systems that used to be common on industrial table saws (like my old Tannewitz FDS!), and is my preference over the Biesemeyer style fences.

The installation process was rather straightforward since the instructions clearly document the procedure with clear graphics, easy steps, and a complete bill of materials.  My only stumbling block was needing to find some longer bolts.  Luckily, I had some on hand.  The table casting on my saw is thicker than some of the modern units, but given that this was my only hurdle while installing the fence on a saw over 60 years old, I’m thrilled with the outcome.

The INCRA TS-LS came packed very well and here are all the parts laid out and ready to install!

The heart and soul of the TS-LS is the LS Positioner.  This is described in the video below!

The ole’ girl ready for some new accessories!

Rails installed.

Cross slide and LS Positioner ready to be squared up.

Calibrating the saw was also a painless procedure that’s outlined in the manual.  Once the fence’s “zero” position is found on the guide rails, zeroing the fence’s scale to the blade is an easy task.  Just advance the fence close to the blade (about 1/32″ gap) and then use the dial to sneak up on the blade until the blade just touches the fence.  Once this is established, simply slide the magnetic scale so that the “zero” hash mark lines up with the “pointer” that’s scribed into the acrylic window.

Here we are all wrapped up and ready for work!

The Incra TS-LS is admittedly a little daunting at first because there are more points of adjustment than with a Biesemeyer style fence.  However, once you spend an afternoon getting acquainted, you’ll soon find that those adjustments become second nature.  You’ll also find that you’re not tapping the fence all over the place trying to dial in that last 1/64 of an inch.  Heck, with the Incra TS-LS you can be overly accurate since the micro adjustment dial allows you to sneak up on a dimension in 1/1000″ increments!

This kind of accuracy allows you to just be plain silly with the kind of detail you can put into pieces.  Couple this fence with a router table as one of the table saw wings and you’re on your way to making some top notch fancy joinery!

 The short and sweet is that this fence is worth its weight in gold, and has saved me tons of headache and frustration.  I know my time at the table saw has been greatly reduced thanks to the no fuss adjustments that can be made with the Incra TS-LS system.  Good tools equals a happy camper…er, woodworker in this case 🙂

Full Disclosure: This product was provided by INCRA for my unbiased use and review.  If I wouldn’t buy or use this product, I’d tell you.  Rest assured, the INCRA TS-LS is a great fence and you won’t regret purchasing it!