I have a piece of plywood that I have been using for a ripping sled for a while. This is mostly used to rip a straight edge on rough-cut lumber. Previously I would use double-stick tape or screws to hold the work piece to the board, but I finally decided to make it permanent.
I considered using a T-track, but the track I have requires a 1/2" deep groove, and I didn't like how little wood would be left after that. Plus you'd really need to add a couple tracks to handle both wide and narrow boards. I eventually came up with the idea to cut upside-down T-slots in the board, and run them across the board rather than along it. I figure this leaves the most meat and provides a lot of flexibility.
I started by drilling a 5/8" hole all the way through the board. This acts as a keyhole so you can insert a T-bolt from the top. It also provides a good starting point for cutting the T-slot. A router jig keeps everything straight and aligned while the slots are cut.
The T-bolts I have are in 1/4" and 5/16" shank diameters, and the head in both cases is around 1/2" wide. So I cut the narrow part of the T-slot to 5/16" and the wide part to 9/16". This is wide enough so the bolt slides easily enough, but narrow enough so it engages the head while tightening.
I'll need to relieve the shoulders of the keyholes a little to allow a 5/16" bolt to slip in without lifting the board, but a 1/4" bolt slips right in.
So the bottom looks like this with all the slots cut.
And here it is with a board attached, ready for ripping.
I considered using a T-track, but the track I have requires a 1/2" deep groove, and I didn't like how little wood would be left after that. Plus you'd really need to add a couple tracks to handle both wide and narrow boards. I eventually came up with the idea to cut upside-down T-slots in the board, and run them across the board rather than along it. I figure this leaves the most meat and provides a lot of flexibility.
I started by drilling a 5/8" hole all the way through the board. This acts as a keyhole so you can insert a T-bolt from the top. It also provides a good starting point for cutting the T-slot. A router jig keeps everything straight and aligned while the slots are cut.
The T-bolts I have are in 1/4" and 5/16" shank diameters, and the head in both cases is around 1/2" wide. So I cut the narrow part of the T-slot to 5/16" and the wide part to 9/16". This is wide enough so the bolt slides easily enough, but narrow enough so it engages the head while tightening.
I'll need to relieve the shoulders of the keyholes a little to allow a 5/16" bolt to slip in without lifting the board, but a 1/4" bolt slips right in.
So the bottom looks like this with all the slots cut.
And here it is with a board attached, ready for ripping.
