Moglice for table saw fence?

I was just given a vega pro 50 table saw fence, seen here at amazon:

Amazon.com: Vega PRO 50 Table Saw Fence System: 42-Inch Fence Bar, 50-Inch to Right: Home Improvement

I ought to return it, given the number of gripes I have, but I don't want to offend the giver. Aside from a bad paint job, awful machining of parts, and non-existent deburring of sharp edges, the design is solid. Except, that is, for the fitment of the carriage to the round front rail. The carriage has a larger radius, so when I lock it down, it jumps around and skews the reading. What do people think of using moglice, or perhaps devcon wr-2 to properly bed them in? I'd like to give it a shot, but at the same time I don't feel like throwing good money after bad.

Thanks,
Phil

What is your time worth?
If it is a turd, take it back.

-Doozer

Put in a corner, and wait a year before you toss it.

If the donor asks about it, tell them you couldn't understand the instructions, so you gave up.


If they want to come over and figure it out, that would be great.


If a bushing/shim/shell could be created and bonded in place, perhaps that.

The Amazon reviews give no hint of poor quality, perhaps you got a bad one?

How much to ship it back, get a credit/exchange, and try another one?

I think I'd be more inclined to give it to someone who has more time than you, or (if you have more time than money) to bore/ream out a still larger hold and install a better fitting bushing.

Locking the fence down should not rely on the fit around the front rail. My homemade fence (from plans in Fine Woodworking) uses two set screws to adjust the position of the fence and the clamp presses against the front rail directly opposite the set screws. It has worked great for over 10 years.

I've used devcon metal loaded filler as a "form in place" bearing surface repair and it worked fine. However my application was a half bearing where the repaired component only had to rest on the guide to which it was clamped so access to apply the filler was easy. I think you'd need something which flows better to do a full circle bearing.

Clive

Call Vega. I had a problem with the fence that I got from them and before I could return the part they had shipped a new one - problem resolved. At that time, about 15 years ago, service was wonderful.
Karl

It's a personal thing, but there are some who squirm uncomfortably at the prospect of kluging up fixes for inherently poor machines and parts. Seems to me two errors in your scenario. The first was the giver's. Giving someone an unasked-for fence is pretty forcing. The second was your decision to keep the thing when you know it's a dog. I know that these situations can sometimes strain relationships by what you term offending the giver, but in the long run most relationships benefit from honesty. Not much to be gained on either side, it seems to me, by encouraging the giver's belief that they are expert enough to pick out the tool you need. I'd consider coming clean, telling the giver that it isn't up to the quality you need, and then sending the thing back. If that's going to cause too much of a fuss, maybe you can soften things up by saying that a slightly different model of "the same basic thing" would be better suited to your work, and then quietly sending the company the extra $150 or whatever to have them swap what you have for a fence you can live with.