# Mitre T slot/track



## OldWood (26 Jan 2010)

I'm making a disc sander. 

Why are mitre slots a T - I've a TS and router table that use just a plain slot and that seems perfectly OK ?

If the T is desirable I can work out how to make one, but can the slot material be bought anywhere off the shelf?

Thanks
Rob


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## maltrout512 (26 Jan 2010)

Hi Rob, Rutlands sell it if that helps.


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## Ian (26 Jan 2010)

I think the idea is to have a mitre gauge with a T-shaped bar so that the mitre gauge can be extended out to offer more crosscutting capacity without the mitre gauge tipping out of the slot.

Cheers

Ian


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## Harbo (26 Jan 2010)

Open slots are OK for sliding things through, but you cannot secure anything to them i.e. like a feather board.

I brought some back from the States but I think Aled and some others were trying to source some in the UK?

Rod


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## Digit (26 Jan 2010)

The T is mighty useful if you wish to clamp summat, such as a feather board, or in my case an overhead router!

Roy.


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## jimi43 (26 Jan 2010)

The T-slot can be used with flat nuts which when tightened lock the jig or whatever against the top and bottom flange.

Jim


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## Aled Dafis (26 Jan 2010)

Harbo":3v8zn247 said:


> I brought some back from the States but I think Aled and some others were trying to source some in the UK?
> 
> Rod



Thanks for reminding me, I'd completely forgot. This is the original thread, that kicked off my research.

Yes I did find a place that would extrude pretty much any shape, and to be honest the prices worked out pretty competitive if we ordered in batches of 100 metres. The straw that broke the camel's back was that they wanted a king's ransome (well not quite, but not far off) for producing the extrusion die. 

I did however mention it to Matthew at Workshop Heaven and promised to pass on the details to him as it may well work out for him as a commercial venture as opposed to a forum group buy. I'll get that e-mail off immediately.

Cheers

Aled


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## Dalboy (26 Jan 2010)

I am making a router table and need some found it at Tilgear.
They do a 42" long track for just under £12 + postage.


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## dannykaye (26 Jan 2010)

I got mine from Rutlands

http://www.rutlands.co.uk/hand-tools/jigs-&-fixtures/t-track-&-fittings


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## OldWood (26 Jan 2010)

Thanks for all your help, guys. 

Well I'm now going to have to buy a mitre fence that fits the slot material that's around. My BS has a T mitre fence but it's a non-standard size (15mm), and I had thought of that doubling up for the disk sander.

Cheers
Rob


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## wizer (28 Jan 2010)

Whilst looking for something else, I came across this

http://www.capalex.co.uk/standards/lipped_channels.html

Looks suspiciously like T Track to me. Does anyone know the dimensions of T Track to see if they have a die in stock?


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## Mike Wingate (28 Jan 2010)

You need T-Track to match your kit. I have 4 right mitre guides that all have different guide bars, andI still have not got an Incra mitre guide.


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## OldWood (28 Jan 2010)

Wizer

That would solve my problem with a 15mm T tracked mitre guide. but I bet I wouldn't be able to get 400mm out of them - more like 400m !!

I'll email them and ask.

Rob


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## wizer (28 Jan 2010)

if we were group buying I reckon we could get a good few metres at the right price


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## OldWood (28 Jan 2010)

Hmm - but will we all want the same size ? No answer to email.

Rob


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## wizer (28 Jan 2010)

There are only a couple of standard sizes of T Track that woodworkers comonly use. As long as they have the size as one of their standard dies and the price is right then I would say that a great deal of woodworkers will want some. I know I'd take a couple of meters if the price was right.


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## Aled Dafis (28 Jan 2010)

wizer":4r7f9qly said:


> Whilst looking for something else, I came across this
> 
> http://www.capalex.co.uk/standards/lipped_channels.html
> 
> Looks suspiciously like T Track to me. Does anyone know the dimensions of T Track to see if they have a die in stock?



Wow, small world. That's the company I had the quote from. 

To make it economical you'd need to order 100m, and then pay over £500 just to make the die! No, they didn't have any suitable dies made up.  

Cheers

Aled


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## wizer (28 Jan 2010)

I was searching for another type of alu extrusion.

I'm wondering if T-Track has to be standard? I guess it depends on what you are using it for and if you are using off the shelf accessories.


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## TheTiddles (31 Jan 2010)

Aled Dafis":2vyatdcr said:


> wizer":2vyatdcr said:
> 
> 
> > Whilst looking for something else, I came across this
> ...



At £500 for an aluminium extrusion die and a minimum order of 100m which is next to nothing I'd be very suspicious that you'd get a quality product that you'd be happy with. I'd expect to pay in the region of £3-5k for that kind of thing and the associated auxilliary dies to make it consistent

Aidan


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## wizer (31 Jan 2010)

How precise does T-Track need to be? How much could they get it wrong?


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## Digit (31 Jan 2010)

Depends on what existing equipment they have. After leaving the extrusion die the material has to pass through various post forming ops, such as keeping it straight.

Roy.


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## TheTiddles (31 Jan 2010)

Firstly there's the obvious...
-Straight, this is all process related, and you might have to run a good few hundred metres to get it, along with associated cooling times
-Surface finish, needs to be good to get the plating to stick
-Plating, extrusion grade aluminium is normally very soft, you'll need a hard coating to stop is gouging, probably not in the price per metre
There's a whole load else that can go wrong on these processes. I know it always looks like a lot for what it is, but the cost is there to cover the fact that it's not as easy as it appears!

Aidan


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## Digit (31 Jan 2010)

During my apprenticeship I worked on a number of extrusion dies and saw them in use, and as Aidan states, getting it sorted and running can be long and complex. The men on the plant were either playing cards or working flat out, as once sorted you didn't dare stop it! 

Roy.


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## wills-mill (31 Jan 2010)

Could it not be CNC routed from solid for less hassle in what seems to be a relatively 'small' batch?


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## Digit (31 Jan 2010)

It could, with a suitable machine, but whether it would be significantly cheaper I haven't a clue.

Roy.


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## TheTiddles (31 Jan 2010)

I think the cheapest way to get some T-track would be to buy it! A bulk order from the USA probably being cheaper even with import duty.

The only way I could think of making it for cheap, which wouldn't be as good as aluminium, would be to rout a slot in your MDF or whatever, insert a plastic strip like acetal and then rout the T-slot into that, may be a bit cheaper than T-track but I'd still pay the extra to avoid the faff.

Aidan


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## rafezetter (11 Jun 2013)

Hi - new to site - registered to post this... 

Saw this thread, as I've spent hours searching and racking my brain to think of a cheaper solution than the costs rutlands charge, and wondered if anything came of it?

I'm willing to pony up the dough to pay for a bulk buy if enough people are interested and I saw these which look good - the track is standard 3/4" but the complementary insert bar looks good too - with a space underneath for a bolt head or nut or whatever, bit of epoxy glue and it should be fine.

5th one down: (m l c s woodworking . com - miter_t-slot_accessories) - (highlight and google it using those words as I cant post links )

My other idea was to buy some UHMW strips and route them to the same profile as the inserts - although I'd have to finish making my router table first! chicken and egg almost - then add bolts, nuts whatever to the underside (drill a slightly smaller hole and bang it in flush), that way you can add whatever bolt / nut size you prefer.

Alternatively I found an american company that does the same slider kit from rutlands, but much cheaper; $6.95 a pair - I priced 3 pairs with postage to £19!! a price rutlands won't match even if you buy 15 or more sets - so again a bulk buy would work out well.

Let me know here if you are interested in a bulk buy, or would help with the UHMW idea if you think it has merit.


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## imageel (11 Jun 2013)

I think the link you wanted to post is this http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/ttrack.html

I am in the process of fabricating a sliding table and hold-downs for an old spindle molder (purchased from wallace on this site) that has a cast top with slots that are 'V' shaped with flat bottoms. Since the machine is very old there was no way to buy parts for it, and it occurred to me that a hex bar cut through the middle would work as an insert (in my case the faces are about 10mm each) - this pic illustrates the idea -






Wouldn't it be feasible for you to route a similar 'track' into your table top and similarly cut a piece of hex rod to make the sliding part - whatever length you wish? I plan on cutting mine with a thin (.8mm) disk cutter in an angle grinder - the cut face will end up at the bottom, so will not in practice be a bearing surface and so the accuracy/smoothness is irrelevant.
Cheers
Ed


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## JustBen (11 Jun 2013)

Axminster sell T-track. I got a length the other day. I think it was about £7 for 900mm.

They also do dovetail t-track and slotted track.

I thought it was not a bad price.


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## rafezetter (11 Jun 2013)

Hi - ordinarily a workaround would be fine...problem is I impulse bought 4 x 48" x 3/4 t-track from rutlands while it was on sale (still is :S at £39.95 for 4) for my router table yet to be made, and didn't realise it was sort of "non standard" i.e. too wide to fit most other workarounds like grinding bolt heads / flange nuts etc etc.

The link I showed was for the 3/4 wide track BUT it was paired with a t-slot bar that was an exact match to the negative "hole" of the track, but hollow at the bottom - so rather than buying "sliders" at £10 a pair from rutlands that are just over an inch long you have an extruded ali bar you can cut as you like, and tap / add nuts and bolts as you please, make into a "no pull out" mitre bar - whatever.

I know many people have their bits already for such things, I just wondered if there was enough interest from those who don't to warrant a group buy.


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## marcros (11 Jun 2013)

As a workaround, can you not plane up a piece of hardwood to fit the track that you have? Wouldn't be as difficult as metal working and easier to drill/cut to length afterwards. I know it may be a pain, but an hour spent producing something could provide you with plenty. If you can do it in something that can be tapped, or has a metric thread, Banbury plastic fittings do loads of plastic hand wheels- male and female for a few pance each.


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## rafezetter (12 Jun 2013)

I've thought about hardwood - have some oak strips lying about, but I don't know how the small lip will hold up to stresses from featherboards etc - I could be worrying over nothing, but I'm a bit "sort it once, now and for all", so thought metal or UHMW idea had more longevity.

I guess you are right though.


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## ossieosborne (12 Jun 2013)

Square or rectangular aluminium tube stock is available from most metal stockists in various sizes. It should be possible to rout a slot along the length of it with a suitable cutter.

Another alternative, that i've used on several machines, is to make the T track using MDF. Say, for instance, you want a T track along the length of a homemade fence for a saw: Source some suitable sized nuts or T bolts. I make my own T bolts from roofing bolts; File the top of the head flat (to remove the cross slot) and then file two flats on the side of the head. From a 6mm roofing bolt you will have roughly 10mm to 11mm across the flats.

Select a straight router cutter slightly larger than the width of your Tee. Set up your router table fence to cut a dado along the length of the fence (normally centred). Cut the dado to a depth of just over the thickness of the T bolt head. Leave the router fence where it is.

Fix a suitable length and width piece of 9mm MDF to the top of the saw fence. Fit a 6.3mm straight cutter in the router. Now rout a slot through the 9mm MDF and you have a T track.

This is my drill press table with 4 T tracks:





Oz


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