# Do you use a mitre gauge on a table?



## neoshed (Oct 15, 2007)

I just assembled my bosch router table and got my craftsman router ( thanks for the reviews) mounted up.

It comes with a mitre slot on the table but no mitre gauge. I can see where a mitre gauge would be useful for sliding stock perpendicular to the fence but is that a normal thing to do? I'm a total neophyte with routers and router tables.

If you do use a mitre gauge did you buy one and if so what make?


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

I use the Oak park setup http://us.oak-park.com/catalogue.html?list=RTS-MGS- , which references off of a guide bushing instead of a slot. If you are interested in getting one, sign up for their mailing list, and you'll get a discount coupon every month or so.

For end cuts on short pieces, I often use a square push block that rides against the fence, simple and easy. This helps prevent tear out on the back of stock as well.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi neoshed

Here's just one of many,Rockler sells them also..

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shop...accessorysafe.html#coping_super_safety_anchor

BUT you can make your own  quick and easy with just some parts and some scrap wood.. 


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neoshed said:


> I just assembled my bosch router table and got my craftsman router ( thanks for the reviews) mounted up.
> 
> It comes with a mitre slot on the table but no mitre gauge. I can see where a mitre gauge would be useful for sliding stock perpendicular to the fence but is that a normal thing to do? I'm a total neophyte with routers and router tables.
> 
> If you do use a mitre gauge did you buy one and if so what make?


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## neoshed (Oct 15, 2007)

thanks for the replies....I think I'll go with the push block idea


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

That's what I do, I have never really found a miter guage of much help and on most for me it's to far removed from the area to be safe. For some jobs a miter sled is of more use as well and removes much of the safety concerns.

Corey


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## Woodnut65 (Oct 11, 2004)

Hi: If you are going to cut accross the grain, as in doing door rails you will need something to guide the wood. I would suggest that you look into a sled that allows the work to be clamped down for feeding through the bit. Some of the sleds use a miter slot as the guide, and some others use tyour fence itself to guide the work.
Rockler, Infinity, and others sell these sleds. The one from Infinitytools, has a base plate made from 3/8ths thick aluminum, which should be about as rigid as you would reequire. Hope this helps. Woodnut65


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## jerrymayfield (Sep 25, 2004)

If you use a miter gauge in a miter slot the fence and the bar of the gauge must be parallel,not so with a sled.

Regards

Jerry


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## AlexH (Oct 18, 2007)

I remember when I was building my table, many told me the miter slot was worthless. But I put one in anyway. I must say I use it all the time with my Incra guage. I guess it is what you get used to.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

On the router table it's push blocks all the time, for rails usually a piece of 3/4" MDF about 5" square, no chance of a botched job.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Just my 2 cents on the miter slot or to say the mitre gauge sled...they work just fine as long you don't try and use the fence and the mitre type sled at the same time.

In away you are trying to use two fences at the same time and if that's the case both need to be parallel but you can use the fence as a stop guage as long it's out a bit out on the end of the pass or to say on the out feed end of the table..

This will let the stock go by the bit with out jaming or getting hung up on the fence.
The track for the sled can be off just a bit because the router table as one cutting point unlike a table saw...BUT the wider the boards the more the error will show up but most of the time the stock is less than 6" wide the norm..

But I also agree a push block is the best way and just use the fence for the guide and keep the bearing out of play most of the time..
I have found out if you use wider boards and then rip them to right size works best for me...this keeps the rip out down to a min. and if you get on one you can just cut it off with the rip job after the router did it's work...plus all the parts are the same size the norm...this works great for making cabinet doors and boxes,drawers,...etc.


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## garycurtis (Sep 17, 2007)

Several months ago I had the same question. I was installing a router in my tablesaw extension and considered putting in miter slot. I decided against it. For the safety reasons Harry suggests in his post here. And because I was afraid the slot would weaken the table top.

Instead I bought a Coping Sled. I know that if you look at the Lee Valley (Veritas) router top, their fence has a sliding sub-fence that accomplishes the same thing --- or nearly so. So does WoodHaven on their fences. 

Having only run through a half dozen coping (end) cuts on my router, I can say that it is a somewhat violent and possibly hazardous procedure. Almost like using a shaper. I would opt for something that clamps the wood down securely, preferably with a guard separating you from the bit.

Gary Curtis


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## Murraycounts (Nov 25, 2020)

neoshed said:


> I just assembled my bosch router table and got my craftsman router ( thanks for the reviews) mounted up.
> 
> It comes with a mitre slot on the table but no mitre gauge. I can see where a mitre gauge would be useful for sliding stock perpendicular to the fence but is that a normal thing to do? I'm a total neophyte with routers and router tables.
> 
> If you do use a mitre gauge did you buy one and if so what make?


I use a rafter square with the base set against the front edge of the Bosch table to push against the long edge of a board and route the end against the grain.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

I'm a coping sled guy myself. Better safe than sorry and that can be a dangerous cut. Having the plexiglass in contact with the fence ensures there's no turn to the wood and being clamped in it's sturdy.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I'm a square, MDF push block guy. You could also cut a 45 or other angle on a push block, but it is a rare event for me. The bit will cut into the block, so just trim off the damaged part after you finish, Just be sure your block is perfectly square.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

@Murraycounts 

Welcome to the forum


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

The only time I use a miter gauge is when making a door rail. I tried a sled but found it difficult to use since the bottom of the sled which the piece of wood sits raises the wood about 1/4" inch. To compensate I had to raise the bit. The most important thing to use the miter slots for is to attach feather boards to.


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