Miter Gauge Hacks

[Warren Wilson]

I recently bought a Sawstop contractor saw. It is a wonderful upgrade to the DeWalt jobsite saw I’ve been using for ages. The problem is that the miter gauge runner is loose in the table slot — enough to matter.

I’ve seen the Kreg and Incra hi-tech solutions, but I like a more compact gauge to which I can mount a sacrifical board: one that I saw through so it gives me a perfect reference line.

1. Does anyone know any hacks to get a better fit with what I have (Sawstop standard issue)?, and, failing that,
2. Can anyone recommend a good, compact, miter gauge that can be fine-tuned to fit the table slots?

[Andrew Hughes]

Take a center punch and dimple the side in several areas where its loose. If it’s too tight then it’s a easy fix with a file.
It’s doent take too many if you hit the right spots.

[Dan Rude]

I have the PCS, I actually have never used the stock miter gauge. I have a V27 Incra, I have used for years on my C-Man Contractor saw before my Sawstop. It works very well. It is also not the most expensive one. Dan

[Cary Falk]

The Incra V27 is a nice compact adjustable miter gauge.

[Lee Schierer]

You can put dimples on the sides, but those are temporary fixes and don't control the entire length of the bar. I had this problem until I discovered UHMW tape. You can get it in various thicknesses and it will stick on the side of your miter gauge bar. The result is a slippery miter gauge with no slop. Apply the tape to the side of the bar and then trim it with a sharp knife to get a perfect fit top to bottom. It is available in .003, .005, .007, .010, .012 inch thicknesses.

The tape on my miter gauge lasts for several years and it is easy to reapply when needed.

[glenn bradley]

My first reaction would be to treat it as a warranty issue. That being said, I also have the Incra V27 for my saw and one for my router table as the miter slot adjustments were different enough that two gauges made sense. the stock PCS gauge uses spring loaded bearings to make the gauge ride smoothly. Being spring loaded they of course, do little to keep the gauge aligned. In my pre-V27 days (and it was probably measurable in days) I used the punch method mentioned by Andrew with good success.

[michael langman]

If you had any small fine pitched taps for cutting threads, like a 4-40 tap or even a 6-32 you could drill and tap the side of the miter gage bar and then screw in some nylon flat head screws. 2 screws spread apart over 80% of the length of the bar should do it.

[Warren Wilson]

Thanks -- great advice and a good range of options. In the spirit of non-destructive solutions, I'll start with the UHMW tape -- then dimples, drill and tap, followed (if my history on these things is any guide) by the purchase of the V27. :)