Router bit for undercutting a miter gauge slot

[Matthew Springer]

Folks,
I'm working on an outfeed table for my Powermatic64A. Everything's pretty much done (pics soon), but I can't seem to figure out how to cut the matching miter gauge slot channels.

I've already routed the basic 3/4" groove, but does anybody know what the right bit is for the undercut of the T shape? I gotta beleive there's a standard bit available to do this.

-Matthew

[Ben Grunow]

I made my grooves wide enough to allow the miter ga to slide through without any undercut (square dado about 1" wide IIRC). The whole board and gauge should be supported so I wasnt worried about the undercuts. I am interested to see what others say here as it never even occurred to me to try to match the saw top.

[Lars Thomas]

Yep, just make it wide enough to allow for the washer.

[Brent Smith]

Hi Matthew,

The only T-slot bits I've seen are for T-nuts not miter gauges. You may be better off routing out for an aluminum mitre gauge track.

[Kent Fitzgerald]

Yeah, what Ben and Lars said. The slot in the outfeed table is for clearance, not guidance.

[glenn bradley]

If for some reason you want the t-track extended instead of just clearance slots, I would add some of the aluminum t-track that is commercially available like:

http://www.ttrackusa.com/mitertrack.html

If you want to do it yourself, Rockler, MLCS and others have bits that can be used but are not made specifically for this purpose:

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/bt_keyhl.html

I am thinking the alignment hassles would make clearance slots more desirable. Once you are in a position for the miter gauge bar to be past the saw table edge and onto the outfeed table, the need for t-slots is moot; IMHO.

[Chris Padilla]

I think a keyhole cutter might do the trick...if you are still inclined to match the miter slot on your TS.

[Charlie Velasquez]

Would also suggest rout the slot wider. If you have a t-slot you have to bring the miter gauge all the way back to release it.

The T-slot is to keep the mg from falling when it is extended in front of the saw. No need for it after.

[Greg Sznajdruk]

Try Lee valley they sell T slot and a router bit sized for the T slot.

Greg

[Justin Dreier]

Matthew - I also just cut the slots wide enough for the mitre guage and washer. As noted, the outfeed talbe doesn't need to guide the guage, so it works well.

DCG

[Matthew Springer]

It sounds like the consensus is to just route the slots wider.

Honestly that never would have occurred to me, but I like it. Good thing I have you lot! Pictures to follow.

I moved about a year ago and getting the garage^Wworkshop up and running has taken a back seat to all the other little house projects.

-Matthew

[Doug Shepard]

I think routing wider would make the most sense, but got to wondering if you could route a T-slot with regular bits. I wonder how this would work:
- Route the wider slot
- Place a 1/8 strip of UHMW in the bottom of the slot as a temporary spacer (glue doesn't stick to it)
- Glue hardwood strips to the sides of the slot to close the slot width back to 3/4". Maybe using another hardwood strip 3/4" wide as a clamping wedge to keep pressure on the strips until the glue sets.
- Pull the UHMW out, leaving the wider slot for the washer.

Just thinking out loud...

[Aaron Beaver]

This one might work

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51594&cat=1,43455

or

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=1572&SearchHandle=DADBDADBDADADDDGGBGDGDGGDFDJGDDCCNGFD HDFDICNDEDIGFGFCNDJDAGCGDCNDCGBDJGEGCDFGFGBGGDGDFG DDADADADBDADADADADGHECNHDGMGPHEDADADADEDADADADADAD ADADBDFDADADADBDADADADADADADADADADADADADBDADADADAD GHECNHDGMGPHEDADADADBDB&filter=t%2Dslot

[Larry Norton]

Matthew, I would look at it as a safety issue. Unless the outfeed table slot is perfectly lined up with the saw slot, you will have either binding at the junction, or the miter gauge will simply stop when it runs into the extension table. It could very easily cause kick back when either happens.