Coping Sled Dilemma

[Brian Kerley]

I guess I don't see why you would need an expensive coping sled....

A hardwood runner for your miter slot. A piece of tempered hardboard for the base. A hard wood fence. And a couple of toggle clamps from HF for $5 a piece. You'd have a very simple fence that will make 90 degree copes all day long for less than a jackson.

[Charles Brown]

I prefer to see most posts here as a launch point for a potentially interesting conversation about a topic. For instance "I need a coping sled...." Enough said, lets discuss that. Few issues are ever as clean and dry as A or B, black and white, yes or no. Even the op's pole offers more options than that. Perhaps it's the non conformist in me, perhaps I'm a closet Buddhist, but I prefer to analyze the question and its askers motivations in search of the answer rather than jump to attention military fashion "Sir, yes sir, I'd choose option A sir...."

Peter, I don't understand the need to rehash this. Didn't I already state that unequivocally, the best coping sled out there was the Aigner? I believe I did. I thought that's where the discussion reached a fitting denouement and we all went about our respective ways?

No?

[Stew Hagerty]

Well... This thread has certainly devolved. I've gotten several good answers to my question though.

In response to a few posts, I have definitely made up my mind that I am going to purchase a sled rather than build one, regardless of how elaborate or how simple you may have made one.

I also do appreciate alternate suggestions but so far, except for the "Aigner", I have already looked at each of them before narrowing my choices to either the Woodpeckers or the Infinity.

Mark & Cyrus... I do have to admit, that when I first saw Mark's post that I thought $30 was way underestimated. However, it then occurred to me that you must have an enviable scrap pile (by the way, could you please give me your address so that I can come raid it...) so I for one didn't consider it a "lie".

Now, that I have caught up with the conversation, I would still appreciate any further votes &/or comments.

Thanks,

[Peter Quinn]

Peter, I don't understand the need to rehash this. Didn't I already state that unequivocally, the best coping sled out there was the Aigner? I believe I did. I thought that's where the discussion reached a fitting denouement and we all went about our respective ways?

No?

Not sure the discussion ended there exactly. My post was relative to dogmatism more so than coping sleds. I've considered the aigner, discussed it in other posts, have never fully understood if it would be effective for thicker and or wider material like 9 1/2" entry door bottom rails specifically. Another nice feature in a sled is angled work, can an angled block be affixed to the countermax to allow and grain work on angled stock, such as panels going up stairs?

I've recently bought a small slab of 3/4" garolite and will soon be making a sled that rides the fence like the aigner, but allows for angles nd very quick changes or refreshing of the backer block. I have yet to see a comercial solution that is as versatile as I require, maybe the SCMI bolt on tenon tables, but that's a rather expensive and intrusive solution for my own needs presently.

seems the op has reached his conclusions, and that's a good thing. I've often found that I could reach a conclusion that works for me at a given moment, but fall back to a conversation years later and realize my needs had changed, and see more value in other solutions.

[Mark Bolton]

I prefer to analyze the question and its askers motivations in search of the answer rather than jump to attention military fashion "Sir, yes sir, I'd choose option A sir...."

Here here. Cant count the times Ive asked a question thinking answer was A, B, or C, to find the solution in answer J.

[Mark Bolton]

I would still appreciate any further votes &/or comments.Thanks,

Yeah yeah, I know, your in a buying mood... So I reluctantly voted for the infinity only for the clamps. If your ever going to make a bunch of parts cranking down hand screws would simply be too slow as well as having to pass parts under a set of rails. I can only assume by the photo that those destaco clamps when fully retracted are up out of the way which gives a lot more space for picking/placing parts. So for those reasons only the infinity gets the vote.

[Jeff Duncan]

Peter, I don't understand the need to rehash this. Didn't I already state that unequivocally, the best coping sled out there was the Aigner? I believe I did. I thought that's where the discussion reached a fitting denouement and we all went about our respective ways?

No?

Not to beat a dead horse but..........

Depends on how one defines "best" no? So here's a rough analogy.....one may need a way to put a 1/2" roundover on multiple wood pieces. Now the "best" shaper out there would likely be a Martin, coupled with a feeder and some nice European made tooling and you could get those round overs done quite nicely for $60k or so. Of course if one can't shake $60k of loose change out of their couch cushions.....well then it may not be the "best" way? in which case the "best" may be a setup that'll get it done just as well but is also going to produce a healthy ROI

Similarly since I can't find the loose change to purchase what one persons opinion considers "the best"....an Aigner, I instead build my sleds out of scrap. They work as fast as I can safely move so for me there's no advantage to spending more. With the real point being that when someone looks at one of my doors....there's no possible way they could tell what kind of jig I used to build them

Hence I agree with Peter, it's good to have an open dialog where these things can be discussed, vs a courtroom lawyer style "yes or no, we don't need your elaboration" style format

JeffD

[Cyrus Brewster 7]

I didn't insinuate you were a liar, if you took it that way I appologize.

No need Mark. May I extend an apology also. Yeah, I am lucky with some of the bits I can get my hands on at times. Some of my coworkers joke about it when I will take something home instead of letting it get thrown away. They usually ask me before tossing something.

[Patrick McCarthy]

Joe, as always, you are a gentleman and a fountain of information.

To everyone else:I very much enjoyed the workshop (Alpine Technical in Ouray, Colorado) and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn about shapers.

[thomas prusak]

Infinity imho is much more user friendly and better built. I sold my woodpecker sled, and it worked ok but

is not one of woodpeckers better tools . Again thats an opinion not a fact. just trying to helpthough

[Charles Brown]

Hence I agree with Peter, it's good to have an open dialog where these things can be discussed, vs a courtroom lawyer style "yes or no, we don't need your elaboration" style format

JeffD

Clearly Jeff, you and Peter are fair too open minded for the likes of me. I was merely chiding Peter for looking at this through an analytical and thoughtful lens. Frankly, it's nice to see questions asked that are beyond the "Do I need a shaper if I have a router table?" level that plague this forum.

In full disclosure, I've mainly used mine with cabinet door parts. When I do passage doors it is typically done on the sliding-table shaper.

Peter is correct with the assumption that it would be challenging to use the Aigner with a 9 1/2" bottom rail. The thicker pieces seem to work fine (watch the Felder window tooling video to see demonstration).

[Stew Hagerty]

Not to beat a dead horse but..........

Depends on how one defines "best" no? So here's a rough analogy.....one may need a way to put a 1/2" roundover on multiple wood pieces. Now the "best" shaper out there would likely be a Martin, coupled with a feeder and some nice European made tooling and you could get those round overs done quite nicely for $60k or so. Of course if one can't shake $60k of loose change out of their couch cushions.....well then it may not be the "best" way? in which case the "best" may be a setup that'll get it done just as well but is also going to produce a healthy ROI

Similarly since I can't find the loose change to purchase what one persons opinion considers "the best"....an Aigner, I instead build my sleds out of scrap. They work as fast as I can safely move so for me there's no advantage to spending more. With the real point being that when someone looks at one of my doors....there's no possible way they could tell what kind of jig I used to build them

Hence I agree with Peter, it's good to have an open dialog where these things can be discussed, vs a courtroom lawyer style "yes or no, we don't need your elaboration" style format

JeffD

Jeff & Peter,

There is one fault in your way of looking at this. I never asked what is the best coping sled in the world. I asked those that have used one or both of my choices which one they preferred and why. I stated very specifically that I was not going to build my own sled. And that I had researched the marketplace prior to narrowing my list to two possibilities. I admit that Idid allow 4 choices in the poll. However, I meant choices 3 & 4 to be humorous. When I said: "none, who needs a sled anyway" I did not mean: "neither of the store-bought ones. Build one from scrap instead.". And lastly, it's my thread. I should get to decide what is discussed and how.
I asked a simple question and somewhere along the line it got lost in bickering back & forth amongst several people. Why can't we all just be civil. A community like this is supposed to promote fellowship and facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience.

[J.R. Rutter]

And lastly, it's my thread. I should get to decide what is discussed and how.

lol! Good one! Hope you are happy with whichever you end up with.

[Jeff Duncan]

Stew, I was actually responding to Charles's thread about "the best" b/c I thought it was pretty funny/facetious, it wasn't a response to your question. I just figured I'd throw a little back his way....sometimes a little fun is OK, it won't hurt you I think most of the bickering was in good taste

As an aside SMC is still to my knowledge an open forum. Although you may have posted it, once it's up it's everyones thread, and as such we're going to discuss it in the way WE like. Of course if you don't want an open discussion some place like North Korea may be more suitable to you.......that was a joke too man...lighten up Here's the thing, we discuss stuff here, it's what we do if you don't like my recommendations that's OK, you can move to the next one. I'm not trying to brain wash you or anyone else, and my feeling is there is no such thing as too much knowledge.....the opposite of that is entirely different

good luck,
JeffD

[Stephen Cherry]

Frankly, it's nice to see questions asked that are beyond the "Do I need a shaper if I have a router table?" .

What

That question is as fundamental to human inquiry as the chicken-egg issue. It's fun every time that it is asked.