Question about finish for cross-cut sled

[Jeff Skory]

Hi All,

I am in the final stages of finishing up a new cross-cut sled for my tablesaw. I used various ideas that I picked up from the Creek here and threw in a couple of my own.

The base is made out of 3/4 birch plywood (baltic I believe). The fences are made out of white oak, as are the runners.

Questions:
Should I put any type of finish on the plywood? Should the bottom be finished or waxed to keep it sliding easily over time?

What should I put on the oak fences?

And finally, should I put anything on the runners?

I will post pictures when it is 100% complete.

Thanks for your help,

Jeff Skory

[David LaRue]

For my woodshop jigs I usually just shoot them with lacquer. It drys fast and doesn't get dust stuck in the finish, keeping the finish smooth, and it keeps the wood sealed.

For the runners I wax them, and the bottom of the sleds with Johnson's paste wax.

For the bases I have always used 1/2" baltic birch to keep the weight down.

Hope this helps,

Dave

[Steven Wilson]

Jeff,

Unless you specifically went and looked for it you probably have non-baltic Birch plywood. 3/4" baltic birch would have 13 (IIRC) layers in it and is fairly expensive, it also comes in 5'x5' sheets (not 4'x8').

Anyhow, for finish on my shop cabinets I use shellac. Easy to apply, not as smelly as lacquer, quick to apply, and easily repairable. Applying a coat of wax can also help for the runners.

[John Wadsworth]

Shellac and paste wax.

[Jeff Skory]

I picked up some shellac and paste wax tonight. Took a couple of sample pieces of the oak and put just wax on one and on the other I put a couple of wipings of shellac and then put wax over half of that.

The shellac definitely gives a little better shine.


Question on its usage: Do I need to wait 45 minutes between coats? Seems like when you wipe the shellac on it dries within about 10. And how many coats do you normally put on?

With regard to the paste wax: more than one coat? Does it get a brighter, slippier, or harder surface if you polish it with something like a ROS with a polishing pad v.s. rubbing by hand?

I did put the wax on the bottom of the sled. Much smoother than the bare wood.

As you can see I'm a total newbie when it comes to finishes. :D

Thanks for all of your help.

[John Wadsworth]

Jeff,

You asked:

<<Question on its usage: Do I need to wait 45 minutes between coats? Seems like when you wipe the shellac on it dries within about 10. And how many coats do you normally put on?>>

Each coat of shellac will partially dissolve the coat(s) beneath; you can go as quickly as your local conditions (temp, humidity, degree of dilution, thickness of coat, etc.) allow. I usually make the first coat or two a very light cut--about 1-2 lb--and treat it as a sanding sealer. If you're going to sand, you want to make sure the coat has really dried.

It's pretty forgiving stuff, actually--

John W.

[Robert Goodwin]

I usually just wax the jigs I use. Both the jig itself and the runners.