Router table: T-Track, Miter slot and power switch sources?

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I am building a router table soon and am looking for sources for the T-Track, miter slot and power switch.

I would like to use a power switch with the large off paddle.

I am going to use the t-track embeded in the table to position the fence and emembed in the moveable fences to position them.

Miter slot is obvious

Thanks so much for the help!!

Jeff

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Hi Jeff,
Rockler seems to always have their blue T-track on sale with a bunch of knobs and bolts. It seems everyone sells this stuff including Woodcraft and Woodpeckers (Incra stuff).

Grizzly has a nice assortment of on/off switches.

-Jeff

[Howard Miller]

Here is a good source that I used for t-track:
http://www.ptreeusa.com/ttrack_list.htm

[Stephen Edwards]

+1 for the Rockler stuff. They also have a very nice paddle switch that's perfect for Router Tables.

Depending on the material that you use for your fence faces, you can also buy their T-Slot router bit and make a lot of your own T-Slots. You use that bit along with a straight 3/8" bit to make the T-Slot. That saves a lot of money on jigs and fixtures and works well. I don't much care for that method on MDF. Tends to bulge too easily, IMO.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Grizzly has a good selection of power switches with large "OFF" buttons. I just bought one from them for ~$9.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Grizzly has a good selection of power switches with large "OFF" buttons. I just bought one from them for ~$9.

Yeah I saw the $9 one, I will probably end up with that one cause it's what I really want. it was just hard to see a $9 part with $8 shipping

[Tom Blodgett]

I got my T-Tracks from Grizzly. Much cheaper then Rockler.

Tom

[Dan Friedrichs]

Yeah I saw the $9 one, I will probably end up with that one cause it's what I really want. it was just hard to see a $9 part with $8 shipping

Jeff, this is just an opportunity for you to find more things that you need to buy at the same time

I've bought jig and fixture parts from Grizzly - like Tom said, much better prices than anywhere else. Had to build some new featherboards awhile ago - $0.25/ea for threaded plastic knobs. Can't beat that...

[Stephen Edwards]

Yeah I saw the $9 one, I will probably end up with that one cause it's what I really want. it was just hard to see a $9 part with $8 shipping

Jeff, you can buy several more items on the same order and the shipping will still be $9.00, up to a total price point. I don't remember where the price break is but it's fair, as it is with most vendors. Look a bit closer on the grizzly site and you'll see the cost for shipping and the price points where the shipping goes up.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Ohh yeah the shipping's not out of line, just one of those times where the part becomes much more expensive...

I would buy everything from Grizzly but right now Hartville has a 6 piece T-Track set for $30... I don't need it all but the pieces I do need would be $30 so it's like getting two free pieces of T-Track

Thanks for the help guys, now I just have to decide if the total cost is justified.

(I currently have a crappy metal craftsman router table that I don't use much because it is a pain, my shop really doesn't have room for a RT but I have a spot I can make it fit)

I don't currently have a band saw and am weighing the RT against the Bandsaw...

[glenn bradley]

I have had no problems with my DP fence riding in t-track made for 1/4" hardware. The router fence gets actively pushed against so I slotted the table and ran 5/16" hardware there. I did not try 1/4" track and hardware on the router table so it may be just fine. Just food for thought.

The sources mentioned are probably all fine. I tend to get t-track from whoever has $1 shipping (like McFeely's right now), or a coupon or free shipping, etc.

[Josh Reet]

Yeah I saw the $9 one, I will probably end up with that one cause it's what I really want. it was just hard to see a $9 part with $8 shipping

Just another one of those times that I am thankful that I live close enough to a grizzly that I can just pop in and pick up a part. Sure, I live a dozen hours in the car from classic trout stream fishing. But at least I've been to grizzly 3-4 times in the past week.

[Stephen Edwards]

Thanks for the help guys, now I just have to decide if the total cost is justified.

(I currently have a crappy metal craftsman router table that I don't use much because it is a pain, my shop really doesn't have room for a RT but I have a spot I can make it fit)

I don't currently have a band saw and am weighing the RT against the Bandsaw...

You can have both! There are lots of good deals on CL and elsewhere right now for used BS. If you build a decent router table for yourself, I think you'll be surprised at how much you'll use it. And, it doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. If space is a concern, you can build a good top that hangs on the wall when not in use.

I'm one of those former "crappy metal Cman RT" guys, too. Now that I've built a good table, it's a joy to use, not a pain.

[glenn bradley]

Just another one of those times that I am thankful that I live close enough to a grizzly that I can just pop in and pick up a part. Sure, I live a dozen hours in the car from classic trout stream fishing. But at least I've been to grizzly 3-4 times in the past week.

That's it. Josh is officially hated for the next 3 minutes . . . . OK, we can like him again now .