Slider bar for bandsaw table
 

Hello all.

I bought a bandsaw a few months back and having used it for a few jobs, it's a tool that I now wish I had bought years ago. Really useful.

The table of the bandsaw has slots in it, running along the axis of cutting.. A cutting angle jig that came with the bandsaw runs on an aluminium extrusion that serves as a slider, captive in the slots of the table.

I would like to get some of the aluminium extrusion slider material to make my own, additional cutting guides/jigs. The problem is that I cannot find the material online. Various T-nuts for machine table slots are available, but I can't find a plain length of T-slot slider bar. Is there a special name for the profile that fits machine table slots, or can anyone recommend a place to look?

Thanks.

Bill.

Slider bar for bandsaw table
 

A lot depends on the type of bandsaw you have, industrial machines tend to have just a couple of variations of t-slots So it might be possible to get a length of bar from an engineers supplier. However, with hobby tools there seems to be no standards, so getting in touch with the machine maker might get a result, alternatively try to get a couple of strips of material to fit the major and minor slots and rivet them together. If you know anyone with a miller - vertical or horizontal they might be able to mill a few strips for you. You could try the D&T dept. of your local high school if they still have that kind of machinery about but I believe many have scrapped that type of equipment in favour of laser cutters and 3D printers.

Richard

Slider bar for bandsaw table
 

On 16/05/2020 06:12, wrote:
Hello all.

I bought a bandsaw a few months back and having used it for a few jobs, it's a tool that I now wish I had bought years ago. Really useful.

The table of the bandsaw has slots in it, running along the axis of cutting. A cutting angle jig that came with the bandsaw runs on an aluminium extrusion that serves as a slider, captive in the slots of the table.

I would like to get some of the aluminium extrusion slider material to make my own, additional cutting guides/jigs. The problem is that I cannot find the material online. Various T-nuts for machine table slots are available, but I can't find a plain length of T-slot slider bar. Is there a special name for the profile that fits machine table slots, or can anyone recommend a place to look?

Thanks.

Bill.

You could make one from a piece of straight-grained hardwood - a 5
minute job on a table saw - although do you actually need the T shape? A
rectangular piece of hardwood that accurately fits the slot should be
fine for a bandsaw. If you really want some vertical retention then you
could put some "ears" in 3 or 4 places on a rectangular bar so that they
run in the grooves.

Slider bar for bandsaw table
 

On Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 6:12:30 AM UTC+1, wrote:
Hello all.

I bought a bandsaw a few months back and having used it for a few jobs, it's a tool that I now wish I had bought years ago. Really useful.

The table of the bandsaw has slots in it, running along the axis of cutting. A cutting angle jig that came with the bandsaw runs on an aluminium extrusion that serves as a slider, captive in the slots of the table.

I would like to get some of the aluminium extrusion slider material to make my own, additional cutting guides/jigs. The problem is that I cannot find the material online. Various T-nuts for machine table slots are available, but I can't find a plain length of T-slot slider bar. Is there a special name for the profile that fits machine table slots, or can anyone recommend a place to look?

Thanks.

Bill.

Slider bar for bandsaw table
 

On Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 6:12:30 AM UTC+1, wrote:
Hello all.

I bought a bandsaw a few months back and having used it for a few jobs, it's a tool that I now wish I had bought years ago. Really useful.

The table of the bandsaw has slots in it, running along the axis of cutting. A cutting angle jig that came with the bandsaw runs on an aluminium extrusion that serves as a slider, captive in the slots of the table.

I would like to get some of the aluminium extrusion slider material to make my own, additional cutting guides/jigs. The problem is that I cannot find the material online. Various T-nuts for machine table slots are available, but I can't find a plain length of T-slot slider bar. Is there a special name for the profile that fits machine table slots, or can anyone recommend a place to look?

Thanks.

Bill.

Why does it need to be T-bar? When I made my cross cut sled for my table saw I just bought some aluminium strip of the appropriate width and used that.. Works a treat.

Slider bar for bandsaw table
 

On 16/05/2020 06:12, wrote:
Hello all.

I bought a bandsaw a few months back and having used it for a few
jobs, it's a tool that I now wish I had bought years ago. Really
useful.

The table of the bandsaw has slots in it, running along the axis of
cutting.. A cutting angle jig that came with the bandsaw runs on an
aluminium extrusion that serves as a slider, captive in the slots of
the table.

I would like to get some of the aluminium extrusion slider material
to make my own, additional cutting guides/jigs. The problem is that I
cannot find the material online. Various T-nuts for machine table
slots are available, but I can't find a plain length of T-slot slider
bar. Is there a special name for the profile that fits machine table
slots, or can anyone recommend a place to look?

Some of the tool shops will do slider bars typically designed for 19mm
slots:

https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+power-...gripper+dk7055

Or kits of hardware for making your own:

https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+new-ar...rutlands+r8018

Having said that, you only need to make use of the Tee when you want
your jig to be captive. In most cases just having a plain bar that
matches the minor slot width is adequate for accurate tracking. On the
table saw I normally make mine out of strips of hardwood.

(many machines only have a plain slot anyway)

Alternatively you can use steel or ali strips of the right width, and
then "tune" the fit by centre punching the *top* of the strip near the
edges to peen out a small amount of material from the sides to make the
strip wider. (and a file or stone to make it narrower again)


--
Cheers,

John.

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Slider bar for bandsaw table
 

Slider bar for bandsaw table
 

Thanks for the replies.

As pointed out by various posters, I was probably making it harder than it needed to be. The slot is 14mm X 5mm, allowing a little play, so as not to be tight as a gnat's chuff. Wickes sell steel bar in precisely that profile, so a simple solution. I can fix some studs into the bar to give fixtures for the jig at table level. Job done.

Cheers.

Bill.