Boys and Girls,
I often think I should keep my mouth shut, but then I start thinking (yeah… occasionally) that there may be a few woodworkers out there just starting off and have not read through all the past tips here at LJ.
While all the veterans yawn ho-hum, to others this may be so obvious it is overlooked.
If you like to use t-tracks and like me, choose to crank them up to white knuckle torture levels, you may often find a t-track in one hand and a work bench / jig in the other.
Far too often I have chosen sub-strata totally inferior to the t-track I am intending to mount or at least it’s use.
Rather than compromise practicality with thickness, if you need extra beef to secure the track, mount an appropriate strip of timber (or discretely placed blocks) under the sub-strata to give sufficient meat to deeply secure the screw.
You may need to countersink to compensate for the beefier screw head into the t-track. Just don’t go overboard and drill through it.
In this jig, 
I missed the 19mm x 42mm pine trips under the jig, and rather than re-position the t-track, I attached another strip next to the undercarriage to give support for the longer screws,
Now I can crank my t-track clamps up so tight that the entire workbench becomes airborne!
While we (well I am) talking about thin bases… If you want to attach something to a thin base, screw from below into a timber strip mounted above, rather than opt for a quick short screw…
Just make sure to countersink the screws,
otherwise you’ll have scratch marks everywhere…
Keep safe jocks... and your jocks safe!
-- If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
4 comments so far
Rich1955
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314 posts in 401 days
#1 posted 02-21-2021 03:19 PM
I use T tracks all the time, but when I first started using them I did just that and ended up ripping it out of the table on my drill press. After that I learned my lesson. By the way, I’m not a beginner either.
-- Rich
pottz
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14859 posts in 1995 days
#2 posted 02-21-2021 11:52 PM
duckie you not feelin well today,i think this thread is the shortest and least amount of pic’s youve ever done!i had to scroll up and check who it belonged to.good ideas though.
-- working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
LittleBlackDuck
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6526 posts in 1831 days
#3 posted 02-22-2021 12:38 AM
The vino started to click in… arms not long enough to reach the keyboard.
-- If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
pottz
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14859 posts in 1995 days
#4 posted 02-22-2021 01:02 AM
i was seriously concerned,i thought maybe you had a stroke or something?
-- working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
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