Installing T-track

[Mark Duksta]

Hello Everyone,

I'm building a tapering jig that uses t-track that I can mount hold-downs to.

My concern is that the little screws that would hold the t-track in would not keep the t-track from lifting out when I start cranking down on the hold-downs.

Would screws and epoxy be secure enough?

Mark

[Charles Lent]

Epoxy works well, and the little screws hold well enough to hold the T track in place until the glue dries.

Charley

[Michael Peet]

Hi Mark,

I had the same concern when I built mine, so I drilled and countersunk twice as many holes.

You can kind of see them here:

186081

Mike

[Mark Duksta]

Mike,

That jig looks a lot like the one I'm building. Can you say Dubby?

I guess I'll glue and screw it. I'm thinking about going all the way through and using a nut in a counter bore. That may be over kill. I tend to over-build everything.

Mark

[Michael Peet]

Hey Mark,

I think I got my inspiration from one I saw in a Rockler catalog ;). The biggest weakness of this design is that tightening the holddowns too much tends to deflect the center of the fence upwards.

Best of luck!

Mike

[Joe Angrisani]

Mike.... Is there room behind the clamps to put a strip of plywood that turns the top piece into an "L" shape in profile? Attached to the edge between the 45-degree chamfers. That should eliminate all (or at least most) of the deflection.

[Mark Duksta]

Mike.... Is there room behind the clamps to put a strip of plywood that turns the top piece into an "L" shape in profile? Attached to the edge between the 45-degree chamfers. That should eliminate all (or at least most) of the deflection.

I'm going to add that to my design. Thanks Joe.

Mark

[Alan Schaffter]

Liquid Nails is all you need. Rough up the outside of the T-track first with 80 grit. You are not making a vise, just a hold-down, it shouldn't need to be really strong if your blade is at all sharp.

[Michael Peet]

Mike.... Is there room behind the clamps to put a strip of plywood that turns the top piece into an "L" shape in profile? Attached to the edge between the 45-degree chamfers. That should eliminate all (or at least most) of the deflection.

I'm going to add that to my design. Thanks Joe.

Mark

Joe, great idea. Mark, let us know how it works out!

Mike

[James Phillips]

Hello Everyone,

I'm building a tapering jig that uses t-track that I can mount hold-downs to.

My concern is that the little screws that would hold the t-track in would not keep the t-track from lifting out when I start cranking down on the hold-downs.

Would screws and epoxy be secure enough?

Mark

If you think about it there is not that much stress on the screws. What ever you are clamping down is applying downward force on the top of the T track. You are not actually clamping the stock to the table top but to the T track itself.

[Neil Brooks]

Liquid Nails is all you need. Rough up the outside of the T-track first with 80 grit. You are not making a vise, just a hold-down, it shouldn't need to be really strong if your blade is at all sharp.

+1

Rockler uses screws, in MDF, and ... they don't last ... not even past the first sneeze.

Liquid Nails would be my choice, too.

[Gary McKown]

One way around the installation of T track. Dado slots on a substrate (I used ½" BB ply) about 3/16" deep and wide enough for the toilet-type jig bolts. Cover substrate with glued hardboard (I used ¼") with spacings over the dados for the bolts. All the thingies on the right are concepts for "hand-holds" on the jig.

[Tru Thach]

I just built my drill press table and bought the Rockler track. I was following the Wood magazine plan and it stated to use
#6 screw 1/2" long. But when I use the clamp hold down the track lifted up due the #6 screw was loose. So I replaced
the #6 screw 1" long and now the track stay put. I was using 1 1/2" thick table with 2 plywoods so I have plenty of materials
for the screw to bite into.

Tru

[Joe Scharle]

I use #2 FH machine screws into T-nuts in my track jigs. They hold well. The T-nuts need a recess and the pic should explain...

186291

[Rich Engelhardt]

I made the "mistake" of using Titebond II and screws, thinking I could remove and reuse the T-track....


Wrong...

Once the Titebond II hits the wood and it swells around the track, it takes an act of God to remove it.
FWIW - the T-track I used had (has) grooves on the sides. IIRC, I picked it up @ Hartville Hdwe.

[Joseph Tarantino]

One way around the installation of T track. Dado slots on a substrate (I used ½" BB ply) about 3/16" deep and wide enough for the toilet-type jig bolts. Cover substrate with glued hardboard (I used ¼") with spacings over the dados for the bolts. All the thingies on the right are concepts for "hand-holds" on the jig.

hey gary...didn't one of the wood working mags feature a plan like that using hardboard to create the slots?

[Eddie Darby]

If you use epoxy thn rough up the metal surfaces with sandpaper first.

[Gary McKown]

hey gary...didn't one of the wood working mags feature a plan like that using hardboard to create the slots?

Could be, although I must have seen it on one of the WW forums because I haven't subscribed to any of the mags in years. It has been long enough that I really do not remember, though. I certainly am not about to claim credit for the idea, just the implementation.

[Mark Duksta]

Thanks everyone for the replies. It seems there are many ways to install t-track. I haven't heard anyone say that they installed it a certain way that did not work.

I chose to drill all the way through and use flat head machine screws and nuts. The nuts sit in counter bores.


Mark

[Cameron Hood]

Lee Valley sells a t-track with a lip on the bottom so that it can't come out of the wood. See here:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=52400&cat=3,43576,61994,52400

I would think that it would be much better than screws.

[Michael Peet]

Looks great, Mark. I like the movable stop and shop-made holddowns.

Mike

[Mark Duksta]

Thanks Mike. There is a little lifting of the fence on the blade side when you tighten down on the hold-downs. After messing with it a bit I found that I didn't have to tighten it much for the hold-down to do it's job. I'm going to stick a little sandpaper on the end of the hold-downs. I think the sandpaper will add hold-IN power. I think I was cranking it down hard so the piece wouldn't slip out.

Cameron, Those Lee Valley T-tracks are a good idea. Maybe the next jig will get those.

Mark