T-Track, T-Slot or Micro Jig dovetail

[Rich Engelhardt]

Has anyone picked up on the Micro Jig dovetail stuff?

Good as, better than or not any good - compared to t-track? (or a T-slot router bit).

[Patrick Varley]

Has anyone picked up on the Micro Jig dovetail stuff?

Good as, better than or not any good - compared to t-track? (or a T-slot router bit).

I picked it up this year. I like it, but I think there are pluses and minuses. What you save in not having to buy the T-track is somewhat offset by the fact that you'll use their specialized hardware/clamps. Being able to just use any 1/4" bolt is certainly a plus to T-track. The real benefit is that you can use it extensively on a single jig/bench/etc. all for a fixed cost. Or if you frequently make limited use jigs, can be nice.

In my mind,. I think there's room for both, depending on application. My most recent crosscut sled uses both.

Peter Millard had a recent video where he gave an impression after using them for 8 months. Summary is probably "indifferent".

https://youtu.be/02Up8x6Zy00

[Eric Arnsdorff]

I like the Micro Jig dovetail clamps and such. I think it is a nice solution and does work well in certain areas. My crosscut sled is made with it and I use the clamps on it which works really well. I have used it for some other clamping jigs and such.

I've seen worktable top versions which I'm not impressed enough with the idea to try it. I do think the vertical faces added to work tables with the dovetail slots that could be a useful feature if clamping on the side of the work bench is something you do often. I have thought I may add this to an area of my workbench and it would be useful at times.

But...
I don't see it as a complete replacement for t-track. Some things t-track is much better and some things the Micro Jig dovetail is better for.

I don't use routered t-slots or considered making anything with it. But I can see how t-slots may be a better choice than buying the Micro Jig specific hardware for it in some cases.

The Micro Jig system does work well in my opinion and is a good addition to the shop. It isn't always the best choice. But sometimes it is.

[glenn bradley]

I have a good complement of the Match-Fit stuff.
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I have historical uses of t-track and do not see leaving that behind.

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If I were starting from scratch do I think one ring would rule them all . . . no.

[Johnny Barr]

I'm in the only T Track camp. Firstly you can use all the auto adjust clamps from Rockler, Bessey, Kreg and Armor tool as well as home made and cheaper clamps . They all swivel at 360 degrees and as a result you only need a few T tracks to cover all possibilities. For instance my drill press table has only 2 tracks which cover the fence and hold downs, whereas I've seen others with 10 dovetail slots. I also use home made clamps on the drill press table. You can also use standard bolts found in any hardware store. Provided the stock is at least 3/4" thick then I'd use T track every time. Also where I come from T Track is not expensive and I always buy it when its on special. Total cost is cheaper than the microjig equivalent.

[Rick Potter]

I will counter, and also agree with Johnny, just for fun and say I am in the T-Slot router bit camp. I have many fences on router tables and saws that are simply made with a T-slot bit sized for 5/16" T-bolts. My drill press table has them for the fence and it is close to twenty years old, and I tighten down the fence pretty tight. It is made of two layers of part board with a formica face. I have no problem with the part board breaking out because the force is all directed to tighten the fence against the table. In other words squeezing them together.

Same thing with the stops on all my fences on the RAS and miter gage backers. The place I am careful to not over tighten is when I may use a Kreg bench clamp to hold something on the drill press, where it will actually be pulling UP on the slot. I have done this using medium holding power on an oddball shaped piece with no problems.

I have had no reason to build a work table with multiple slots, but I think the simple T-slot in the table would hold just as much load as the dovetail slots before breaking out. I wouldn't be surprised if metal T-slots would pull out by the screws before either the wooden T-Slot or the dovetail slot. It is also easy to build, dado the slots then run the T-slot bit through. Cheaper to accessorize too.

[Johnny Barr]

Yes T-slot is a great solution which gives the same functionality as T-track with the only cost being a suitable router bit. You can even make a T-slot by carefully arranging stacked boards.

[Rich Engelhardt]

+2 or whatever for the T-slot bits.
I have both the small and medium Whiteside bits.

I just bought some 4' T-track also. IIRC, it was about $14 for a 4' section.

I had just about talked myself out of the Match Fit - until I saw what Glenn had done with it.
I guess I know where my $100 April tool money is headed..LOL! :)

[Dwayne Watt]

Metal t-track and match fit both have their places. i use both. I tried t-slot bit once and decided it was not a good solution for my purposes.
T-track is perfect for router table fence inserts and was equally perfect for a specialty jig for routing juice grooves in cutting boards. Match Fit is perfect for a mortising jig I made which allows odd shape components like chair legs to be easily fitted using a combination of stops and clamps. The same clamps and stops make for a great table saw jig for tapering or straightening boards. I have another jig in mind that would benefit from both t-track (accommodating an adjustable pivot pin) and Match Fit clamps to hold odd shape work piece. The point is both have a useful place in the workshop. Arguably, I would lean toward Match Fit on applications that see only occasional use because the clamps can be moved from jig to jig easily and the investment is a one time thing as opposed to purchasing t-track over and over for each new application.

[Will Blick]

micro jig makes such innovative products, well thought out, good build quality vs. the price point...
This is one of the few products that made me wonder...
why would they NOT make it compatible with Festool dovetails, so many users would not have to double up on clamps, hold downs, etc. What am I missing?

[Cliff Polubinsky]

why would they NOT make it compatible with Festool dovetails, so many users would not have to double up on clamps, hold downs, etc. What am I missing?

I don't know if they've modified the clamps but I've got 4 of them and they all work in my MFT and track saw guides.

Cliff

[Will Blick]

That is interesting, I recall my MJ not fitting awhile back when I tried them in my FS Rail... was no big deal, as I have many Green rail clamps....
Found this video showing that with some slight grinding of the MJ is required to fit....
or, as Cliff suggests, maybe the newer MJ versions have been modified...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guSOnN118Rk
I tend to use the QR versions of these vs the hand screw versions on the work bench. But I do like the versatility of quickly getting the clamps wherever you want them, and they dont fall through the dog holes.
If you use a 1" thick dog hole top, I don't think either of these will fit through the 20mm dog holes, so consider that as well.
MJ has some nice accessories as well, so u can create your own hold down options, I can see this being popular for jigs as seen in this video.
https://youtu.be/AJ2PktnJs6s?t=72
In the end, both work great in most cases. You have to route a groove with both, except with the Dovetail system you $ave a lot on not buying the tracks which I assume was the driving force of the product line.
As others pointed out, nice to have options.

[Johnny Barr]

you $ave a lot on not buying the tracks

Where I come from I pay less than $10USD for 900mls (about 3 feet) for T Track which is not expensive but like dovetail slots you can also use a T-slot router bit and then you don't have to buy T-Track at all, with the added benefit of using ordinary bolts for home made hold downs at about 0.50c each, not the more expensive MJ dovetail bolts. So I don't think MJ dovetail slots and their associated clamps and bolts are a cost saving at all

[Will Blick]

Valid point...
I did not notice anyone testing the routed T slot vs. the routed dovetail.
The dovetail clamps have a large surface area vs. the T Nuts and they DID pull apart mdf in a few videos, but not hardwood or ply, unless they were really abused.... with the smaller surface area of the T nuts, I wonder if all the pressure in a small area would be more problematic, hence the invention of the dovetail slots. Dunno, I am sure a youtuber tested it somewhere!

[Patrick Varley]

Per MicroJig, the strength issue is one of the reported benefits of the dovetail slot vs. the router t-slot. When I was using a t-slot bit, I would sometimes make homemade "t-track" by routing the slot in maple then inlaying that piece in something else.

[Matt Schroeder]

What I like about the microjig handscrew clamps in most cases is the sandwich effect of the dovetail portion going under the work and the hold down pushing down against it. This is different than most t-track hold downs where the stress on the track (or the routed t-slot) is offset from the work. On narrow pieces this benefit is limited and there are probably other times that I am forgetting where it was worse rather than better, but most of the time I am comfortable turning the handscrew as much as I feel I need to to hold the work without worrying that I am going to pull out t-track or blow out a t-slot. Also, if a routed dovetail slot is slightly damaged in one area the longer arm of the microjig clamp averages that out--given my luck, that damaged portion is going to be EXACTLY where I need the head of a bolt on a routed t-slot!

One downside I have found is it does seem a little harder to slide the longer dovetail arm of a microjig handscrew clamp in its slot than a smaller bolt head in a t-track or slot. Takes a bit of getting used to, how to hold the clamp to slide it easily. On balance, I prefer the microjig system overall.

Matt

[al ladd]

The dovetail clamps have a large surface area vs. the T Nuts

Interesting--so the advantage is the pressure is spread over the entire sloped surface of the dovetailed edges, rather than being concentrated on the single intersection of the 90 degree surfaces, as in the t-slot? I'd always thought you could get a strong router t-slot in wood by simply burying the bit deeper, but is the dovetail just inherently stronger anyway? The dovetail would be the stronger of this pair?
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[Will Blick]

some great input...

Yes, the sandwich effect is of GREAT benefit, and prob. a key ingredient into MJ premise. That is made obvious by the youtube video provided previously, where the guy finds the breaking point of the MJ clamps... to accomplish this, he must avoid the sandwich effect by creating a gap between the workpiece and the table top....which is unrealistic in the real world in nearly any scenario I can think of. But it demonstrates the need for the sandwich effect, specially with MDF tops.

I have a LOT of 20mm dog hole clamps, mostly Bessey, and they do NOT benefit from the sandwich effect. On my initial MFT tops of 3/4" under heavy pressure, the top would buckle up, not ideal. I later moved to 1" thick MFT tops, by sandwiching two 1/2" tops, then when I ruined the upper top, I would flip em, and use the bottom one on top, held together with a few screws at the ends, to assure perfect hole alignment. The dog holes are drilled with a PARF system while the two tops are secured together to assure perfect hole alignment. I also have Maple supports every 18" running under the tops, to prevent sagging, as the top is large, so not a traditional MFT table.

As for the T Track slot being routed deeper for more meat... I am sure this is helpful, but the T Nut, still only makes contact in a small area, vs. the long dovetail clamps. I would think if the material is hard like Baltic Birch, it wold still suffice considering the clamping pressures to hold a workpiece stable is not that significant in most applications. But the T system does not benefit from the sandwich effect in most cases.

The few dovetail groves I tried, require waxed slots and waxed clamps, to prevent the clamps from binding up when sliding about. I love the dovetail grooves for the side of a work table, to act as vises....better than the side dog holes, which are in fixed positions. The dovetail table shown on the MJ website looks very useful and quite creative! It combines the benefits of the dog holes and the dovetail system. If I were to create a new work holding table today, I would surely build one of these.

https://youtu.be/6J2lygYQFD8?t=28

[Johnny Barr]

I've tried all 3, T Track, T slot and dovetail for years and have never had a problem with strength (damage) from any of them other than T-track lifting if not secured properly particularly with Kreg auto adjust clamps. So some epoxy and screws and there isn't a problem. I don't think strength is an issue at all with any of them.