outfeed table miter slots

[Craig Johnson]

Hi everyone.
I am just finishing my first outfeed table for my Steel City table saw.
The top is melamine and am curious what you guys use to cut the slots for the miter guage and what I should use to prevent chip out on the top.
I read a couple other posts on using tape to keep chip out to a minimum.
I am leaning toward my router for the job.

What say you?

[Mark Kosmowski]

Are you going to make the miter slots on the outfeed table the exact width and fiddle with the table install to make sure both slots are co-linear or will you make the outfeed miter slots a bit oversize so as to not interfere with miter gauge in the tablesaw miter slot operation? I don't currently have a tablesaw and am genuinely curious how this works.

[glenn bradley]

I used my router and made the slots 1". You can score the lines with a straight edge and a razor knife to minimize or eliminate chip out but a good sharp bit should do the job.

[Craig Johnson]

Are you going to make the miter slots on the outfeed table the exact width and fiddle with the table install to make sure both slots are co-linear or will you make the outfeed miter slots a bit oversize so as to not interfere with miter gauge in the tablesaw miter slot operation? I don't currently have a tablesaw and am genuinely curious how this works.

Hi Mark.
Since my outfeed table is not attached to my saw, from what I have read/seen it will be best to make them slightly oversized.

[larry merlau]

another router and over sized,,

[Jim DeLaney]

another router and over sized,,

Yep! Me too.

[Rennie Heuer]

Oversized, but I used my dado blade. No need to clamp a fence for the router, easier to measure, and no chip out.

[Bill Arnold]

Like most of the others, I used a router to cut the dados to match my tablesaw. I used aluminum miter track in the dados to eliminate wear. Here's what my setup looks like.



Here's a close up of the track sold by McFeely's:

[Ned Bulken]

Are you going to make the miter slots on the outfeed table the exact width and fiddle with the table install to make sure both slots are co-linear or will you make the outfeed miter slots a bit oversize so as to not interfere with miter gauge in the tablesaw miter slot operation? I don't currently have a tablesaw and am genuinely curious how this works.

Slots? We don't Need no steenkink Slots...

Seriously, when John and I had our shop over in Canastosta, we had a terrific Large outfeet/work table in the middle of the shop, backed up right behind the TS. No slots at all. The table was set just below the height of the bottom of the slots, so the work would 'drop' 1/4" or so. Someday, when I clear the rest of the punch list, I'll build an extension table at the back of the saw. Right after my new workbench and router table, and....

[Bart Leetch]

I have had 1 12" extension out the back of a contractors saw then onto the out-feed table with the slots over sized never worried about metal miter slots I was using the saw's slots to keep the miter gage straight not the out-feed tables slots sorry Bill I think its an unnecessary cost. It's pretty but unnecessary. I now have a cabinet saw & my work bench is behind it & used as the off-feed table & the bench is set a a height just below the miter slots in the saw top.

I'd prefer a table the same height with slots.