Adjustable Miter Bar

by Robert Tutsky

When I made miter bars for jigs out of wood n the past, I found it difficult to get a perfect fit. Another problem is that over time the miter bar swells or shrinks making it fit too tight or loose. Here's what I came up with that works great. First cut a piece of stock (I use oak) just slightly less than the width of your table saw's miter slot. I then cut a "tab" with a scroll saw or band saw (you could also use a coping saw) that is about 1-3/4" long. Drill a hole that just meets the cut line of the tab. The size of the hole is mated to a set screw that when tightened to the cut line will bottom out and then push the tab out enabling easy adjustment of the miter bar for a perfect fit with the table saw miter slot.