Still Planning to Make a Sled?

[glenn bradley]

For those of you who "mean to get around to this" someday; I urge you to take a little time and throw your first one together. Once you use one you will wonder why you waited.

I made two of these (one for me and one for dad) in about four hours. The only reason it took that long is I spent some extra time sanding and finishing as I believe this basic design will be the one I use for awhile.

While you're at it you may as well make a few spare ZCI's. Here's a link on the five cut method for squaring up your fence. The fence with the adjustable t-bolts for squaring is sooooo easy.

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

You can see my large sled in the background of the first pic keeping my DC from escaping. The large one is for bigger panels, the one on the saw is for crosscuts.

[Mark Singer]

It is won of my most important tools.....I have 2 and trust them 100%

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello Glenn,
I can't thank you enough for that link.
Aside from the frustrating non-3/4" miter slots my Hitachi TS has, getting something "square" has been a real problem.

[glenn bradley]

Hello Glenn,
I can't thank you enough for that link.
Aside from the frustrating non-3/4" miter slots my Hitachi TS has, getting something "square" has been a real problem.

I used UHMW material for the runners on the small sled but I used oak on the large one as UHMW in the length I wanted as out of stock at the local shop. The point is, either can be cut to size for your slots. I think it may solve some of your miter-slot blues.

P.s. construction thread for the large one: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=50581

["Jacob Robinson"]

For a resource for others maybe all of you guys could post pictures of you sleds/crosscutting jigs, unless you want to patent them or something it would be nice to have a variety of designs to generate ideas from.

[Brian D Anderson]

Here are a few pics of mine: http://sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=894338&postcount=16

-Brian

[Bill Huber]

I first made one out of old 2x4s and some ply I had left from another project. That gave me the experience making one which I found to be not hard at all.

Then I found I used it so much that I wanted a larger one so I made one.

I used 3/4 inch MDF for the base, red oak for both ends and UHMW for the slides. It is heavy but that is what I wanted, once on the saw it moves very smooth.

I then added the miter boards for cutting 90 degree miters. They can be removed with the knobs when not in use.


96562 96561

[rob mason]

holy cow!

I wish I had found this thread before I made mine a couple of weeks ago:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=90694

great ideas and great work guys!!!!

[Rick Gooden]

I threw this one together in kind of a hurry but it has become a keeper.

[Joe Scharle]

Large panel sled (shown squaring a table top)
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/194/thumbs/Fly_Leaf_Table_3_1.JPG (http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showphoto.php?photo=20807)

Cutoff sled
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/194/thumbs/Universal_Tablesaw_Jig.jpg (http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showphoto.php?photo=8329)

Small parts sled
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/194/thumbs/Small_Sled_2.jpg (http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showphoto.php?photo=5871)

[Harley Reasons]

Here is the smaller one I built.

[Aaron Beaver]

I used UHMW material for the runners on the small sled but I used oak on the large one as UHMW in the length I wanted as out of stock at the local shop. The point is, either can be cut to size for your slots. I think it may solve some of your miter-slot blues.

P.s. construction thread for the large one: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=50581

glen, what's the size of the large one?

[glenn bradley]

I threw this one together in kind of a hurry but it has become a keeper.


Funny how that happens, eh?

[glenn bradley]

glen, what's the size of the large one?

Sorry Aaron, didn't mean to go to sleep on you. It is about 42" L to R and about 40" between fences. I'll try to measure when I get to the shop. The size was driven by the need to square up panels that were larger than my rip capacity at the time.