cross cut sled

[Dave Rozewski]

Help,

I've been having difficutly making a cross cut sled that produces square cuts. I an using 1/2 inch pine plywood for the base, maple for the runners, and oak for the fence. I used a solid 6" square to square the fence with the blade. The blade is parrell to the slot in the table base -- as close as I can measure without a micrometer anyway.

I am very close to square -- but that is of course no good! If I cross cut a 20" piece of 3/4 plywood and flip it on itself -- I'm off by about 1/16 inch.

Is there a process? Is there perhaps a video on the web somewhere? Do I need a better square? Help...

Thanks,

Dave

[Kurt Loup]

When I made my crosscut sled, I used some sort of phenolic coated baltic birch ply I purchased from Woodcraft for the base. I added a Kreg miter slot runner. I highly recommend the Kreg runner. It has plastic plugs that you adjust to remove any slop in the bar. I attached the runner as close to square as I could get with a bit of the ply extending past the blade. Once attached, I cut off the overhang running the sled through the blade. I used a 16" plastic drafting square registered against the cut edge to square a piece of aluminum angle used as a fence. The end of the aluminum closest to the cut was attached with a screw. The far end was attached with a screw in an oversized hole drilled in the aluminum. Once I was satisfied with the cut, I drilled additional screw holes to permanently attach the aluminum fence. To this day, it has remained perfectly square with no play at all in the sled. I can't see any light under a Starrett combo square on crosscut pieces. The sled is in this picture, but it is hard to see. Hope that helps.

Kurt

http://www.loup-garou.net/sitebuilder/images/crosscut_sled-600x451.jpg

[Mark Carlson]

Dave,

This site has a good description on how to create a crosscut sled.

http://www.thewoodshop.20m.com/howto_crosscut.htm

[Alex Berkovsky]

Dave,
I used 1/2" baltic birch to make a sled. I doubt that using a 6" square will give you an accurate result - you may want to try a 5-cut method to check for square. See if this thread helps --> linky (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=24261). 2nd page covers the 5-cut method.

More information for your reading pleasure:

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=86

http://www.thewoodshop.20m.com/five_cut_method_swf.htm

http://benchmark.20m.com/articles/TheFiveSidedCut/TheFiveSidedCut.html

[Warren White]

Perhaps this is too simplistic, but are you sure that plywood is an absolutely dead-on perfect rectangle before you cut it in two? If it isn't, the ends won't be appear to be square when you reverse the cut.

Perhaps I just lucked out, but I did exactly what you did and my sled seems dead on. I checked with both a square on the end of the cut and by doing what you did (with a narrower piece of stock than you are using).

In my mind if the cut end measures square with a good square that is good enough.

Warren

[Mark Singer]

What I do is install only one screw on the left side between the fence and the sled so it can pivot. With the fence as square as you can make it measure the distance to the front fence on the sled which is fixed. Now cut a piece of wood to that lengh....maybe about 2" wide and 1" high. Place that piece on the left side of the sled and clamp it with a bar clamp. Make a test cut with the sled. Check for square....eith shim or cut the stick and reclamp....do another test cut. When several test cuts are 100% square ...checking both right and left sides...instal a screw ...countersunk from the bottom. Re test. Add all the other screws

[Allen Bookout]

I do not know of a video on line about making crosscut sleds but there is a video available for purchase named "Mastering Your Table Saw" by Kelly Mehler that is quite good. It has a whole lot of good stuff about using your table saw including making crosscut sleds. A Google search will turn up several places to purchase it.

[JayStPeter]

I subscribe to Mark's method. The only exception is that I use angle aluminum for my fence and nuts and bolts instead of wood screws.
Runners are essential and must fit tight. I've found that UHMW and HDPE come in the exact right width for my miter slot. A little extra tightening of the countersunk screws will also deform the sides a little to make it tighter.

[Alan Turner]

Dave,
There are a million ways to do this, but her eis mine. I use mdf for the base, only because it is dead flat.
I predrill the base for screws, and glue, putting one screw in one side, and I shoot on the other side with a nail gun, getting it as square as I can.

I then make test cuts, using a piece of ply ripped with parallel sides. Cut, flip one over, and see it it still lines up perfectly. If not, use a hammer and tap the nailed side, recut, retest, readust, etc. When it is perfect, and you will need to work fast becuase the glue dries quickly, then clamp it till the glue is quite dry, and install the balance of the screws.

I also like the kreg runners, but use maple or white oak as well.

[Dave Rozewski]

Thank you allfor your input. I like Alan's suggestions about using a nail gun to set one side -- then tapping it to bring to square.

Thank you all,

Dave

[Nissim Avrahami]

Hi Dave

Welcome to the forum

Have a look at this post
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=38482

I'm using framing square for good contrast of the pictures.
In fact, I was using a big 30° drawing triangle.

The idea is based on the fact that the blade is parallel to the miter slots, so first, check your blade alignment.

You can still use framing square but first check and adjust it as in this post
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=45557

niki

[Alfred Clem]

As much as I admire the craftsmanship and dedication of the above posters, I know my limitations -- after many mistakes and resultant hikes in my blood pressure.

So I bought (and use) a Dubby. I have lived happily ever after. Even my wife says my vocabulary has improved...somewhat.

Al