[OP]
Member
Winding up my first real tool making project, a customized table saw sled. Made from 3/4" sanded plywood, don't know exactly what material but pine or birch with about 7 laminations. The stuff you get at Home Depot for about $40/sheet.
Garage is unheated and pretty much uncontrolled heat and humidity in New England area
What finish would be best to keep it straight and last? Of course I want the bottom slippery (waxed).
Member
Anything you have in the shop to use up. Otherwise shellac or poly.
Member
My Baltic Birch sled is stored in the unheated, uninsulated closet on my deck along with my table saw and stock. No harm to anything.
I don't finish sleds or jigs for the same reason there's none on my vise jaws. I don't want raw stock to come in contact with finishes, especially oil-based.
Wax the runners and table saw top. Leave the sled alone.
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i always use a homemade oil/poly mix that's thinned with mineral spirits or turpentine for all my shop jigs and storage. Easy to apply (and reapply). Pretty sure i got it from a Fine Woodworking article my Mike Pekovich.
Contributor
This. No finish is the right finish.Originally Posted by bill epstein
"Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're doing."
Contributor
Johnsons Paste wax on the underside and runners, nothing on top.
Shellac ad paste wax. I re-wax every year or so. One is over 10 years old and the shellac on the bottom is still fine. I also wax my tablesaw but, the durability of the shellac on a wear surface is surprising.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
Contributor
Mine is 1/2" baltic birch. Bottom is waxed and buffed. Top is polyurethane. Minnesota garage shop with space heaters. No clue why some folks say no finish. I like the bottom to be slippery. No idea why anyone thinks otherwise is better.
Member
Bottom slippery, yes. I think all would agree the bottom must glide across the table saw smoothly. Paste wax takes care of that. But the top side, unfinished is best - you don't want it too slick because there needs to be some friction to keep the workpiece from shifting as it is being cut.
[OP]
Member
Do you have any more details of this "brew"?
What exactly do you mean by "oil"? You mean oil and water based poly?
Contributor
If you have not acquired the material already, you might consider using 3/4 melamine, and face it with hardwood to protect the edges. I build my sled with that over ten years ago. It is slippery, and has held up well.
Contributor
I second melamine. mine's been going for 10 or so years already. I have one for zero clearance crosscut and another with a dado cut in it.
Contributor
Satin finish polyurethane
Not very slippery for the top in my experience. Probably didn't need it but used it anyway.
Member
Sorry John, I should have provided more info to begin with. I use an oil based polyurethane (I doubt water based would mix with the others). I combine it with either tung or linseed oil (whatever is on hand), and then mineral spirits or turpentine to thin it out. 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 is the basic mix, but don't break out the measuring cups. Eye-balling it seems to be fine. I've used this on my workbench and assembly table as well as jigs. Wears well and glue pops right off. As others have noted, you may not need anything on a sled. I did it in an attempt to seal the MDF, and then waxed the bottom to reduce friction. Probably overkill for a jig that may have a limited lifetime.
Contributor
Mine is unfinished 3/16" plywood and Basswood
TS Sled.jpg
Weighs about 2 pounds, can be put on or off with one hand
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