Replies

1. 
   AlanWS | Dec 02, 2004 08:55pm | #1

   If you can find FWW #41 (July/Aug 1983) there's an article by Galen Winchip on building an entire wooden tablesaw with a sliding table. You might be able to adapt the sliding table to your saw, or at least use it as inspiration for a different design of your own.

2. 
   yona | Dec 03, 2004 07:55pm | #2

   Hello Ken

   I feel the sliding table is one of the components neglected by the manufacturers and there is no good solution to buy. I wonder why manufacturers do not promote it, its much safer to work with a sliding table.

   I think that your idea using drawer sliders is not a good one. It will not perform as good as the Excalibur and you will be disappointed. You need the slids not only to ride smoothly but also to prevent the table from upward movement.

   I am also searching for a solution and found 2 options: 1) sliding table made by Delta model #34555 which is hung from the saw so it does not rest on the floor. Its not big and I have no idea about its accuracy.  2) I think to built one by myself based on an article from FWW #101 "making a sliding saw table". It is based on two pipes that the table is riding on them with 8 ball bearings. You can make the pipes as long as you want and also modify the attachment so it will be hung from the saw table. If you have the money you can buy industrial sliders replacing the pipes and the bearings (expensive but extremely accurate).

   Good luck

    

1. 
   Rich14 | Dec 03, 2004 08:32pm | #5

   There is an article in "Ingenious Jigs & Shop Accessories,"Taunton Press that describes a sliding table that rides on 1" conduit pipe, aluminum angle material and 7/8" diameter roller skate bearings. This may be the same article Ken refers to in FWW.I've built a similar table for a different purpose. It's very easy to build and costs next to nothing in materials. The geometry of the bearing assembly keeps everything extremely accurate and tight and the rolling action is super smooth.Rich

2. 
   KenThompson | Dec 03, 2004 09:53pm | #6

   To everyone who has so kindly responded to my message:

    

   Thanks very much!

    

   I have looked at both Delta and Dewalt. They both appear to ride on what, to me, looks like drawer or pantry slider type mechanisms.

   My thought is to get a piece of anodized aluminum and bolt that to the drawer or pantry sliders that have ball bearings. Then I hope to secure this structure to strong aluminum pieces that would be bolted to my saw rails. I cannot see why this will not work, but am probably missing something. For the miter and fence, my plan is to bolt my INCRA miter guage head to the aluminum and use the INCRA fence. This will be very accurate and has a stop system.

   Thanks again!

   Ken

    

   Ken

3. 
   RickL | Dec 03, 2004 08:22pm | #3

   Accuride makes slides up to 60" so it's a possibility. Laguna and a few others make add on sliders besides excaliber and exactor. I recall the Felder was pretty nice and could be used with a mobile base.  The Laguna is  very nice looking as well.  Another option is http://www.8020.net/ The make extrusions and have this UHMW bracket that would be perfect for making a slider for a saw or shaper.  Only limited to your imagination and budget.  One could also use bronze bushings on shaft material.  I also have catalogs from Bishop Wisecarver, Rose and Krieger, and many others with components to make whatever.

4. 
   Jimma | Dec 03, 2004 08:22pm | #4

   Also check with Woodcraft (catalog is available). I believe I've seen both Jet and Powermatic on display as well as Excaliber.

5. 
   user-450633 | Dec 04, 2004 01:15am | #7

   How much crosscut capacity do you need ?

   Jessum is likely to be high end and pricey but at first glance does not look like a 50" stroke for crosscutting plywood etc. Exacta will be the best 50" stroke short of Jessum or high end homemade. If you are good with metal you can make great ones and you can look in Taunton archives for homemade ones.

   For small crosscuts sleds are the best way to go High end bought or home made.

   Usually with any bought device I find myself tweaking and or machining new parts to make it work to the accuracy  I need( we have a machine shop too which is mighty handy)

6. 
   BenchMarkPhil | Dec 04, 2004 02:12pm | #8

   You can make your own slider, there are articles that have appeared in FWW that show how it can be done. Using full extension drawer glides would be okay as long as it was designed well. The comment about "preventing upward movement" is an issue but it can be addressed by pre-loading the glides.

   For light duty applications which would really be 99% of the time, standard full extension glides could be used in a design. There are some heavier duty glides that could be used as well. You could go through all this effort to build a design like this but you would end up with something like the dewalt. Although your unit would be cheaper, ti would take some considerable time and that is probably worth something to you.

   There are a lot of seemingly small details that need to be taken care of in a good sliding table design. Doing this well can make a big difference on how well the system performs. Nearly all slider attachments suffer from a common design flaw for instance, they couple table height with some other alignment aspect so when you adjust one thing it affects the other. A good design will take care of things such as this.

   PMB
   http://benchmark.20m.com

1. 
   KenThompson | Dec 06, 2004 08:07pm | #9

   Thanks Phil!

   Excellent suggestions.

   My thought is to use two sheets of anodized aluminum of 1/4" thickness with the slides in between. I plan to attach my INCRA miter head to the top sheet and use the INCRA fence on this.

   The bottom sheet  will attach to the ralis of my INCA saw via an aluminum piece which will bolt to the rail. The INCA sliding table does the same thing and the rails are tapped for this.

   This saw's table moves up and down rather than the blade, so the sliding table should always be referneced to the table saw's table height because of the rails.

   As mentioned before, I really like the looks of the Jessem sliding table which has been delayed by them. I have looked at the Delta , Jet, and Dewalt. I think the Jet may be the best out there, but both Delta and Jet have very heavy cast iron tops and this will not work for me. I need a light sliding table.

   Any further ideas or recommendations based on my comments here will be greatly appreciated!

   If anyone knows where I might get some pieces of anodized aluminum in 1/4" thickness, that will also be very much appreciated.

   Ken

1. 
   migraine | Dec 06, 2004 11:11pm | #10

   One of the things that you must keep in mind is that the dust will coat the slides and not work.

   I have a jet slider on my powermatic 66 and the roller bearings that run on the tube get dirty and don't run right.  I found that using Top Coat actually removes the build up on the roller bearings and tube/pipe.

   Using something like a drawer slide , as in accuride, will get dirty very quickly

    

1. 
   JMartinsky | Dec 07, 2004 03:12am | #11

   How do like that Jet slider?John