Monday, September 26, 2011

Incra MITER5000 Miter 5000 Table Saw Miter Gauge with Sled and Telescoping Fence


Incra MITER5000 Miter 5000 Table Saw Miter Gauge with Sled and Telescoping Fence

Incra MITER5000 Miter 5000 Table Saw Miter Gauge with Sled and Telescoping Fence
From Incra

List Price:$409.14
Price:$258.44 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com
Average customer review: 
(25 customer reviews)

Product Description

Capitalizing on a great idea, the folks a INCRA® have combined their highly successful Miter3000® with the exclusive AngleLOCK® Indexing System with a sled system for the table saw. The sled with T-track and clamping fixture secures the workpiece as one solid unit for precision cross-cutting at any angle. The right-hand portion of the sled, once cut, secures to the right miter slot of your table saw by means of a miter slider and functions as a zero clearance cut-off table that's perfectly aligned with the main sled. Since this system includes precision angle adjustment, stop positioner and clamping sled for superior workpiece control, all possibility for cutting error has been eliminated and each cut is predictable and precise. Finally, a perfect cross-cutting system for your table saw! Order the replacement Panel for maintaining zero clearance for different blades and compound angle cutting. Please see above for Miter3000® specifications.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #16912 in Home Improvement
  • Brand: Incra
  • Model: MITER5000

Features

  • Table saw that blends incremental angle control and a special 3-panel sled
  • Precision angle indexing teeth are laser cut in solid steel
  • 364 lock solid angle stops in 1/2-degree increments
  • Ten expansion disks adjust both sides of the bar for zero side play
  • Hold down clamp locks your work piece onto the sled

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
The Miter 5000 Table Saw Miter Gauge blends the incremental angle control features of the Miter 3000SE with a very special 3-panel Sled for the ultimate miter cutting workstation for the table saw. The sled with two aluminum T-tracks and clamping fixture secures the work piece as one solid unit for precision cross-cutting at any angle. The tracks are embedded in the MDF panel top to secure an included work piece hold-down clamp and to provide absolute rigid support for the 36- to 64-inch telescoping IncraLOCK Cuto-off Fence.
The right-hand portion of the sled, once cut, secures to the right miter slot of your table saw by means of a miter slider and functions as a zero clearance cut-off table that's perfectly aligned with the main sled. Since this system includes precision angle adjustment, stop positioner and clamping sled for superior work piece control, all possibility for cutting error has been eliminated and each cut is predictable and precise. Also featured with every Miter 5000 is a simple and incredibly useful hold down clamp which locks your work piece onto the sled for maximum accuracy and the cleanest cuts possible.
Ten expansion disks adjust both sides of the bar for zero side play, anti-friction travel on all table saws with standard 3/4-by-3/8-inch or near-standard miter gauge channels, including Delta, Craftsman, and imports. This means that all of Incra's incredible precision will actually show up in your work because the bar won't wiggle around in the miter slot. Also included are Special Edition Miter Fence telescopes from 18- to a full 31-foot length. The dual flip shop stop and Incra's patented automatic positioning control also come standard with this model. AngleLOCK Indexing Precision angle indexing teeth are laser cut in solid steel to lock in 364 positive angle stops in 1/2-degree increments over a full 180-degree range. Interlocking grooves in the fence and stop ensure even the sharp edge of mitered work will not push behind the stop. The fence locking bracket creates a monolithic rigid platform and fence when tightened down. Quickly set using the included standard hex tool, this feature takes an already strong platform into the rigidity level expected in any professional machining environment.
From the Manufacturer
Capitalizing on a great idea, the folks a incra have combined their highly successful Miter3000 with the exclusive AngleLOCK Indexing System with a sled system for the table saw. The sled with T-track and clamping fixture secures the workpiece as one solid unit for precision cross-cutting at any angle. The right-hand portion of the sled, once cut, secures to the right miter slot of your table saw by means of a miter slider and functions as a zero clearance cut-off table that's perfectly aligned with the main sled. Since this system includes precision angle adjustment, stop positioner and clamping sled for superior workpiece control, all possibility for cutting error has been eliminated and each cut is predictable and precise. Finally, a perfect cross-cutting system for your table saw. Order the replacement Panel for maintaining zero clearance for different blades and compound angle cutting. Please see above for Miter3000 specifications.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews
38 of 38 people found the following review helpful.
5Will definitely please woodworking perfectionists
By M. Leavitt
The Incra Miter 5000 should make any woodworking perfectionist very happy. I'm definitely pleased, and here's why.

I've been tuning up my woodworking skills by making cabinets for my shop, but I couldn't get consistently square crosscuts with my tablesaw's stock miter gauge. The result was gaps in joints, and worse, doors and drawers that didn't fit or slide smoothly.

After considering many DIY sled plans, I decided to spring for the Miter 5000. Not only does it deliver repeatable angle cuts, but the flip-up "shop-stop" makes crosscuts dead-on accurate and repeatable in length, too. This is because the Miter 5000 is literally 'digital' -- the stop adjusts in precise 1/32" steps.

I did have a minor problem. The miter bar T-clip that keeps the bar from popping up when the sled is pulled far back was binding in the slot. I found the sled table was warped about 1/16" and when pressed down, it lifted the miter bar, causing the T-clip to rub. The Incra folks don't do email, but they deliver excellent customer service by good ol' telephone. I had no trouble getting through, and when I explained the problem, they sent a replacement sled panel right away. No hassles. That one was perfectly flat and now the sled works great.

My first project built with the sled was a caddy to store it. You may want one too, because the whole assembly is big -- 36" x 31" -- awkward to store, and you don't want to bang it around. The caddy is like a sawhorse on wheels, with solid sides inclined at 15 deg (hey, that's actually 15.000 degrees, thanks Incra!). Rout grooves in the sides for the miter bars and put cleats near the bottom for the sleds to rest on. It rolls under the saw's right extension table. I left the inside of the caddy open to give me extra storage. It went together like no cabinet I've ever built before despite all the angle work, thanks to the Incra.

Bottom line: A great table saw accessory that increases crosscut/miter angle and length accuracy, and enhances safety too. Excellent support from the company. Do you like producing precision work? Then treat yourself to this!
40 of 41 people found the following review helpful.
3Great in some ways, but with some dumb flaws
By Gregory P. Poulsen
I hate to be the dissenting voice, but I think this product falls short of ideal. It is sad, because all of the flaws could be easily corrected. The actual miter action (setting angles) is a bit slow, but very precise, and I like that component very much. The general concept is excellent as well.

To put this in context, I have a JDS AccuMiter and several shop-built crosscut sleds for my 20 year old Unisaw. I was hoping to replace all of them with the Miter 5000. However, that won't be fully happening. The AccuMiter is a great tool, with a much quicker setup, and with easier-to-use flip stops. It is not as precise for setting specific miter angles, but is quick and rugged. I will be keeping it for basic use, since it is faster.

Now for the flaws in the Miter 5000.

The worst problem is the bar that rides in the miter slot. It is "adjustable" to fit snuggly in the saw bed slot using nylon washers that can be adjusted. When the bar is mostly in the channel, this works very well, and the bar slides smoothly and precisly. However, when the miter table is pulled back (toward the operator) to cut a wide panel, only the front of the bar is in the channel. Cutting panels wider than 18 inches allows the bar to only have a couple of the washers contacting the sides of the channel, which gives a lot of slop. Beyond 20 inches, a panel at the saw blade can wander back and forth about 1/16 of an inch which is not acceptable. A tighter fitting bar would solve the problem - even my original equipment Delta bar fits much more snuggly.

The fence extension (for cutoffs longer than about 3 feet) is also imperfectly executed. First, to extend the bar, you must use a hex tool. For something you use all the time, this is silly - I don't want to reach for a tool every time I want to make a change my cut length. A simple plastic knob would have been easy to provide and would have solved the problem. Also, the measuring tape in the extension is backwards - I had to turn it upside down to have it read correctly. Neither of these is the end of the world, but silly frustrations.

I am also agravated by the measuring tape in the fence. It is "friction fit" and the instructions say it will stay put, but it is possible to accidentally move it out of position with a thumb or finger as you are moving wood around on the table, and the tape will then be out of position and you will not know it - possibly leading to a series of unfortunate events.

The cut-off catching table that sits to the right of the blade is another silly problem. The concept is great - it locks in the right hand miter slot and provides zero-clearance at the throat plate to safely catch even the smallest off-cuts. The problem is that it uses a tiny allen wrench (and I do mean tiny) to snug the bar in the miter slot (which you do every time you put the table on or take it off - as in every time you want to rip something). Why not simply engineer it so that the screw mechanism would use the larger hex screws used everywhere else on the tool? This tiny allen wrench hole clogs easily with even the smallest dust, and it is a pain to deal with (and the tiny wrench is easy to misplace).

Finally, the fence is not square with the table - in fact, it is WAY off. The instructions recognize that this will be a problem and provide directions on how to shim the fence with paper or something - so it is a known bug. The problem, i think, is that the miter head is connected to the fence with a piece of bent steel (think of corner braces you buy at the hardware store) which fall short of precision. Why Incra didn't use an extrusion or casting (like they did for almost everything else on the product) I can't imagine.

Well, the product is still pretty good, and it does some things very well indeed. However, the odd shortcomings (all of which could be easily fixed in design, at little or no additional cost) are puzzling and make this a less-than-ideal product. The slop in the miter-slot-bar when it is pulled partly out of the channel is the most serious problem for a product that bills itself on precision.
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful.
5Without a doubt the most well thought out cutting solution for the woodworker
By D. B. SLAGTER
Are you new to woodworking?

Well, so was I three years ago when I set out to build cabinets, built-in bookcases, custom stairways, fireplace mantels, and workdesks for our home. I started out with nothing more than a sliding miter saw, a circular saw, a jig saw, some drills and sanders. Sure enough I actually built many of the items I listed above. A lot of time and even more glue and screws went into that part of my life.

WHAT I REALLY LEARNED WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF OWNING A GREAT TABLE SAW!!
So I bit the bullet and purchase a Powermatic 66 5 HP Cabinet Saw after what I read on Amazon reviews, etc.

Well,once you have a great table saw, it's like your dreams came true and you wondered how you did ANYTHING with just some hand tools. BUT, THIS MITER SLED makes the table saw even better than it already it BECAUSE YOU CAN GET SUCH ACCURACY AND SQUARE CUTS!!! Yep, not having a square cuts can mess up just about anything your working on. Add to that REPEATABLE cuts for your cabinet doors, bookshelves, raised panels, ANYTHING!!

I hardly ever have to use my tape measure becaue of the simple and elegant scales Incra puts right on their first class miter gauge fences.

NOW HERE'S THE DEAL - YOU MUST SPEND HOURS, YEP A FEW HOURS! JUST ONCE, TO SET THIS UP CORRECTLY. IF YOU DO THIS, THE PERFECT SQUARE CUTS, THE PERFECT LENGTH CUTS(EVERYTIME!) AND PERFECT MITER ANGLES WILL ABSOLUTELY STUN YOU. AND IT'S DONE WITH EASE AND SIMPLICITY.

I just can't say enough about the great instructions and the quality of the components. Mine was dead on square, the fences were made from high grade box aluminum extrusions that don't flex or bend for total accuracy and a "solid feel" to boot.

I know you can build your own for probably less, but there is NO WAY a wood jig can compete with this thing, I just figured that I don't need to reinvent the wheel on something here os I just got the best one I coule find.

AGAIN, if you're not using this type of tool with your tablesaw you just don't know what you're missing. Don't think too long about this one - go get one on sale somewhere, you'll be astonished like I was.

Hope that helps!
See all 25 customer reviews...

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