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Post by GhostFist on Apr 19, 2016 12:41:31 GMT -5
Ok for those that have this, I've heard mixed reviews. Is this fence rigid up to the back of the blade? Preferably up to the back of the riving knife. How good is the micro adjust? Anyone able to snap some pics for me of this installed?
Love always,
GhostFist
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Post by jonathan on Apr 19, 2016 13:36:38 GMT -5
I would make a short video for you but I've pulled my Erika apart to have a closer look at it all so a write-up will have to suffice. Maybe someone else can jump in on a video and or some pictures.
I'll start of by mentioning I'm a really picky guy when it comes to this stuff. So bear this in mind when you read my observations below.
Anyway on to the rip fence, it's ok, but it could be better. (Which also sums up my opinion on the entire saw by the way)
First of all I definitely recommend applying a lubricant to make it slide smooth(er) on the dovetail extrusions. Same goes for all the dovetail profiles and extension table really. A little lubricant makes everything a lot smoother and a lot easier to work with! A lot!
It's not rock solid, if you expect that from a fence you won't be happy here. There is a little bit of flex at the far end near the blade if you push it there, but it's not a dealbreaker in my opinion. It hasn't been an issue in the year I've used the saw.
The fence has predrilled holes so if you need or prefer a fence that goes all the way to the back, you can attach a sacrificial or longer fence/extrusion to it. But I do recommend clamping it down at the back of the table in that case.
I think it's also important to note are a few adjustments to be made to the fence regarding how high it positions itself to the table when you clamp it down.
When I used it out of the box I wasn't too happy with the squareness of how it clamps down. Now that I figured out how I can adjust it a bit, I find it much improved and I am content with it. So if you find yourself encountering problems check out how high or low it clamps down in relation to the table top, in my case examining that and adjusting a bit cured a lot of my initial frustration.
Like I just said, at first the fence didn't clamp down parallel/square (or however you want to call it) to the blade 100% the time. Sometimes it can be a bit off. Well at least it seems that way to me. The fence as is, is alas not idiot proof!
I always make sure to push the front portion of the fence firmly against the dovetail profile with the palm of my hand to make sure it references 100% from that edge. When I didn't do this, the fence sometimes wasn't square/parallel to the blade!
Pusing it up against the dovetail profile with the palm of my hand ensures me that it's always square/parallel. And as such, this, and lubricating are the best tips I can share after my useage.
Also be careful to check that there isn't any dust in the dovetail profiles, it might throw the rip fence out of square/parallel.
And the last good trick i found is that you should only loosen the fence up with like half, maybe 3/4 of a turn to break the tension of the clamp and move it. Anything more will only make dust get under there and cause problems. If you lube the dovetails up, the fence will truly slide effortlessly and stay square/parallel.
Oh and have I stressed enough that lubricating the dovetail profiles and the machined part of the fence that rides in there makes a world of difference? Well... lubricate it and thank me later.
The fine adjust is top notch though. Simple, effective and you can tune it in really fine. Absolutely no complaints there. I have an LS positioner but it's not needed for the Erika.
Clamping the fence down is a simple procedure to follow. First yo clamp down the fine adjust, then you clamp down the main portion of the fence. If you need to adjust only break the tension of the main body of the fence, adjust and reclamp.
The short of it is that it's not perfect and could be better. It might take a few cuts for you to figure out how to overcome the possible issues and once you've figured out a way, it's a-ok and will suit you well.
It might read like it's rubbish, but it's not, I'm just a very picky guy and wanted to share any and all issues I've personally found.
The fence is ok and a worthwile investment/addition.
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questa
Junior Member
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Post by questa on Apr 19, 2016 14:58:54 GMT -5
Ghost I use the MFA on the slider with a 1M rail attached. I then use the longer MFA piece on the rip fence. With the Erika set in "table saw" position the rip fence reaches to the riving knife, or slightly beyond depending upon where I allow the MFA piece to extend to.
I do like the rip fence. If I feel that I want a full length fence, well there is that universal fence that tends to be an afterthought. I again will attach a 1M rail to the universal, attach that to the right side and clamp on both ends.
Go back and read some of robert hichmans posts.
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Post by aas on Apr 19, 2016 16:02:35 GMT -5
it's ok, but it could be better. (Which also sums up my opinion on the entire saw by the way) ...could you kindly elaborate on this please... I'm not far off a big Mafell order, which includes an Erika with plenty of accessories... "it's OK" doesn't really inspire confidence!.. |
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Post by rizzoa13 on Apr 19, 2016 16:40:30 GMT -5
I think as he said his write up reads a little critical. Personally I think the Erika is worth even more than we pay for it (don'tet anyone hear that). For a portable saw its i parallel by any other offering.
No it isn't an automated Martin slider and won't give you those results. It also doesn't cost 45k and you can move it around. On the topic of quality, to me it's rediculous. I never expected it to be this sturdy and precise so you can put me in the highly satisfied customer category.
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Post by Eoj on Apr 19, 2016 18:34:04 GMT -5
The rip fence certainly has a learning curve ,jonathan has it spot on with pushing on the fence to keep adjustments more accurate . Happy with the rip fence , would not want to be without it now . Before buying the Erika saw , the most profound words were in this Erika Thread.......the member "lkisumu" talked of the Erika saw with great detail and his thoughts of Erika not being fully "matured" .... a good read . |
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Post by Knight Woodworks on Apr 19, 2016 20:36:24 GMT -5
Jonathan has provided an excellent overview of the rip fence and it's use. There is a definite learning curve.
My opinions
pros:
It's a dedicated rip fence that performs adequately.
Its drilled to accept the fence guide extension or other user supplied options.
cons:
As mentioned, it can be fussy to use. More care needs to be taken when positioning it parallel to the blade than I'm happy with.
Not a deal breaker, but it has more deflection than I like. I keep an extension mounted and clamp the far end. This works fine, but its annoying.
The fence it's self is a single piece of cast iron. When it inevitably gets bent out of 90* there is no mechanism to compensate. It would be possible to shim the extension, but even cheep rip fences on cheep table saws have a built in adjustment. Why doesn't this one?
To my mind it's an old design in serious need of an update. If I knew then, what I know now, would I buy it? I don't know. Currently I have the universal fence on the sliding table, the MFA for cross cuts and the rip fence for, well, rips. I like the convenience of this arrangement, just wish the the rip fence performed better.
John
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Post by jonathan on Apr 20, 2016 4:06:29 GMT -5
it's ok, but it could be better. (Which also sums up my opinion on the entire saw by the way) ...could you kindly elaborate on this please... I'm not far off a big Mafell order, which includes an Erika with plenty of accessories... "it's OK" doesn't really inspire confidence!.. Hey aas, I'll start a seperate thread about that particular topic discussing any improvements the MUF would like to see. |
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luzzy
Junior Member
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Post by luzzy on Apr 20, 2016 4:44:12 GMT -5
Ok for those that have this, I've heard mixed reviews. Is this fence rigid up to the back of the blade? Preferably up to the back of the riving knife. How good is the micro adjust? Anyone able to snap some pics for me of this installed? Love always, GhostFist I use the MFA on the slide side and the standard assembly that came with it on the right when I need to rip. Last week I had to rip some short (maybe 20") pieces of cherry edge banding about 3/16" thick. I centered the standard protractor setup on the blade on the right side in the center (table saw) position and the results were fine. Obviously on a long rip , a full length fence would be the ticket.... |
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tiago
New Member
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Post by tiago on Dec 12, 2016 6:51:09 GMT -5
Hello everyone!
I'm planning to order an Erika 85 as well!
And I'm trying to find out what is the maximum ripping capacity of the Erika 85 with the rip fence.
Is it possible to increase it by adding supporting rails (with a table in between)right? Because it looks like they also have the dovetail profile.
And did any of the owners of the saw ever tried or can tell me how easy will be to find a way to use featherboards wile ripping?
thanks a lot
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Post by GhostFist on Dec 12, 2016 17:30:58 GMT -5
To increase your rip capacity in width you need the support rails. Any Erika fence works with them just fine
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Post by wrightwoodwork on Dec 12, 2016 18:14:20 GMT -5
To rip extra wide is just simply add the extension prices and table which can give over 1m width depending on how you set them up. For the feather board it would be a home made solution, but wouldn't be too difficult to execute
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tiago
New Member
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Post by tiago on Dec 13, 2016 3:03:50 GMT -5
thanks for the replies.
I may try the feather boards on an mfa extension holded by two clamping devices on each side of the table.
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Post by arvid on Dec 13, 2016 9:29:04 GMT -5
thanks for the replies. I may try the feather boards on an mfa extension holded by two clamping devices on each side of the table. I'd be interested to see what you come up with. |
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tiago
New Member
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Post by tiago on Dec 14, 2016 3:27:55 GMT -5
Hope that in a month or two I have something to show up then!  |
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