Triangular mitre slot

[Chris_belgium]

I'm looking to purchase a mitre gauge either a kreg or a incra system. Problem is my table saw has a triangular shaped mitre slot. I suppose the mitre slot bar with either system would work, but there would be a very small point of contact only at the top of the triangle, would like to hear some opinions about this, or even better some actual experiences with triangular mitre slot?

 

[jimi43]

When you say...triangular...I suppose you mean trapezoid or slot with sloping sides where the gauge is slotted in at one end and slides without coming out of the top?

Jim

 

[Chris_belgium]

Forgot to add the picture, sorry!!

 

[misterfish]

I've got a Kreg mitre. The bar itself is 3/4 inch wide (19mm) with several width adjusters which are basically nylon studding that can be screwed in and out to perfectly fit against the flat edge of the mitre slot. One of the deciding factors was the large level of adjustability available as my mitre slot is 20mm wide.

How well this would work with your angled mitre slots I wouldn't like to say, but it woud only touch along the very top of the slot on one side and lower down on the angle on the other side.

Of course it also depends on the width of the slot at the top.

Looking at the picture it appears that the table is CI. I'm sure others have had slots machined in CI to accept a 'standard' mitre gauge.

Misterfish

 

[Chris_belgium]

Must have my brands mixed up. Incra offers a mitre bar wich uses discs at the top of the bar to eliminate play, I tought the Kreg bar was the same, my mistake, sorry! There would be a slightly bigger point of contact witht the incra system than with the kreg system.

This is the system I am talking about:

 

[Chris_belgium]

Looking at the picture it appears that the table is CI. I'm sure others have had slots machined in CI to accept a 'standard' mitre gauge.

Misterfish

Tougth about this also but that would be a last option! Would rather have a 'custom' mitre bar machined.

 

[hanser]

Hi guys

My son is a partner in a engineering business - if you need a machined mitre bar pop me a pm.

 

[Mike.C]

Chris here is a review I did on a few different mitre gauges https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/head ... 42756.html If you need anymore information just ask

Cheers

Mike

 

[Chris_belgium]

Chris here is a review I did on a few different mitre gauges https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/head ... 42756.html If you need anymore information just ask

Cheers

Mike

Have read the review some time ago when searching the site and found it very helpful! What is your opinion (having seen it firsthand) on using the incra style mitre bar with a triangular mitre slot?

 

[Mike.C]

Chris here is a review I did on a few different mitre gauges https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/head ... 42756.html If you need anymore information just ask

Cheers

Mike

Have read the review some time ago when searching the site and found it very helpful! What is your opinion (having seen it firsthand) on using the incra style mitre bar with a triangular mitre slot?

Chris it's hard to know without the exact size of the triangle at it's widest and smallest points?
What table saw do you have?

Cheers

Mike

 

[Chris_belgium]

The table saw I have is an old CI one, german brand 'MARTIN'

The slot is 20,5mm at the top, 32mm at the bottom and is 12mm high. I have checked the incra site and their mitre bar is 19mm (3/4) wide and 9,5 high (3/ 8), so it should fit.

I'll go ahead and order the incra 1000SE, if it doesn't work with the supplied mitre bar from INCRA I can always have a custom one made and replace it.

What's the best place to buy incra stuff online? I have ordered a lot o stuff from Axi in the past by they don't stock incra, Rutlands does but have read some horror stories here, any other alternatives?

 

[Mike.C]

The table saw I have is an old CI one, german brand 'MARTIN'

The slot is 20,5mm at the top, 32mm at the bottom and is 12mm high. I have checked the incra site and their mitre bar is 19mm (3/4) wide and 9,5 high (3/ 8), so it should fit.

I'll go ahead and order the incra 1000SE, if it doesn't work with the supplied mitre bar from INCRA I can always have a custom one made and replace it.

What's the best place to buy incra stuff online? I have ordered a lot o stuff from Axi in the past by they don't stock incra, Rutlands does but have read some horror stories here, any other alternatives?

I know that Rutlands has a bad name, but that is their customer service, and if you have no problem with delivery or the item, then their as good as any other company.
On top of that if you order it over the bank holiday weekend then you will get a 10% discount plus free p&p, which on the Incra 1000SE will save you about £20.

As for the size of the slot, I think that it is too big for the Incra adjusters to take up the slop, so you will have to have another bar made. But even so it is well worth getting done, if possible I would get them to make the cut outs so that you can still use the adjusters.

Cheers

Mike

 

[misterfish]

The amount of gap that the adjusters will take up in a mitre slot is precisely why I chose the Kreg. My TS (Wadkin BRT) has the mitre slot 20mm wide and before I bought the Kreg I investigated to see what would actually work and the Kreg was the only one I found with enough flexibility. Most are designed to fit the standard 3/4 x 3/8 slot.

I ended up actually contacting 2 or 3 manufacturers and most only offered up to .5mm flexibility.

Having used the Kreg for some while now I'm still happy with it, the only mod I've made is to fix sandpaper to the front face to ensure work doesn't slip sideways - this is suggested by Kreg.

Misterfish

 

[Chris_belgium]

The incra has arrived, fantastic bit of kit!!

The incra mitre bar did expand enough to give a tight fit in the mitre slot, but due to the fact that the slot is triangular shaped there was only a very narrow point of contact wich caused the discs to wear out very very quickly resulting in a sloppy fit. I then cross drilled the bar and put small bolts in to adjust the mitre bar to the slot (i think similar to the kreg system ). Now there is absolutely zero play in the mitre bar, but it does take a bit of force to slide it along. If anybody has any tips, or a link/foto of an actual mitre slider for a triangular mitre slot I'd be happy to read/see it!!

One minor negative point about the incra, the weigth of the mitre bar makes it tip forward very sligthly, is the mitre bar supposed to touch the bottom of the mitre slot? I solved this porlem by installing a vertical adjuster bolt to keep the mitre bar horizontal.

Horizontal adjuster bolt

Did some other things to upgrade the saw also:

Magswitch and "Niki" style featherboard, I was going to invest in a magswitch featherboard to push the workpiece against the fence, when I searched this forum for reviews and cam along Niki's post, tried it out, cost me 2 euro's, and works perfectly!! The man was a genius!
The 'Niki' feather board completely eliminates (spelling?) the wood wandering away from the fence I have discussed in an older thread when ripping wood.

Extension table folds down when not in use, made it using a mdf torsion box lipped with padouk offcuts. Also welded a rolling base for it, had to buy three different sets of wheels before I finally got a set that could hold the weigth! Even solid wheels got flat spots in it from the massive weight!

 

[Jake]

Lovely old iron, Chris.

 

[misterfish]

The adjusters on the Kreg are made of a tough black plastic (probably nylon) andthe fact that the plastic is inherently slippy makes them work very nicely in the TS.

I also have a delta tenoning jig that uses the same method of adjustment but with the adjuster made of steel - this is not such a smooth fit but still works OK.

I have another old mitre gauge that I drilled and tapped my own adjustment holes in which I use nylon studding which works well.

In your situation I would be inclined to try nylon studding (for slippyness) and make the end that bears against the angled edge of the slot 'pointed' rather than flat - if you have the angle of pointyness the same as the angle of the edge of the mitre slot then rather than an individual pint of contact (which is liable to wear quiickly) you will have a line of contact half the width of the studding (if you see what I mean).

Misterfish