Table saw Sled question

[Warren Lake]

if you are cutting solid stuff for doors etc then just lift it off after the cut. On big stuff I must have walked around. Its over thirty years since i used a wood sled. I had a long fence on the cross cut saw that could do up to 90 plus inches and the sled itself could take a 4 x 8 it was made from half inch baltic birch on the base so a 4 x 8 could fit in.

[Art Moore]

Being rather advanced in age (read that as o-l-d) I make the cut, turn the saw off, and when the blade stops turning, pull the sled back and remove the piece.

[Warren Lake]

that wont happen if you are cutting solid that would slow you down way too much. Probably had some cuts where i needed two hands on the material in that case the knee turned the saw off after the cut

[Dave Diaman]

Warren, I’m not talking about the material being cut. I’m talking about the sled itself. I push the sled across, pull the material being cut off and then pull the sled back, repeat. If you are using the fence as a guide not only do you risk pushing the sled into the blade when you remove the material but you also risk the sled coming away from the fence when you move it back to the start position to make the next cut since there is nothing keeping the sled from racking except your hand pressure against the fence.

[Warren Lake]

my sled ran in the table slots. For smaller one off parts i stapled up jigs to cross cut angles whatever that ran from the fence and once through the cut were not pulled back along the fence. Ive got enough time om saws that I probably did pull back more times than I would admit. But bulk of the time did it the safer way. If your jig that ran on the fence was long rather than wide it would be safer but either way and time on the saw I go through take the part off the other side then start again with the jig. There are variables as well like if there is a splitter there or not. Most of the time i had no splitter or sometimes a nail in a wood table insert. my newer saw not set up yet has a metal splitter.

[Dave Diaman]

Warren, I’m addressing the original posters question about why to not just use the fence instead of using the miter slots for guiding the sled. My point is along with all the other issues with using the fence as a guide that other members have pointed out there is also a major safety reason for not using the fence. It is an accident waiting to happen.