on 9/8/2005 1:36 PM BillyBob said the following:

The precision is determined by the alignment of the cursor on the fence, not
the installation of the tape. Cursor alignment is a user adjustment, not a
factory adjustment. Personnally, I'd rather have the tape shipped loose.
That allows me to install any fence enhancement gadgets first, then mount
the tape to account for them. For example, I added a Grip-tite steel fence
plate to my fence and had rip off the old factory tape and install a new one
to account for the shift in fence thickness.

I'm sure you can stick on the tape +/- 1/8" accuracy which is all you really
need, if that close.


Agreed. Just went through this drill with the older JCS-10 I recently
purchased used. Original owner had the Excalibur fence (nice) mounted
and I have no freakin' idea what he was thinking when he installed the
tape. Made absolutely no sense.

Went to Rockler's and picked up a couple of their tapes, one L to R and
the other R to L. Using Jet's or someone's directions I cross cut a
piece of wood using each miter slot and marked my "Zero" on the fence
rail and then compensated for the cursor being mounted to the right side
of the fence and laid them down. Fairly accurate now regardless of
which side of the blade I have the fence on and easily tweaked by
adjusting the cursor if I switch blades.

We're screwed though when we slap an auxiliary fence on the bar.

Still, the idea of that tape is meant - I hope - as a ball park
measurement anyway. For me that's the first measurement of the old
"measure twice, cut once" routine.g