Tall Resaw Fence. Bandsaw fences sure have come a long way since I started woodworking. Now, many saws come equipped with a 5” tall fence from the factory, which is nice for extra support. The Laguna DriftMaster III is the premier tall resawing fence, regardless of your bandsaw brand. It features a taller and longer extruded aluminum fence for maximum support of tall stock.
The aluminum fence rail measures 31-1/4” long, allowing the DX3 to be used on a number of bandsaw brands and sizes. It fits perfectly on a 14” or 18” model, but also works on most 20-24” saws as well. The unique steel bracket features slotted holes for a wide range of adjustment when installing the fence. Often, there’s no drilling or modification required to the saw. In fact, the DX3 is a direct bolt-on for the popular Laguna 14|12 bandsaw, which makes installation a cinch.
Smooth Linear Motion Left and Right. The hand crank operates a rack and pinion mechanism to effortlessly position the fence anywhere along the track. The large silver lever locks the fence into position as you make your next cut.
Coarse Adjustment. Or for quicker adjustments, flip up the single black lever and pull the red tab. This disengages the fence from the toothed rack and allows you to slide the fence by hand. That’s perfect if you’re not using the fence for a particular cut and need to quickly move it to the side. You don’t have to choose between precision and speed; with the DriftMaster III you get both.
Micro-adjustment Feature. Here’s where the DX3 really shines. Release a pair of black levers on the back side of the fence knuckle, and easily make precise adjustments to the fence angle with this silver knob. It has a built-in traction ring and feels good in the hand as you finely adjust for blade drift. I usually set mine dead square to the cast iron table to start, and adjust for blade drift as needed.
Time to Get Low. Like other innovative Laguna fences, the DX3 utilizes a High-Low design. Just loosen the tool-free knobs, and reposition the heavy-duty fence lying on its side. This lets you lower the blade guide assembly to minimize blade exposure for ripping cuts or working with thinner stock.
A Notch Above. This is my preferred mode for notching plywood or ¾” stock. It’s such a great setup to cut toe kicks in cabinet sides. especially if you have multiple parts to cut. A bandsaw with a good fence is so much more efficient than a jigsaw; it will improve your accuracy and productivity in one fell swoop.
New flip-stop for DriftMaster III Fence. Be sure to check out Laguna’s latest accessory, a handy flip-stop for tall resaw fences. It slides along the T-Track in the fence extrusion and locks firmly in place with a single knob. Or simply flip the stop up and out of the way between uses. This must-have accessory fits the DriftMaster III fence, as well as the Laguna 18|CX and 18|BX bandsaws.
Resaw Beast. With the right blade and a tall supportive fence, resawing suddenly becomes easy. I like a carbide-tipped Resaw King for serious resawing work, because it lets me slice wafer-thin veneers from my hardwood and exotic lumber collection. Ideally, you’ll choose a blade that’s at least ½”-3/4” wide for best results. The DriftMaster III is solid with virtually zero deflection under load, and with over 7” of vertical height, can support your most demanding cuts.
Time After Time. Consistently thin veneer slices are possible with this setup, and they’re not just a fluke. With my fence settings dialed in, I can cut uniform thickness of as little as 1/32”. Or you can leave them slightly thicker, and bring them to final thickness at the drum sander. Either way, you’ll maximize yield from your most prized lumber collection like this Zebrawood.
In a Word, Beefy. Compared to the standard Laguna 14|12 High-Low Fence, the DX3 is longer and taller, and features a heavier aluminum extrusion. The DX3 measures a full 23” long, and stands 7-1/4” high for even the most demanding work.
Heavy-Duty, and Heavy Too! One thing a picture doesn’t always convey is the weight and physical heft of a tool or part. The aluminum extrusion alone on the DX3 cracks the scale at a whopping 7 pounds even. You feel the mass and high-end build quality immediately in your hand.
Standing Tall. The DriftMaster III towers above the competition, and it’s not even close. Build quality, resawing tolerances, and overall performance are unmatched with Laguna’s latest iteration of the Driftmaster fence. After all, years of testing and design work went into perfecting the form. Remove the guesswork. Remove the struggle of resawing with the completely redesigned DX3. Accuracy awaits.
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Willie Sandry is an Author for woodworking magazines, blogger, and tool tester with an affinity for Arts and Crafts style furniture. Equally comfortable behind a bandsaw, camera, or industrial sewing machine, he builds in white oak and leather whenever he can. Check out his cabinet building videos, or latest tool review on his YouTube channel The Thoughtful Woodworker https://www.youtube.com/c/TheThoughtfulWoodworker |
