Table saw jigs and miter bars - help!

[George Hoppen]

I made a cross cut jig to help me cut square (or mitered) ends on wider panels on my table saw. I first used an Incra miter bar on the jig that has 2 adjusting screws to fit the bar to the table sawmiter slot. I could not get this to move smoothly at all without binding, even with very small adjustments on the screws. When it would move smoothly it could wander in the miter slot. I recently attached a Kreg miter bar that has 8 adjustment screws. As careful as I was with attaching this bar to the jig, I again could not get it to move smoothly in the slot without binding. So I removed all but 2 attaching screws on the jig. This worked better, little binding, but when I tried to square a panel - no go. I think the bar is flexing between it's anchoring screws, as much as I am trying not to influence. What is the trick to attaching one of these miter bars to a jig so you have accuracy? I would like to make a couple more jigs for my table saw and band saw, but if I can't attach the miter bars accurately it's pointless. More info:

1) The miter "guage" bar on the jig is very straight, and square to the blade as best I can tell. It is adjustable and secured at both ends and its middle.
2) The jig is 24" from front to back and is 30" wide.
3) I have a Jet table saw. I have never confirmed that the miter slots are parallel to the blade, but I have not have issues cutting square ends with my Incra miter guage or with sometimes cutting square with the saw's factory rip fence.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!!

[Jerome Hanby]

Sorry if this is a silly suggestion, but have you cleaned up the miter slot then waxed it? maybe dirt and friction are causing the bind...

[Lee Ludden]

I had a similar problem. I fixed it by running some 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper through the miter slots and then waxing them.

[glenn bradley]

As others suggest; run a caliper down your miter slot and you will probably find it to be varied in width. On a contractor saw I had I used a milled piece of hardwood and some fine sandpaper to start and increased the blocks width by shimming with a piece of typing paper at a time till I got it acceptable. You want to remove areas that are less than 3/4", not go over 3/4" in width to meet any areas (hopefully none) that are over.

[George Hoppen]

Thanks for those ideas. I will give it a try.