Jessem router guides on table saw

[AndrewG]

I recently purchased a set of the jessem router guides to use on my Incra router fence. I was wondering if anyone uses the router guides on their table saw? and if so what is the drawbacks compared with the TS clear stock guides?

I must be missing something as both seem to apply pressure downwards and against the fence, but I don’t see many using the router guides on their table saw? I have the Incra TS LS also, so it fits in the t track.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Alanbach]

I am no Engineer and not an expert by any means but I have both so let me give it a shot. The router guides will work on your table saw. There have been a number of posts lately showing exactly that. The router guides are smaller and have a smaller capacity. Both types of Jessem guides perform the same functions, they pull the material into the fence, they hold it down and they prevent it from going back the way it came.

The simple difference is capacity and flexibility. The router guides limit the thickness of the piece according to how high on the fence they are mounted. The TS guides swing out from their mounting position on top of the fence and by the nature of their design and their size that can hold down a much thicker workpiece.

The more complicated difference is the inherent power of a Table Saw vs. a Router Table and what it takes to hold back a kickback event. The TS guides have larger rollers and so I am sure that the one way device inside that wheel is probably stronger than the router guides and therefore able to do the job it is designed for on the machine it was designed to operate on.

So for me the bottom line is that I (personally for me) would be totally comfortable with the router guides working on a Table Saw for smaller work. Larger work, however, would make me a little more hesitant, ie. if I was pushing 4’ x 8’ sheets of 3/4” ply through my Table Saw I would probably want the larger guides and the greater holding power and capacity that they bring.

I hope that this helps!

 

[DynaGlide]

http://festoolownersgroup.com/other-tools-accessories/upgraded-my-dw745/msg583576/#msg583576

 

[Alanbach]

[member=65062]DynaGlide[/member] - yes, there it is. Thank you. And beautiful job, by the way. If you move the guides up to the top slot what will the thickest piece of lumber that you will be able to fit under it?

 

[AndrewG]

Thank you for the reply and posting the link, not sure how I missed that. Looks like they’ll work for what I want to do. Larger sheets of ply etc I use my TS75, so it looks like I’ll be good to go.

DynaGlide - from your experience, roughly what would be the maximum widths you’d push through your TS with the guides?
Cheers

 

[DynaGlide]

[member=66185]Alanbach[/member] Thank you for the kind words. If I locate the guides in the top track and raise them completely I would be able to fit a 2.5" board underneath.

[member=16995]AndrewG[/member] I have only put 5" wide boards through so far. My tablesaw is tiny and I bought it for ripping narrow pieces down to width. It's great for filling that need especially with the guides. Anything larger than a guide rail and I'd be tempted to use a track saw.

I already owned the router guides and felt unsafe running long boards through my jobsite saw. The Woodpeckers track was about $30 and for my use case it's a wonderful setup. When I bought the saw I had already intended on adding an aluminum subfence longer than the table to provide better infeed support. The lightbulb went off when I saw I could get one with t track to use the Jessem router guides.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

Just my opinion:

I have both sets too. The router table clear-cut stock guides came out first and I bought them. I liked them so much I immediately purchased the TS stock guides when they came out.

My thoughts were the opposite - wish the TS guides came out first so I could adapt them on the RT. As mentioned if you put these two guides next to each other there is no questioning which one  should be used on the TS.

I'm in the camp if you are purchasing the stops for safety (not just to pull the wood toward the fence) don't even think about using the much smaller guides on the TS.

Mike

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.

DynaGlide - from your experience, roughly what would be the maximum widths you’d push through your TS with the guides?
Cheers

Not sure if your question is about how narrow a stock you could feed through a TS clear guide. I have handled stock of 1/2" in width on mine.

There is no harm in sending an inquiry to JessEm about using the stock guides for the router table on the table saw. They may provide some insights on the topic.

 

[TealaG]

I only have the clear cut saw guides and one difference is that the saw guides can extend away from the fence, which may be an advantage for certain cuts?

I sort of wonder whether I could use the table saw units on a router table?