DIYbanter - T-shaped miter gauge bar

Greetings and Salutations.

On Mon, 28 Jul 2003 12:05:15 -0400, Igor wrote:

Anyone know of a source for a T-shaped bar that fits the miter slot of a
DeWalt TS? I checked Lee Valley and Woodcraft websites with no luck. Or,
do I have to make it? Would UHMW be a good stock for that?

In most cases, it is a standard 3/4" by 3/8" bar, but, with a
washer on the end that is slightly wider, to run in the slots. I
have to say, though, that I would not worry about it all that much. I
have used both styles of saw, and, at least for me, having the "T"
slot does not make my life any easier. Actually, since I am WAY to
programmed to simply lift the miter gauge off the table, it makes it a
bit harder, as I have to remember to slide it out the end.
As for UHMW, I suspect not, unless we are talking about a
piece of plastic that is well supported on the bottom of the jig with
a number of screws. Making a miter jig out of it would not be a happy
thing, I think.

Also, while Norm seems to use a hard wood strip for his TS jigs that ride
in the miter slot, any comments on that -- good, bad, alternatives (when a
T-shape is not needed)?

I have several jigs I have been using for years that I made
with hard maple sliders. They are just as smooth now as they were
when I built them. Now, I suspect that if I were making a finger
joint jig that would be used in production day in and day out, I would
go ahead and use steel. However, for lighter use, hardwoods work
fine.
Regards
Dave Mundt