miter bar stock

[Andy Lafferty]

Anyone use 3/8×3/4 6061 aluminum bar available on ebay to make miter bars before? Its quite a bit cheaper than the nice anodized ones that the woodwork stores sell. I’m getting ready to make a crosscut sled and might try some out.

[Bobby O'Neal]

That price is great and all but I would think just some scrap hardwood laying around the shop would be just as good and free. I think paying the premium for a "real" miter bar is the best bet because its adjustable. having said that, I've never gone that route. My sled has ash runners on it that work great. No slop, moves smoothly.

[glenn bradley]

+1 on scrap straight-grained oak, ask, maple, etc. The bars need to be able to be custom fit and the solid metal offerings don't give that opportunity. I have used the adjustable aluminum ones from Incra. They are still in service but, some custom shaved white oak and UHMW are still serving me after years of use.

[Andy Lafferty]

Yeah I was thinking aluminum might be better for the long haul, I have my saw in the garage and live in humid south Florida. Figured I can avoid any binding issues with stable material. Drilling and tapping for some adjusters wouldn't be difficult.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I ordered a bunch of 6061 from Metals Online. It's about 0.005 over 0.750, which means I need to mount it on the mill and shave off 0.005". Can't just run it through the planer like I do hardwood, or HDPE wear strips. ( I made a sled to hold these.) ENCO carries some 3/8 X 3/4 X 24" long aluminum, which is exactly 0.750

[Jerome Hanby]

I also do the oak strips. I cut a bunch of them and planed them all down to a snug fit while I was milling.

[Tony Bilello]

I have not used the aluminum bar that you are talking about, but I have used steel ones that I bought at a woodworking show. The steel ones were not cheap. A also use "T" Slots and tracks. After using these, I will be hard pressed to make any more jigs with wood sliders.
My shops have never been climate controlled and I have used wood strips made of oak, padauk, rosewood, purple heart and Lord only knows what else. Some days the wood works fine, some days they stick and grab and other days they are just a hair loose. The steel and aluminum bars I have are always just right. Home made jigs like finger joint jigs require extreme precision.

[John Tallyn]

I prefer the plastic bar stock. I usually buy it in 4" x 36" strips then cut and sand to fit, I find it holds up and machines better then hardwoods and is cheaper then buying aluminum.

[george wilson]

You may not have to shave the bar. At least on the OLD saws I have used,there is .014" slop in the miter gauge groove. I like my Incra miter gauge in that regard. It has adjustable thick nylon washers to get rid of the slop.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I use Starrett precision ground O1 bar stock. It's 3/8" X 3/4" and it fits perfectly in my Unisaw and my 14" bandsaw. It's also a perfect fit in the Grizzly saw I have at work. It's about $35.00 for 36" from McMaster, http://www.mcmaster.com/#steel-bars/=cptk8e

A similar size piece of 2024 aluminum is $38.00 from the big M, http://www.mcmaster.com/#aluminum-bars/=cptm4r

[John McClanahan]

My local machine shop supply house has 3/8"x3/4" stock that must be milled, as it has nice edges, unlike the stiff at the steel seller (scrap yard). They sell it by the foot.

John

[Bob Wingard]

Over the course of my lifetime, I've used about everything one could dream of for miter bars, including UHMW (terrible choice), aluminum, steel, stainless(don't remember WHY I thought this might be a good idea), various species of wood, and plastic. My favorite choice has been plastic ... LEXAN to be exact. I joint one edge to be perfectly flat and smooth, then rip it slightly oversize on the table saw. Next, I pass the ripped edge over the jointer until I get a slightly loose fit in the slot. Then, I drill, tap, and countersink a row of holes along the entire length of one edge, placing the holes approx, 3" O.C. I inset either brass or nylon flathead countersunk screws into the holes, and adjust them, in order from front to back until they give me a perfect fit. The LEXAN will never wear out, and if the fit ever becomes too loose, just turn each of the screws until it is restored to your liking. It only takes a few minutes to make several of these bars, and they are dirt cheap, which is the part I like best. I see no reason on earth to pay $1.00/inch or so for the "perfect" material when "almost free" will do a superior job. I think the nylon/brass screws are something like $0.05-$0.20 each in quantity, depending on your source. If you don't have access to LEXAN, a good hardwood will suffice.

[Trevor Walsh]

I also use oak, beech, maple etc. with the double sided tape, bar held up with pennies trick to align them. CC sleds are my favorite TS jigs

[Bill Huber]

I have tried UHMW and agree with Bob, it's the worst.
I have used oak but the problem I have is that from winter to summer it changes so much and with the weather. I have used steel, it is heavy but it does work very well.

The best IMHO is the Incra miter sliders. the are light and don't add much weight. They mount easily and are adjustable so there is NO slop in the slot.

http://www.incra.com/product_jfc_miterslider.htm

[george wilson]

I like my Incra miter gauge,but had a problem with the anodized aluminum being too slippery,and the wood moving a bit when crosscutting. So,I fitted a piece of beechwood to its face.