table saw miter gauge slot depth? (pic)

[Kent Parker]

I tried my miter gauge in my new General Internation table saw yesterday and discovered that the bar sits below the table top surface about 3/32 of an inch. All other table saws I've used the gauge bar has been flush. This causes the "head" of the miter gauge to scrape across the table top.

If that isn't enough, the keeper plate (washer) at the far end of the underside of the bar that keeps the bar captured in the slot is not flush with the bottom of the bar and protrudes slightly below it. So.....when you push the miter gauge past the far end of the table you cannot pull it back smoothly (washer contacts the bottom of the slot edge).

My worst fear is that the miter slots have been machined too deep.:(

Slot is 7/16" deep. my miter gauge bar is 11/32 thick.

I'll be calling General International tomorrow to find out their specs for the slots.

What are your slot depths???

Kent

[Bruce Page]

Kent, me thinks one slipped by quality control.:eek: The slots on my Unisaw measure .385 deep, which sounds about right for a .375 bar.

[Dave Falkenstein]

The slots on my Jet cabinet saw measure about .42 deep. Both the stock miter bar and the Incra 1000 miter bar measure just under that - .40. IMHO, the body of the miter bar should slide on the table top, providing a platform and preventing the miter bar from tipping sideways during use.

[Kent Parker]

Thanks gentlemen. The problem with the deep groove is that the body of the miter gauge hits the table saw when you first slide it in. I have to lift the body over the top each time I place it in the groove or risk wacking it too hard and changing the settings on the gauge.

I guess I could place some teflon tape down in the slot, though not what I would expect to do given the saws price tag.

KP

[Jim DeLaney]

Thanks gentlemen. The problem with the deep groove is that the body of the miter gauge hits the table saw when you first slide it in. I have to lift the body over the top each time I place it in the groove or risk wacking it too hard and changing the settings on the gauge.

I guess I could place some teflon tape down in the slot, though not what I would expect to do given the saws price tag.

KP

Another possible problem - with the end of the bar laying deeper in the slot, the face of the miter gauge head is no longer perpendicular to the saw table. It's tilting, albeit slightly, inward.

[William Mcnary]

Old thread, but what did general say about those slots?

[Kent Parker]

After many calls I was put in touch with the Western Sales Manager who discounted by observations regarding the miter slot. He claimed that "all other table saws he's seen were like that". So, this issue was never resolved. I never could use the metal miter gauge safely. I tend to use a miter box that I made that has teflon tape on its underside so it doesn't scratch up the table surface.

On another note, which I may have written about this saw, the fence was out of square. It took about 8 attempts of communication and a month of waiting to get a new fence.

Customer service just didn't happen for me.