# Simple qestions about T-tracks



## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

I'm a newbie with T-tracks and I have some simple qestions about them.
Can I mount a pair of them on the side of the table and with some plastic sliders atache a U-shaped bridge betwene them and on top a router. What kind of sliders should they be to work properly? The table and the side will be birch plywood 18-20mm. 
Is there a standard or must I stick to one producer? Who has most accessorys?

I'm not interested in routing T-tracks or slots or what is the name of it.
Thank's


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Esko; there's a product line with a whole range of accessories...sliders etc....that does exactly what you want.
Fractional Metric Profiles Fasteners T-Nuts Brackets items in 8020 Aluminum T-slot Extrusions store on eBay!
http://www.*********/Downloads.asp
http://www.*********/Solution-8.asp
...not inexpensive, however. But maybe give you some ideas, especially that last link.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Dan, something went wrong with the last 2 links. Esko, I would try something like this, a miter track, and use the plastic strip for a guide Veritas® Miter Slot Extrusion - Lee Valley Tools

T track has a narrow opening and will be difficult to make work. You would just need to make the sled a good fit across the width so that there is just enough clearance to allow for easy sliding.


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

thaznk's Dn and Charles.
I was thinking that the trak's would be tiltted 90deg so the chips etc. won't jam the slider. I don't have any experiense with these. Can't see your link's Dan. 
Can those lee valey tracks be tilted on their side Charles?


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Sorry about those defective links. Try this for the linear motion accessories for aluminum extrusions:
Linear motion supplies | Rocky Mountain T-Slot Aluminum Lumber
Esko, you'll see that the sliders roll _over_ the extrusion, not _in_ it.
That idea will maybe help with your design?


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

That was how I thought you would want to use them Esko. Place them on the edges and screw into the edge of the of the table. To use the sled you would slide it into the tracks from either end of the track's open ends. You could use them on the flat side too if you added boards under each end of the table and left enough sticking out from under the table to mount the miter tracks onto.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Why not just make a set of router skis?


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

Hello James. In my opinion router-ski's isn't the best solution when the work piece is 20x51" or bigger. The clamps require their own space and since repairing old windows or any other old "thing" you have to be careful and know all the time what you are doing so you don't destroy something. Besides with ski's I can't restrict the movement to a sertain part of the work. Do you see my point, James? If I wish to stop routing at an exact point I can do it with a table of my designe but doing it with router ski's... it's a mess. But with x and y motions I can do whatever I like with a pair of stopers.


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

Those Lee valey track's are they 90deg in every corner?


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## rwbaker (Feb 25, 2010)

If I understand the conversation you want to make the equivalent of a set of skis that work in both the x and y directions. IF this is the case use 2 pieces of angle aluminum, with the inside of the angle sliding on the edges of the work-holder surface and form the "U" between them as a rail that the router can side over. This maintains the distance to workpiece in both X / Y directions and avoids T tracks altogether. Drilling holes in the top and adding a vacuum would keep the surface free of cast off.

Good Luck - Baker


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

The miter track has a very small radius to the corner. If the plastic drags a little you could fix that by making a few strokes with sandpaper on the corners of the slider. Esko, you should be able to put these tracks on the flat if you want. When you move your sled back and forth the chips should get pushed out of the track without jamming just like on a table saw.
Esko, there is no reason why you couldn't make a table top, say from ply or mdf, and make some grooves near the edges for track (on the flat). You could make the slides out of hardwood. Hardwood slides work well, especially if you rub them with candle wax for lubricant. You can put a strip of kitchen counter top laminate in the bottom of the groove and it will work even better and last longer. This home made table would give you a chance to try your idea to see how well it works without spending a lot of money and, who knows, maybe you would not need to replace it if it worked very well.


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

Thank's Charles! A very good idea! That was a very good advice so I can try my idea's witout paying anything. Wonderfull. Thank's again.
That was a new thought for me Richard. Thank you for that.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Esko-

As you started this thread, I had a picture in my head trying to figure out what you were trying to do. The picture in my head was as a precision x-y axis railed support for your router, suspending it over a piece of work... As this thread continues, you seem to be leaning closer to that picture I had in my head. 

I use a planing jig. Besides doing planing, it can also be used for controlled x-y axis routing on large pieces. For the x-axis, I use rails that I built. They are "L" shaped. One leg of the "L" supports another jig, that slides along the tops of the rails. The other leg of the "L" is used to attach the rails to plywood. The rails consist of a pair of rails that I set up parallel to each other.

Between those rails, I use a modified dado jig (which we will now call a router support). The modification is that instead of the dado jig setup to be perpendicular to just the near edge... I set it up the router support to be perpendicular to the top edge of both rails. 

So, the router support travels along the rails at an X-axis. The router travels across the dado jig in a y-axis. This router support bridges between the rails. Stops on this router support limit the y-axis travel across the work... Stops clamped to the rails limited the x-axis travel of the router support.

You can add more precision, to this, in steps in how the router support travels along the rails and how the router travels across the "jig"...

For t-track, jigs, mechanisms and loading... think outside the box. Turn the t-track upside down and use t-bolts with the threads extending up. Gravity and the t-nuts will help keep the tracks clear of shavings and sawdust by the t-nut wiping the debris out of the track and letting gravity do it's job. But this sliding joint could also be a spline joint, such as a dado (groove), a tongue & groove with the tongue facing up or a sliding dovetail, with the key facing up...

...So what you want to do, you really wouldn't need to start out with the extra cost of t-tracks or 8020 extrusions unless you really needed the extra precision and durability and you could afford the cost. (Especially in a prototype stage.) You could limit excess play in x-y axis movement in the jointing you use between the rails and the router support... x-axis = left-right travel. y-axis = across (to me or away) z-axis = height. You have experience with windows and sliding joints... (hint). Add in a plunge router to that and there you go...

I think that kind of setup would help with the type of work you are describing.

Do you need pictures of mine? There are pictures of mine in my uploads... But I could sort through them for you if that would help.

EDIT--








When I was building that jig, I was trying to replicate having manual x-y-z axis control, such as the Maxis Mulit-Axis Tool system (see attached). Of course that system was $10,000 and I could not afford nor justify, so I made something that I could afford and gave me "some" of those capabilities.


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

Marellous!!
You are right I should think out of the box. i've put my self there with alla this thinking. Thank you very much. That would be great with pic's.
It's good not to have to pay any extra for track's and rail's if they are not nesessary.
Thank's again.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Tiny said:


> Marellous!!
> You are right I should think out of the box. i've put my self there with alla this thinking. Thank you very much. That would be great with pic's.
> It's good not to have to pay any extra for track's and rail's if they are not nesessary.
> Thank's again.


Esko-

I editted my last post... and here is the original post where I attached photo's of my planing jig, so you can get a visual of what I was talking about:
http://www.routerforums.com/294251-post24.html

<<Basic concept of trying to create a CNC "gantry" without CNC control ... manual>>


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

Hi Mike. That link opend me a rectangle with a txt:

Note: This is ONLY to be used to report advertising messages, and problematic posts (harassment, fighting, or rude). Please DO NOT use this to report off-topic or wrong forum topics / posts. If you would like to report those, please send a PM to a Moderator or Contact Us.

These touch screen's can be very anoying...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

I got the same msg. Esko, not your screen...


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

My IT marwell's have acted strangely the last few day's. It was good to "hear" that you too!


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Tiny said:


> My IT marwell's have acted strangely the last few day's. It was good to "hear" that you too!


Sorry- Went back and fixed the link in that post, but here it is also:
Router Forums - View Single Post - Router Insert for a Ridgid R4510 Table Saw


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## woodie26 (May 31, 2009)

Mike, Did Maxis Mulit-Axis Tool close up? Can't fine then.
Thanks


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

Thank you Mike for the pictures. Now everything klicked in the right places.

When we get my new shop ready I'll have about 25m2 of warm airy and good lighted place to carv and paint at the same time in separate room's. I can make my alfabetical router table jig thing. I can modify my Delta table saw. When the evening comes I can just leave the shop without gathering everything to boxes and carry inside. I can just switch of the light and close the door.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

woodie26 said:


> Mike, Did Maxis Mulit-Axis Tool close up? Can't fine then.
> Thanks


It was a one man show putting those together and selling them. I called him about a year ago and got pricing from him. (I choked when I got it.)

I'm thinking they closed. When I tried to go to their site to get pictures to post it, my bookmarked link errored, saying the site wasn't there anymore. When I went to my bookmarks where their UTube videos "were," they have been removed. I got the photo from their old catalog.

I thought it was pretty nice looking and had "many" possibilities... Enough for me to call him and find out more. Once I did, I thought it was quite overpriced for what it was. I thought to myself that someone could get themselves a good CNC for the prices he was asking.


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

Hi guy's.
Thank's for all the good idea's in this topic. You had many thought's I wouldn't have come up on my own. I think I'm making somekind of a mix, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I wan't the jig to be as light as possible so the visibility towards the work object is as good as possible. Even my thought's about wintersport's are a little confusing I thought of borrowing the hight adjustment from the ski's. I found at a very resonable price T-tracks from Turku, the old capital of Finland, 
Aluminium c-profiles - Ilmari
Now I don't have to pay any extra for the ordering. The 20x11mm. T-track cost's 10.10e/m and a slider bar of 1m 40e.
I was thinkin of making the X like Charley suggested and the Y like mike advised. The router will be running in the Y-axis on the 8mm steel rod's that is for the fence. I just make screw..(don't know the word for it but check this)
Autotarvikkeet » Kierretykalut » Kierretykalusarja 20-osainen - vannetukku.fi
then I first put the tightening nut and then the slider and finaly I have a visible atachment to the router. The hight adjustment I take from a ski I saw here on the forum. Ofcourse I need some good birch plywood or wather ply but the measure's of that is plain routine. I think that the table will be 200x80cm.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hi, Esko; in English they're called 'taps' and 'dies'
The die is the part that cuts the male thread.


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

Ok. With die I make male thread's to the end's of the steel rod's that support the router. I just have to buy shorter rod's so that I don't have to cut the original. If I make at ones two Y-axis I can use the second to some special things. 
Betwene the X-axis track's I mount a pair of extra track's for hold down clamps. If I make the Y-axis track's longer than what the table is broad I can route the side's of a door or a window. 
It would be good to have a hight adjustment that work's with thread's but I dont know how that should be aranged so it would be easy to use and little in size. I understand the principle ofcourse but what part's etc.
When this router table is ready it will help me in many ways. The bigest benefit is that everything get's faster.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

When are we going to get to see sketches or pictures? I'd like to see them.


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

Good morning Mike. 
For your question: "When are we going to get to see sketches or pictures?" Sketches yes. Pretty soon. I could try make some deasent sketches today. Pictures no or it will take some time. I post some pic's from my shop site instead.
Very nice you are interested. I hadn't count that somebody would say: "I'd like to see them."
Very nice.


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## Tiny (Aug 12, 2012)

It was a good thing to do to ask scetches or pictures Mike sinse I hadn't done them. Makeing them cleared my thought's even further. Four days has gone and now I have scetches so pleace, take a look.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Something I saw in your sketch... There may be a problem... But the way you have it laid out in the middle of your second sketch, you have the skis pointing from front to rear with the corners going left-right on tracks (x). But the stretchers between the ski's are again allowing left-right (x). "Y" axis looks to be limited/locked into the middle of your jig. You wouldn't get any Y-axis movement front-rear...

If you look at my attached sketch. Just by spinning your ski's 90 degrees on your base, allowing the ski's to move left-right (x) in the tracks and movement along the stretchers as front-rear , you would then have full X, Y and Z movement... The "Z" axis is the up-down in the vertical slots in the ski's.

I also figured you might need some way to square and lock your x-axis, which could be done with "L" brackets and a locking knob. 

You know that the bars between the ski's could be either actual "bar's" going through the router edge guide holes... --OR-- Like "Mike's" (<-- from Detroit, Forum Admin) variation where he uses wood stock as the stretchers between the ski's (instead of rods) , with slots cut in that wood stock, with that stock spanning between the ski's... and a router platform, that between those two pieces of stock, along in those slots... A little more detailed, but mostly made from wood, maybe a little more robust spanning a longer distance... and another option. Thinking of limited funds, but already having supply of wood.

Another plus to using wood stretchers with a router platform (instead just running rods through the router) in that if you allow for some flexibility for how wide those strechers "can" be, then you can also tilt the router, left or right in the Z-axis slots of the ski's... giving you 2 more axi (5-axis). I know doing restoration carpentry, having that flexibility gives me just a little "more" to try to match an existing profile.

From my sketch, the t-track that the ski's ride on could also just be a routered groove/mortise to ride in... with strips of laminate glued into it to help it slide... If you radius the corners of the ski's (that would lead and trail on the x-axis) and use laminate on the bottom edge, then you cut down the drag on it... Both those would keep your costs down also. That mortise in the base, could also be wooden rails, with the groove cut into the bottom edge of the ski's... Which we talked about that would be less affected by chips and sawdust... I use raised rails, just because of all those generated chips.

I figure that holes for clamps to hold your work... and to hold sacrificial blocks that steady and/or hold your work... is more effective than using t-track in the "bed." Experience shows me that using jigs where you have a material bed and an x, y axis machining... you get a lot of chips and saw dust material "inside" that bed. Same things happen in a CNC bed.

My sketch is just what I had pictured in my head from what we were all talking about...


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