Poll: What to use for mitre bar stock?

[John Petsche]

Great idea on the spring plungers, thanks.

[Wayne Jolly]

While I was at my metal supplier I bought a 10' piece of 3/4 x 3/8 aluiminum flat bar for $12. Works great used "plain", but I have been wondering about the spring balls for a while. I think I have been talked into trying them out. One question though. My PM66 has those t-slots in it. Is there any problem using the spring balls in that type of miter slot?

Thanks,

Wayne

[Rich Engelhardt]

Am I the only one who went with the Kreg runners? They come in 30" lengths

No, you're not alone. I have a Kreg runner I plan to try when my wooden ones wear out.

There seems to be only one tiny problem. The wooden ones just don't seem to want to wear out.

I made mine out of soft pine and forced them in and out of the miter slots repeatedly until the slid freely. Then I slapped a couple coats of shellac on them and waxed them.
I wax them every once in a while & after nearly 5 years, they are still as nice and tight in the slots as they were when I made them.

[Dave Cullen]

I use 3/4 x 3/8 mild steel bar. If I needed another one I'd probably use aluminum. If the fit is a bit loose in the slot you can "dimple" the bar with a punch.

[Anthony Diodati]

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[Marc Rochkind]

I have two sleds: One with strips of plywood for runners that I cut to size, and one with strips of plastic that I bought from one of popular mail order companies (might have been Rockler). Next time I will use plywood, as it is very easy to place the runners in the slots over spacers, put on a little glue, and then lay the sled base on the runners with the fence as a guide. (Squaring the base to the runners isn't important.) With the plastic runners, the glue I had available wasn't nearly as convenient and took much longer to set up.

You mentioned in one of your alternatives squaring the sled to the blade. No part of the sled should be squared to the blade; rather, the sled's guide should be at 90 degrees to the table. What I do is bolt it on with the bolts loose, and then use test cuts to get it exact. The runners have to be parallel to each other and a snug fit in the slots, but the position of the sled's base isn't important other than for aesthetics.

Of course, if the blade is square to the table, the guide will end up square to the blade, but generally anything that is guiding the work is considered part of the table, not part of the blade.

[Brian Hale]

I've used all types of wood steel and aluminum but by far my favorite is Ipe. wears like steel and after you use it for awhile the edges become polished and slick

Brian

[Jim Neeley]

hard maple