Mitre T slot/track

[OldWood]

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

 

[maltrout512]

Hi Rob, Rutlands sell it if that helps.

 

[Ian]

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

 

[Harbo]

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

 

[Digit]

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

Roy.

 

[jimi43]

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

Jim

 

[Aled Dafis]

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

 

[Dalboy]

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

 

[dannykaye]

I got mine from Rutlands

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

 

[OldWood]

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

 

[wizer]

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?

 

[Mike Wingate]

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.

 

[OldWood]

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

 

[wizer]

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

 

[OldWood]

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

Rob

 

[wizer]

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.

 

[Aled Dafis]

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

 

[wizer]

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.

 

[TheTiddles]

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

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

 

[wizer]

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