Polyethylene for Miter Guides

Polyethylene for Miter Guides

Can I use UHMW polyethylene stock in the appropriate thickness for miter guides to screw to the bottom of homemade crosscut sleds and the like? Is it dimensionally stable enough and will it wear well?

Tim Inman: I’ve done it many times, but I find that a good hardwood stick does just as well. In fact, I prefer well-waxed maple slides for most of my jigs and fixtures.

John Brock: Yes. I found I needed to run a fresh file down the sides of the miter slots in my table saw to remove a couple of rough spots. Then the UHMW polyethylene works well for miter guides. The only complaint is it will wear over time, depending on use and the roughness of your miter slots.

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