Installing square fence on Miter Sled

[Paul Hingco]

How do you guys install your fence on a mitersled to ensure it's perfectly square the miter slot/blade? Do you just use a square and tack the fence in place with a pin nailer (followed by screws)? Or do you do something more methodical?

[Alan Schwabacher]

I use a framing square to set it, then glue and nail it in place. Then I screw on a face to the fence, check it more carefully, and shim behind the face with tape to get everything as square as possible. I use the 5-cut method to check how well I did. The face is up a bit from the base of the sled so there is somewhere for sawdust to go without needing to cut a rabbet in the fence.

[Lee Schierer]

Here's how I did my miter sled recently. When I did the five cut method to check it, the width of the cut off was less than .001" different from one end to the other 14" away.

[Paul Hingco]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm thinking of making one that rides on both rails. Similar to David Marks' sled.