A new workshop and some updates

[Bruce Johnson]

Question: is the track in the saw supposed to have wiggle room? Because it does and it bothers me. I really want to get a super straight cut with this.

Yes, there are different ways that you can eliminate that side slop between the slot and the guide bar. The coolest way is to make the guide bar from some aluminum bar stock. Get a size of bar stock that's a little over width, and trim it to be a nice sliding fit in the slot. A milling machine is the fastest way to do this, but you can also do it with a vise and a file and some calipers. And some patience.

You can also make the guide bar from hard maple, hand planing it to a precise fit. But maple is more fragile, and can get damaged when hustling the fixture around.

You can also make an adjustable-width guide bar. Two squares of aluminum bar stock, side-by-side, with a small gap between them. Recessed screws every six inches or so, holding them together. Thin metal shims between them to get the width just right.

I'm sure there are other ways too.

 

[lbridenstine]

So, I was in the workshop while the replies were rolling in and I didn't see most of them until I was done, so I went with the easy/cheap option of adding some tape to it for now to add some width, but I'm sure that will only last so long. I'll have to try one of your methods for a more permanent solution.

But! Oh my god. This worked so good.

After cutting the edge of the jig with the tablesaw, I was able to use the edge to line up my marks on the wood.

Then put it on the saw.

(this picture was taken afterwards with the saw turned off)

So clean!

Nice and square.

I did a bunch of those cuts for the build challenge bodies (I'll update those threads in a bit). I also used the jig to cut a nice joint line on the bass top.

And I am 100% planning on trying scarf joints with this jig, but I need to make a couple cuts first. For the scarf joint I'll need to do a cut, flip it, and cut again because of the height vs the blade.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Did you use a regular dovetail bit to make the grooves for the clamps? I have the same Micro-Jig clamps and I was thinking about getting some T track for one of my jigs where I need a little more adjustment but I already have a dovetail bit….

 

[Lo-E]

A fairly low-impact fix would be to measure the slop in the slot with a feeler gauge and get some PTFE (Teflon) tape that’s a little thinner to run along the edge of the guide.

The drawbacks to this solution is that it’s not permanent; Teflon tape is subject to wear and the adhesive can eventually leave things a little gummy but it can be a good temporary solution that will fill the gap and remove the wigglies without too much cost or effort.

EDIT: I started typing this an hour or so ago and then had to go do something before I finished. Then I finished and hit send before seeing your post. So, yeah…. tape!

 

[lbridenstine]

Did you use a regular dovetail bit to make the grooves for the clamps? I have the same Micro-Jig clamps and I was thinking about getting some T track for one of my jigs where I need a little more adjustment but I already have a dovetail bit….

I got their dovetail bit, but any 14° by 1/2" dovetail will work.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I got their dovetail bit, but any 14° by 1/2" dovetail will work.

Yeah, I asked and then just went in the garage and did it. Thanks for the smacking me in the head with something obvious. I get it after 2 or 3 times.

 

[Videojunkie]

You can also make the guide bar from hard maple, hand planing it to a precise fit.

I've used oak for years mostly because that's what my dad used... Using a thickness planer, dimension a board to the width of your slots, then rip them to depth on the table saw.

 

[lbridenstine]

I've used oak for years mostly because that's what my dad used... Using a thickness planer, dimension a board to the width of your slots, then rip them to depth on the table saw.

Good idea on using a planer to get the right width!

 

[Bruce Johnson]

So, I was in the workshop while the replies were rolling in and I didn't see most of them until I was done, so I went with the easy/cheap option of adding some tape to it for now to add some width, but I'm sure that will only last so long. I'll have to try one of your methods for a more permanent solution.

View attachment 4969350

But! Oh my god. This worked so good.

After cutting the edge of the jig with the tablesaw, I was able to use the edge to line up my marks on the wood.

View attachment 4969352

View attachment 4969353

Then put it on the saw.

(this picture was taken afterwards with the saw turned off)
View attachment 4969354

So clean!

View attachment 4969355

Nice and square.

View attachment 4969356

I did a bunch of those cuts for the build challenge bodies (I'll update those threads in a bit). I also used the jig to cut a nice joint line on the bass top.

View attachment 4969358

And I am 100% planning on trying scarf joints with this jig, but I need to make a couple cuts first. For the scarf joint I'll need to do a cut, flip it, and cut again because of the height vs the blade.

View attachment 4969359

It looks very cool and useful!

A couple of little tips:

For an extra measure of safety, move your table saw fence over to the left side of the blade. It'll act like a blocking wall, to make sure that your hands can't get into the blade. Place it fairly close to the offcut end of the wood being cut, but leaving maybe 1/2" of clearance.

Tape works fine as a quick way to shim the guide bar. Another good tape to use for this is clear packing tape. It's tough, slippery mylar, with very strong adhesive. Probably last longer than most other tapes.

Take a minute with a small fine file, and go through the slot in the table to clean off any burrs that could snag on the tape shim.

 

[lbridenstine]

It looks very cool and useful!

A couple of little tips:

For an extra measure of safety, move your table saw fence over to the left side of the blade. It'll act like a blocking wall, to make sure that your hands can't get into the blade. Place it fairly close to the offcut end of the wood being cut, but leaving maybe 1/2" of clearance.

Tape works fine as a quick way to shim the guide bar. Another good tape to use for this is clear packing tape. It's tough, slippery mylar, with very strong adhesive. Probably last longer than most other tapes.

Take a minute with a small fine file, and go through the slot in the table to clean off any burrs that could snag on the tape shim.

Good ideas! My hands aren't on the left side at all with this jig because I just push the black handle on the jig, but I like that idea for when I'm doing other cuts.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Good ideas! My hands aren't on the left side at all with this jig because I just push the black handle on the jig, but I like that idea for when I'm doing other cuts.

Yes, but what happens when you instinctively reach over to the left side, to grab a cutoff piece? That's what the blocker wall is for.

 

[lbridenstine]

Yes, but what happens when you instinctively reach over to the left side, to grab a cutoff piece? That's what the blocker wall is for.

Good point. I'm still in the new to table saws phase where I'm not touching anything when the blade is spinning, but I'm sure that won't last forever.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

It looks very cool and useful!

A couple of little tips:

For an extra measure of safety, move your table saw fence over to the left side of the blade. It'll act like a blocking wall, to make sure that your hands can't get into the blade. Place it fairly close to the offcut end of the wood being cut, but leaving maybe 1/2" of clearance.

If you do this, make sure the fence is farther from the blade than the longest diagonal of the offcut. If not, there is the chance the fence can become a fulcrum, allowing the blade to launch a trapped offcut back at you. Think "baseball pitching machine".

Having a scrap stick or charged compressed air nozzle always at hand can also safely clear offcuts. You only have to move them beyond the leading edge of the splitter to stay safe.

 

[lbridenstine]

I guess I should also mention that my saw has anti-kickback prawls built into the blade guard, so those kind of latch onto the cutoff on the way out, so that's another reason why I don't reach for the cutoff.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

I guess I should also mention that my saw has anti-kickback prawls built into the blade guard, so those kind of latch onto the cutoff on the way out, so that's another reason why I don't reach for the cutoff.

I'm not telling anyone else what they should do, but those pawls suck. The pawls on my Jet saw tended to deeply scratch certain stock so I removed them. I'm not sure they actually helped anything but Jet's legal department.

Fortunately, my current and previous saws have had true riving knives and I use an overarm guard, so I don't have to deal with the pawls anymore.

Here's a shot of the guard, you can't see the riving knife as it moves up and down with the blade. The huge advantage to this setup is the guard and knife don't interfere with sleds and jigs.

 

[lbridenstine]

I'm not telling anyone else what they should do, but those pawls suck. The pawls on my Jet saw tended to deeply scratch certain stock so I removed them. I'm not sure they actually helped anything but Jet's legal department.

Fortunately, my current and previous saws have had true riving knives and I use an overarm guard, so I don't have to deal with the pawls anymore.

Here's a shot of the guard, you can't see the riving knife as it moves up and down with the blade. The huge advantage to this setup is the guard and knife don't interfere with sleds and jigs.

View attachment 4971740

I'm not having an issue with mine so far, but it also came with a riving knife for when the blade guard is removed. I really only plan on removing it when I'm doing something like scarf joints where the wood is taller than the blade. I also took it off briefly while I was doing the relief cuts for the dovetail slots.

 

[Max Bogosity]

So far I’m impressed by the SawStop riving knife and guard setup. You can switch from one to the other with no tools in about 30 seconds. Not much excuse not to use them.

 

[lbridenstine]

So far I’m impressed by the SawStop riving knife and guard setup. You can switch from one to the other with no tools in about 30 seconds. Not much excuse not to use them.

Yeah, I love how easy it is.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

And I am 100% planning on trying scarf joints with this jig, but I need to make a couple cuts first. For the scarf joint I'll need to do a cut, flip it, and cut again because of the height vs the blade.

You know, you could make a similar sliding jig for that nice big bandsaw........

 

[lbridenstine]

You know, you could make a similar sliding jig for that nice big bandsaw........

Good point. I guess if I have to flip it on the table saw it won't give me that perfect one time cut on the table saw anyway.