Going Sledding...Vertical

[Vaughn McMillan]

I wanted to do some miter joints with feather splines, so I figured I needed a jig for that. The Tablesaw Magic book has some good ideas for a vertical sled (that attaches to the "universal auxilary fence"), so I spent the last few weekends putting these two pieces together. I made a few changes to adapt to my fence, and added a runner to keep the sled in the right place, but it's similar to what's in the book. It's 3/4 ply (mostly birch) with a few coats of BLO followed by a few coats of clear poly, with a number of re-do and fix-it moments along the way.

I apologize for removing the rest of this thread, but I feel compelled to do so for reasons I'm not going to discuss in public. Feel free to e-mail me at SMC -at- tg3k.com if you'd like to see the original post or pics.

- Vaughn

[Norman Hitt]

VERY NICE, Vaughn. You ought to Really get a LOT of use and mileage out of that project.

I finally came up with a system that "Usually" works, to kick my Memory into action, when installing ANYTHING metal to a fence, jig, etc. I get it partially assembled from the top end first, then run the tablesaw blade all the way UP, and then set the jig into place and eyeball where I want the lowest screw, (always above the blade height), track, etc., and mark it. This procedure has eliminated a lot of the "obligatory Cussing" normally associated with jig building in my shop. :D (I haven't had to replace any Blades since I started using this system). :)

[Elliott Cameron]

Vaughn
Elliott here. I am kinda new to this forum. I'm a 'netter normally.
That jig looks very,very nice. I have the same book. Reading it recently.
You sure did a good job assemling everything, except for your admitted snaffu on the lower track. I have done the same thing more than I would like to admit too. Dohhhh!!
How is that Ridgid saw treating you ? I almost bought one myself, but decided to make do with my old saw a bit longer and get a General 350 or maybe the Grizzly 1023SLX.
Nice to see your work.
Elliott FLA....USA

[Vaughn McMillan]

...How is that Ridgid saw treating you ?...
Elliott, I've been very happy with the TS3650. It replaced a $100 benchtop saw that served me well, but had outlived its usefulness to me. It's cut everyting I've thrown at it, I get gluable rip joints, and the fence and trunion have stayed true as the day I set it up. I've ripped quite a few narrow (1/4" and 1/8" x 4/4 or so) strips of hardwood, and the only ones I've had to throw away were due to my own mistakes, not the saw's.

- Vaughn

[Jim Becker]

Very nice jig, Vaughn!!! Great workmanship. (I'm also a fan of Tolpin's system, although I haven't created anything quite this special...)

Question...since the supports for the project don't go to the table, how are you coping with tearout as the blade exits the cut? Temporary backer?

[Keith Burns]

Great looking jigs ! Looks better than most of the "projects" I make.

[Vaughn McMillan]

... Question...since the supports for the project don't go to the table, how are you coping with tearout as the blade exits the cut? Temporary backer?
Although I didn't have any tearout problems with this board, I'm planning to use a temp backer if I use these supports much more. I've also got some ideas for another version of 45* jig, where the supports are both mounted to the same piece of wood (instead of two separate supports). That version would also have sacrificial backer boards.

- Vaughn

[Michael Stafford]

Great looking jig, Vaughn. I like its versatility. I have dedicated jigs that are not as versatile as the one you built. They are good for one thing only. All of my jigs register off the miter slots and therefore limit their capability somewhat.

One thing you might try is using cap screws and T-nuts instead of the plastic knobs. They might provide you with additional clearance.

[Elliott Cameron]

Although I didn't have any tearout problems with this board, I'm planning to use a temp backer if I use these supports much more. I've also got some ideas for another version of 45* jig, where the supports are both mounted to the same piece of wood (instead of two separate supports). That version would also have sacrificial backer boards.

- Vaughn

Hello Vaughn, Elliott here again.
Upon further examination of your vertical mitre jig ,as pointed out by Jim,
you seem to have a possible problem with tear-out.
Me thinks me have a solution to your predicament.
Do you think attaching 1/4" hardboard to both flat support surfaces would create a sort of zero-clearance bed to support your pieces as the saw blade exits ? The hardboard can extend down to where it just barely clears the tabletop and provides support for the pieces being cut. You could cut out several so that they could just be interchangable if you want to cut different thickness of splines.
What do you think? Do we have a solution?

Regards: Elliott FLA....USA

[Vaughn McMillan]

Elliot, that's almost exactly what I have in mind, except instead of hardboard I'm thinking of using some of the 1/4" ply that I salvaged from a cabinet door trimming project I did a while back. I've got enough scrap for a lot of inserts. I'll probably just use double-sided tape to hold the 1/4" ply onto the brackets, since the workpiece will be clamped (thus also holding down the 1/4" inserts).

I'm also thinking of another approach for the brackets altogether, with both 45* "shelves" mounted to a single backboard, which then is attached to only the upper mini-track (solving the screw clearance problem). It would make setup a bit quicker, since I wouldn't have to adjust each bracket individually, but it'd also mean hanging a bit more weight off the side of the fence.

Thanks for the comments -

- Vaughn

[Elliott Cameron]

This is why we are the GREATEST country on Earth. That is a GREAT idea. I will have to incorporate these into my version of Jim's jig ! I thought of hardboard 'cause it's cheap and stable. It won't move at all.

Regards: Elliott FLA....USA

[Corey Hallagan]

Vaughn, awesome job on the fence system. I have spent alot of time looking at the plans. I just don't know if I can bring myself to drill into the fence top, but I think there are some clamping options. Again, great job!

Corey

[Vaughn McMillan]

Corey, the Ridgid fence has t-slots in the top of it, and initially I was attaching the aux fence to those slots, but it was a royal pain to get the t-bolt in the slot while sliding the aux fence in place vertically. Also, since the slots are off center, the aux fence didn't quite sit square with the rest of the table when it was tightened up. I finally gritted my teeth and drilled the fence (carefully), and I have no regrets. It made the difference between being almost square and being really square.

- Vaughn

[Dan Forman]

Vaughn---Very nice work on the jig!

Dan