This is a good area for discussion! I would really appreciate others experiences with the T-slot cut with the router bit... good and bad please!!

sofasurfer::: thanks for bringing this up!! :yes2:

 

No problem. Theres a million things I don't know.
The reason I asked about this is that theres no where around here that I can buy T-track and I get tired of ordering stuff through the mail and waiting for it. And I am also always looking for less expensive ways of doing things. I don't mind a project costing a few bucks more than I expected but now days every part needed for a project is at a premium price and before you get a project completed you have a half weeks wages wrapped up in it.
I'm going to try to make it to the recycle yard in the next couple days and see if there is any T-track getting scrapped out.

 

Custom Tracks



Aluminum T-tracks make durable adjustable hold-downs but have significant cost and practical application limitations. They are limited to the size of the available track or T-cutters. For many applications, particularly on fixtures, I find integrating the tracks into the design without aluminum track or t-slot cutter more appropriate with minimal expense. For most applications hold-downs, similar to T-slots, can be fashioned with dado cuts and carriage bolts most appropriate for your application. It does however require laminating the hold down surface. I find tempered massonite an appropriate laminate material for most applications. Simply cut a dado the width and depth of the carriage bolt head into the surface of the core material where tracks are required. Then laminate the surface with an appropriate material whose thickness is at least the height of the square shoulder of the carriage bolt to be used. The expansion characteristics of the core and laminate materials should be very similar and as stable as possible to avoid warping and/or delamination. After laminating the surface material to the core, cut slots in the surface material centered along the dados in the core to accommodate the bolt shank.

 

Hi

I'm not a big fan of the T-Tracks but I use the T-Slots all the time it's quicker and a lot cheaper, I use them in many jigs and fences..I like to use the key hole bits most of the time..but I do use the T-Tracks slot cutters now and than also...and make my own T-Track parts with Oak the norm..no real standard size for T-Tracks so they can be all over the ball part in size..

========

 

I work mostly with oak, pine and plywood. Oak is coarse grain, pine is soft and ply is coarse and splintery.

I'm thinking that I would benifit greatly from cutting a wide dado, inserting a hard, smooth grained wood and then cutting the T-stop through it. I wood probably use available maple or search for some mahogany (or what else?).
Is this a waste of time or a good worthwhile plan?

 

Hi Daryl

Here's a shot or two ,they work great but not in pine or any other softwoods.....or made out of any softwoods....

Note the router table fence in the background it has the slots also..

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I work mostly with oak, pine and plywood. Oak is coarse gran, pine is soft and ply is coarse and splintery.

I'm thinking that I would benifit greatly from cutting a wide dado, inserting a hard, smooth grained wood and then cutting the T-stop through it. I wood probably use available maple or search for some mahogany (or what else?).
Is this a waste of time or a good worthwhile plan?

 

Gotta say if it were me, I'd go with the T-track. I know waiting on things can be difficult, but I think the aluminum would be much more durable.

 

I would agree with using T-tracks with wood. I have tried cutting t-slots and they were decent, but after a while the clamps and jigs I was using dug into the wood and made the operation less accurate. I would suggest if you go through them more than occasionally, getting two on your next mail order.

 

Someone wrote aluminum is not too difficult to be worked, no more than really hard wood, and the price of raw aluminum is almost reasonable.
I just made holes into aluminum, so I can't confirm this.
Has someone here tried to cut T slots into it with a good router?

 

It may be different for you in Italy, but here I really don't see the need to go to that trouble. It might be possible to beat the price, but the effort would might render it inefficient. You can get three feet (.91m) of T-track for $15+shipping, possibly less. That would certainly cover two tracks for a fence, unless it's a really large table.

 

BJ, Is there anything that you don't have pictures of?:sarcastic:
I see that you are not shy about using oak for this purpose, but what other common woods would be recommended for this?

 

Hi

Poplar works very well and it's not to high in price I also like soft Maple.
By the way sq.nuts slide right into the slots and some hex head bolts.

Like they say a picture is worth a 1000 words

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I think I'm about to high jack this thread....let me know if this is so..I just received some information from BJ about my new router table..After reading this thread I am having a brain f**t.....combing some ideas thrown about here I am thinking about cutting a dado in my table...putting a strip of red oak in the dado and then running a T-Slot in the red oak for a miter slot and the fence slots.....just call it my altered state from the psychotropics during the 60's..

Regards,
George
"Regulae Stultis Sunt"

 

I have a couple of T-slot cutters and like to ues them. I aways cut the slot with a straight bit first, then go for it. It works really well in plywood.

 

Here is my 0.02 euro for a hybrid T slot.



(click to see larger on Flickr)

There is a plain slot in the wood, and two stripes of metal (iron, aluminum, whatever you find) countersunk on the sides of the slot, to support the vertical push of the sliding nuts.
I think this can work even on MDF or cheap wood, since the biggest strain is delegated to metal.
It is also possible to insert two reversed L profiles below the metal strips to protect the sides of the slot, if your wood is soft like the only one I can find.

 

cutting t tracks

I have done this cut many times in oak and other hard woods, most seven or eight feet lenghts. Not difficult but best done in two steps. Cut a dado with a table saw and dado blade to alow for the tee cutter shaft. Then run the cut with the router table and t slot cutter to cut the "wings ". No dado blade? Thee or four passes on a regular bade. Each pass is an eighth of an inch. NO table saw? use a staight router bit to cut the dado. metal t tracks have two disadvantages. One is appearence. Second is cost. Need a lot of these tracks and the cost adds up. Also, you have to cut a dado for the track anyway, one pass (slowllllly) with the T cutter after that and the job is done, Looks much better and cost time with your tools, not a buck or so a foot. Go for it! But use a router table and infeed and out feed wings for long cuts. Rollers work well too. Feed Slowly( the wood).

 

A friend of mine experimented 3 different T-track: aluminum, Live in the wood and the 3rd slot with a 2 plates of metal bolted on each side. I await his response
This response interest me too!
Santé

I had not seen hybrid t-track of Marco that is what i say but in metal

 

A couple of my examples.

 

So what does this do besides spin? Do you use it for something or is it just a neat toy?

 

I have one my neighbor made me years ago and he put a dovetail slot in it.

Gary

 

That is the photos of my friend Champy of lescopeaux.asso.fr
he say the one directly in the wood is no good

 

I am like Bobj3, in that i will do about anything to keep a dado off any kind of
flat table. I have had a thin piece of wire that fell on a aluminum table that i bought years ago for my router. it came out and fell on the floor. Can you imagine what could have happened if it fell on the router bit. I cut one on my fence to be able to slide a stop on it,but I am scared to do it on the table,after that. I don't recommend it at all.

 

Try a dovetail bit 1/2 inch to make the T-slots. They work for me using a 1/4 bolt with hex top....the bolt does not turn in the slot when tighting the knob....

 

That is the anwer of an other friend:
"Les rails qu'on voit sur la dernière photo proviennent d'une boutique en ligne appelée 'Technic-achat'. Leur adresse internet m'a été communiqué sur un forum (je ne sais plus où).
http://www.technic-achat.com/boutique/liste_rayons.cfm"


this is a in-line shop.

Santé

 

A big merci, Santé!
It is a very interesting shop...

 

The "merci" is for the team lescopeaux.asso.fr

Santé

 

i like t track, but it is expensive. i purchased some on sale years ago, and have yet to use it.
the alternative is to make your own, and that's what i normally do. there are a couple of ways to make your own, one is to use a t slot cutter, in combination with a straight bit, my usual method, usually in oak or mahogany.
another option is to create the wide part of the t slot by spacing two pieces of 3/4" thick wood 3/4" apart, and then overlapping the 3/4" gap with two pieces of 1/4" thick material, such as masonite, to create the narrow part of the t slot 3/8" apart.
john nixon demonstrates this method in his video of a miter jig attachment for his table sled at eagle lake woodworking.
i also make my own t slot bolts using 5/16" carriage bolts whose heads i grind to fit into the t slot. the ground heads are rectangular, and with square portion of the shank under the head riding in the 3/8" gap, help prevent rotation of the t slot bolt in the t slot. i additionally use a lock washer over a washer under the t slot bolt knob when tightening the t slot bolt to help prevent the t slot bolt from digging in to my t slot.
hope that's helpful.

 

T-track - 13 ft kit - $29.98

6 Pc. T-Track Super Savings Bundle

 

Hi Ho: Another way to make T-track is to use a hardboard cover with a smaller slot than the one in the material underneath. This desn't even require a T slot bit, just two straight bits. This is especially good where you use hardboad for a replaceable top--for example on a wookbench etc.

Dirk

 

T-Track over t-slots everytime. Get the better T-Track, the kind that's through bolted and it will make no difference if you use it in hardwood or soft. It won't come apart like the cheaper stuff that's just face screwed.

 

Get the better T-Track, the kind that's through bolted and it will make no difference if you use it in hardwood or soft. It won't come apart like the cheaper stuff that's just face screwed.

Can you elaborate on this please? Maybe give brand names or links representative of the two types?

Thanks,
Jim

 

" T -slots"



Hi Sofasurfer, As far as I'm concerned, the "T" slots work as well as the T track in most cases, each has it's points that shine. If shipping time or $ are a concern, T slots are the answer, I M H O, hopes this helps.----I have used both. Your Forums Partner, Frank Lee, Kingman, Az.:big_boss: