# Miter T-Tracks



## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

I’m making a new top for my Delta table saw and was wondering if there are any guidelines regarding the distance of the miter tracks on the left and right side of the blade.

That is how far from the blade each track should be?

Thank you


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## a1tomo (Dec 3, 2008)

The first thought I had is, "why in the world would anyone make a new top for a table saw"?

The second is, what happened to the old top?

What material are you making the new top from?

This seems to me to be a project, and a major one, for a good machinist with a machine shop. Am I wrong?

Regards, Tom


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Don't need a machinist if you are making it out of MDF and laminate.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

You are right, it is very easy to make a new table top out of two 1/2" thick MDF and glue them together. Of cource it is easy if you know how because your new top has to be square to the blade.

My Delta table saw when purchased about 4 years ago had a very small CI top (26"x 17"). That is when I decided to make my 1st new top which is 44"x 27". Now I will incorporate my router to this top and I will make it 48"x 27". Four inches may sound not a lot but it makes a big difference to me

Anyway I'm still waiting for my answers


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

I can only tell you the distances on a couple of my saws.

The miter slot on my table saw is 5.5" from the blade.

The miter slot on my Band saw is 5.5" from the blade.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Is the 5.5" to the right or left of the blade?

Do you have slots on both sides of the blade?

Thank you


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## a1tomo (Dec 3, 2008)

Darn, even us old guys get surprised once in a while.

Good luck, Tom


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

kolias said:


> Is the 5.5" to the right or left of the blade?
> 
> Do you have slots on both sides of the blade?
> 
> Thank you


Table saw miter slot 5.5" on the left of the blade.
Table saw miter slot 5.0" on the right side of the blade.

Bandsaw 3 HP 5" to the right of the blade only.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Just out of curiosity why are you gluing up two 1/2" MDF, why not buy a 1". I just saw 1" MDF at a local lumber yard, not your Bldg supply house but regular Lumber yard. Or why not use 3/4" and 1/2' or 3/4" to glue up. I am just wondering, sounds like something I might want to do with my router table some day that is why I am asking.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Thanks a lot for your time


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

This may have nothing to do with MDF, but I can answer your question as to why I use two 1/4" sheets of ply to make up a 1/2" sheet.

When the ply sits it can warp, even the best marine ply. After getting the hardwood wear layer completed and perfectly flat I would go to the plywood I had and it would not be flat. When I went to attach the two together., hardwood as the top layer, ply as a backer the hardwood would just copy the warped shape of the ply.

By laminating two pieces of 1/4" ply together in my shop and putting them in the vacuum press I get a perfectly and I mean perfectly flat piece of 1/2" ply every time. Pressed in the conditions(humidity,etc) of my shop it stays that way.


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## Pagan Wizard (Nov 24, 2008)

I think the only thing of importance is that the miter fence can safely pass the saw blade and be close enough to the blade to prevent chatter.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Xplorx4 this is for you

To my opinion, ½” MDF is the way to go for a new table top. The sheet on the bottom is attached to the old CI (Cast Iron) top with special home made aluminum brackets to fit the CI top recess. I also attach to this seet at the front and back the 2”x 2” aluminum brackets which will support the fence plus two aluminum flat bars (1/8” thick) on either side of the zero clearence insert (that is where you screw the insert from the top)

Now is the time to make sure that all is aligned square to the blade. So now we have the top of the bottom sheet full of screws. I take all required meassurements and transfer them to the bottom of the top sheet and then with a Fostner bit I make all required recess so the top sheet will lay flat on top of the bottom sheet. Then you just apply regular carpenters glue, clamp it properly and it is all set.

The next day, I router the grooves for the miter tracks plus I router 1/8” deep grooves parelel to the blade and spaced about ¾”. Then I stain / varnish and now you have a brand new table top suitable to your needs.

Besides all the above, 1” MDF weights too much to handle


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## opelblues (Aug 22, 2008)

just a thought why not see if one of the cabinet makers are redoing a kitchen/bench tops in a house or shop in your area, the reason for this it is all ready glued and sealed and thay are 3/4 mdf and in some cases they are reconstuded plastic waste/bottles this is strong flat and easy to shape.


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## Ice (May 20, 2008)

*Table Saw Top*

Hi kolias,
I just measured my Table Saw and here are my measurements - 5 3/8" from the left side of the left track to the blade and 4 3/8" from the left edge of the right track to the blade. The saw is a left tilt which may make a difference. Isn't it nice that you now have your top almost finished and everyone wants you to make it their way, go figure?? Joe


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Thank you Ice for your help

It will take me another 3-4 weeks before I'm done with the new top. Then I will post some pictures


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Hi kolias,

I think I'm missing something here. I understand you're making a new top for your TS. No biggie. What I'm not understanding is, what's wrong with the measurements of the original top?

Since you're adding mdf to the current top, note, you'll lose that much in depth/height of blade cut.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

I was wondering the same thing. Why so thick? What makes the top so bad that you can't put a 1/4" thick MDF layer on it?
Do realize that a 1" thick extra top will require a really wide slot for when the blade is tilted.


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## a1tomo (Dec 3, 2008)

*T-slots*

Just to throw out some more dimensions for slots (no, you don't need to use my slots) here are some from a 30 year old Craftsman 10" saw.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Rereading your posts I thought of this. Several people have mounted their smaller topped saws on a rolling cabinet, and then have built a larger table surface around the saw, leaving a space for the saw to fit into. You would have to figure out mounting a fence to the surround, but it would sure beat adding 1" thickness to the top.
Check these out.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=18778
http://www.binkyswoodworking.com/TblSawCab.html


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## Ice (May 20, 2008)

*T-Tracks*

I thought this forum was to share information with others who do not have the experience and knowledge that you have. I have seen more people making fun of this person than trying to help him. Is this what the router forum is all about? Joe


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Hi Mike,

I'm not sure he's wanting to put on 1" thick MDF. He mentioned 1/2". Your option of building a surrounding table top would be his best option.

What I'm not understanding is, the need of the measurements for the miter slots. What's wrong with the original dimensions?


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Ice said:


> I thought this forum was to share information with others who do not have the experience and knowledge that you have. I have seen more people making fun of this person than trying to help him. Is this what the router forum is all about? Joe


Hi Ice,

No where have I seen anyone making fun of this person. Some of us are asking questions and offering info. 

To answer your question... yes


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## Ice (May 20, 2008)

So according to you the router forum is not a friendly forum to help people are wanting an answer to their question. sad, Joe Ice


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Sorry, misread your question.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Ice said:


> I thought this forum was to share information with others who do not have the experience and knowledge that you have. I have seen more people making fun of this person than trying to help him. Is this what the router forum is all about? Joe


Where did this come from? No one is making fun, but trying to understand a few things.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Thank you a1tomo for the dimensions, they will help.

I guess my previous explanations on why and what I’m doing were not clear so here is more. 

My 1st table top was built with no info from anyone and although it served my well in the last 4 years or so, I would like the new top to follow some standards, if available.

I don’t add the new top to the existing top I made. The existing top will be scraped and the new top will sit on top of the Delta CI top. The reason I’m making a new top is to gain a little more space since I’m incorporating my router to the same top. My home made aluminum fence works beautiful and it will be transferred to the new top, the same way as I did before.


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Ice said:


> I thought this forum was to share information with others who do not have the experience and knowledge that you have. I have seen more people making fun of this person than trying to help him. Is this what the router forum is all about? Joe


Joe, 
I have read back through this entire thread and have found no indication of anyone making fun of anyone else. All I see are people asking some questions to better understand what Kolias wants in order to give him an answer that will help with what he is trying to accomplish.
Would you please give me an example of what you consider is "making fun" in this thread.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Nicholas;
Are you removing the old top, throwing it away, and replacing it with a new one?


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Yes, that's what I'm doing. The old top was 27"x 44" and the new one is 27"x 48".

Four inches may not sound a lot but I needed the extra space to properly mount the router on the same top. In addition, the ZC insert was not big enough; now it will be enough to run (in the future) a dato blade plus I will be able to tilt the blade to fully 45 Deg.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

I forgot to mention another reason I decided to change my table top.

In the old top which is 44” wide, the blade was sitting at 26” from the left edge of the table and had 18” of table to the right of the blade. 

In my 4 years of using this table, I never used the right side of the table to do any cutting and so I thought that it was not necessary to waste this space. 

In my new table top which is 48” wide, the blade is sitting at 32” from the left edge of the table and have 16” of table to the right of the blade. Not a big difference but enough for my needs.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

The location of the miter slots is only critical as far as they must be perfectly parallel to the saw blade. The offset amount varies by company. I would consider using a high pressure laminate on top of the MDF to make it more durable and let your material slide easier. This method is used by all the top router table manufacrurers.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Thank you for the feedback

My miter slot is perfectly square to the blade. Regarding the laminate, I never liked the feel and look of them. I know that they are durable etc. but with 2 coats of polyurethane on top of the MDF I never had any problem with the material getting stuck.

Much appreciate your time


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## Pagan Wizard (Nov 24, 2008)

You need to post a pic or two showing what you did to your saw, it sounds like you put a lot of work and effort into it......you need to show it off now.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

It's kind of early to provide some pictures, but since you asked for, here are some of the work in progress


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Wow you sure are getting your monies worth out of that Delta Bench top saw!


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## a1tomo (Dec 3, 2008)

I love it! What great ideas!


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## Pagan Wizard (Nov 24, 2008)

Work in progress pics always tend to tell a much better story than a simple end result pic. I like your nice clean work.


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## Ice (May 20, 2008)

*T-Tracks*

Hi Mike how is Sue doing? Thanks for stepping in, this guy is having an education re-designing his table saw top. As you know you always run into a ton of questions whenever you attempt a project like this. It looks like the saw will be almost like new when he is finished. kolias, If you have any more problems Mike, BJ or myself will be glad to assist you Thanks Guys, Joe


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

kolias said:


> Thank you for the feedback
> 
> My miter slot is perfectly square to the blade. Regarding the laminate, I never liked the feel and look of them. I know that they are durable etc. but with 2 coats of polyurethane on top of the MDF I never had any problem with the material getting stuck.
> 
> Much appreciate your time


Hi Kolias: sorry to take you from your project but are you saying that you find polyurethane on MDF a suitable replacement for a liminate? I hate messing around with laminate. I'd welcome the substitute. Any special techniques?

BTW, I've never heard of anyone replacing a table saw table but I can fully understand why. Thanks for the pictures and please keep them coming. Learning experience for all.

Allthunbs


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Hello Allthunbs

Can’t go wrong with a laminated top but in my case I just don’t like them, it is a matter of preference.

The way I finish my MDF top: After I groove the top, light sand the top, vacuum and then pass a slightly wet sponge to clean the top well.

Then apply your choice of stain with a brush and wipe with a sponge afterwards to get the excess off. Wait about 6 hrs and apply the 1st coat of oil based Poly.

After about 24 hrs, lightly sand the 1st Poly coat, wipe the surface with a slightly wet sponge and then apply the 2nd coat of Poly.

After 24 hrs, lightly sand the 2nd Poly coat and you are set. Don’t get the water based Poly, I find the oil base Poly superior, that is my experience.

Good Luck


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Lovely, thank you. I'll try that when summer comes. I have a bunch of tables to do.

Allthunbs


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