Wiggle-Free Guide Bars

Tool: ZEROPLAY Miter Bars [Buy Now] 

Manufacturer: Microjig

MSRP: $35.95

A crosscut sled is one of the handiest jigs you can build for your tablesaw, but making the runners is fussy work. They have to fit tight in the miter slots, yet still be loose enough to slide. This requires a tolerance of only a few thousandths of an inch over the length of the runner. The folks at Micro-jig have made this task much easier for you.

Their ZeroPlay guide bars come in two parts: a top and a bottom. The mating surfaces of the bars have a series of opposing wedges molded into them. To size each bar, you place the bottom part in the miter slot up against a stop, which is provided. Then you push the top bar along the bottom bar, and the whole unit expands. When the guide bar fits the miter slot just right, you tighten the parts together with three setscrews and you’re good to go. The bars have threaded inserts for machine screws, which you’ll use to mount the sled to the bars. Lining up holes in the sled with the inserts will require some precise drilling.

ZeroPlay bars are made from Noryl, a reinforced plastic nylon. Unlike solid wood bars, which can fit tight in summer and become loose in winter, these bars will always give your sled smooth, wiggle-free action.   

ZeroPlay bars are designed for 3/4″ wide miter slots. Included with the bars are plans for a small-parts cutoff sled with an off-cut deflector and a small-parts jointing jig for your router table.