I'm not trying to be smart but the Jet Rip fence is a very good solid fence IMO.
They're hard to find but not impossible. It's basically a scaled down version of a tablesaw fence.
As for drift, I adjust the tracking of the blade with the tracking on the saw, I do not adjust the fence.

Glenn Jacobs wrote on Sep 13^th, 2020 at 11:09am:


I strongly disagree.
Where the blade cuts straight is where it should be, see above.
A BS blade has basically 3 parts, the teeth, the gullet, the band.
The teeth do the cutting, the gullet clears the swarf and the band drives the blade. The band that drives the blade on the crowned wheel determines the direction of cut. (see above diagram)
Withe the wheels being crowned and a tracking mechanism that tilts the upper wheel in or out, it really makes very little difference what you decide to use as your point of reference.
There are so many steadfast camps related to this subject, it's not even funny. Put he band in the center, no put the gullet in the center, no the first tooth should be ..., IMO it's simply ridiculous.
Or those why simply install a blade (where they think center should be  ) and then move the fence to compensate. This results in the blade and fence not being aligned with the miter slot. This means you can't use any type of sled or jig that uses the slot. You've effectively reduced your saw's capabilities.
A BS is nothing but a machine with few moving parts that have to obey the laws of physics. I have given up trying to point out why blades drift and how to correct it in any real way.
Using the tracking system that's on most every woodworking BS, making small adjustments, you can get a nearly any saw to cut straight and parallel.

If anyone "seriously" wants to know more info, you can just ask, or PM me if you prefer. To me this is a very simple and intuitive process as illustrated by the diagram. I know people struggle with this but if you want get your saw to cut properly, I'll be happy to help if I can.

Interesting.  Ed, after making the wheels "coplaner" (parallel), and assuming you have squared the table to the blade in the x & y axis (looking down on top of the table). For drift compensation, how do you determine the: blade position on the upper wheel, and the rotational position of the table (meaning counter clockwise or clockwise position as also looking down on the table)? Which comes first - the chicken or the egg?

I should clarify regarding the fence.
I suggested the Jet rip fence because it is the only fence I'm aware of that works on both sides of the blade as the OP asked for. 9There may be others, I don't know of)
It is simply a smooth aluminum extrusion Identical on both sides, just like a tablesaw fence as I mentioned above.
There are many quality aftermarket rip fences available but most are designed for left side use only.
There are times when using the fence on the right side is essential for certain cuts and can make some cuts less awkward. This is also helpful when making bevel cuts. With the table tilted right, being able to rest the stock on the fence is helpful and frees up one of your hands.

Glenn Roberts wrote on Sep 14^th, 2020 at 8:26am:


Only since you asked 
Here's how I do it.
1. My fence is aligned parallel to the miter slot just like a table saw and does not get adjusted ever.
2. Back off the guides
3. Mount blade loosely on both wheels
4. I roughly position the blade somewhere in the general vicinity of the upper wheel as a basic starting point.
(where it's positioned is not critical, the blade is flat, the wheel is crowned, when we adjust for alignment (tilt the wheel) it will find the position it needs to be in.
5. I add some tension to the blade and make sure everything is operating smoothly.
(I don't add full tension because it's easier for the blade to move on the tire with less than full tension)
6. I position the fence and make a rip cut in something at least 1 1/2" thick and at least about 10" long, 2"x4"s work well for this. (Before cutting, make sure the edge that's against the fence is straight)
7. Checking the cut. It's usually easy to tell if the cut is wandering toward the fence or wandering outward.  If you can't easily tell, you're probably getting close. The easiest way to tell is to rip a piece, then flip the board over end to end and check the clearance at the blade. The clearance should be exactly the same at the end of the cut as it was in the beginning. If it appears that there's a wider gap (board got skinnier) then the cut is wandering toward the fence (blade too far forward) and visa-versa. There is no need to draw parallel lines down the length of the board unless you reference the cut line
8.This is where the adjustment starts. I turn the tracking adjustment knob in small amounts, usually 1/4 turn increments, sometimes less. Then I move the fence in a bit and cut again, repeating the above procedure as many times as necessary. When the beginning of the cut and the end of the cut have the same clearance, you know the cut is parallel.
This is not something that really needs to be measured. The clearance is usually just touching, not enough to create resistance, just touching.
When I'm satisfied with the alignment, I add full tension to the blade and make another test cut to confirm. After that, I adjust the guides to my desired tolerances.
Done
As you cut thicker stock, in the 5" and above sizes, your cut may start to wander a small amount. The more teeth in the cut, the more chances for the blade to wander off course You can easily make a small tracking adjustment and dial it in without any fuss.
Also feed pressure and blade tension should be watched as a potential culprit.

Too much pressure and the blade will not cut straight. Blade too loose and blade will not want to cut straight.

I don't worry about where the final position of the blade on the upper wheel, a little toward the front or back is fine. If it's too far toward either extent, it will still cut straight but the blade will either be tilted forward (grabbing the top of the stock first) or tilted backwards (cutting the bottom edge of the stock first). Neither scenario is desired.

Remember, the upper wheel tilts and has a crown, the position of the blade on the wheel can be deceiving. The blade will always ride at the top of the crown. If the wheel is tilted one way or the other, the top (highest part) of the crown may not be exactly centered as you perceive it.

Attached are photos of my saws blade positions. As you can see in both photos, the teeth are not touching the tire as Reed mentioned, the band only,(not the teeth and/or gullets) is generally in the center, possibly a small amount forward, not a big deal. I sure they move a small amount during alignment.
If I wanted to  , I could reposition the blade back a small amount and re-align to get it perfectly centered, but there's no point as I stated above.
Each saw cuts without "drift"

As always, this is just my method, if you have a method that provides you with the results you want, I'm not trying to change your mind.

IMO, it's fast easy and accurate.  No need for drawing lines or moving the fence and so on. When your saw is aligned properly, you can do much more using sleds and fence guided jigs with repeatable results.

I know this has strayed from the original post which is may fault, I apologize.