Hi. I wantto build a crosscut sled for my Grizzly 10 inch TS. Any recommendations?
Thanks,
Marty
Hi. I wantto build a crosscut sled for my Grizzly 10 inch TS. Any recommendations?
Thanks,
Marty
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialGet instant access to over 100 digital plans available only to UNLIMITED members. Start your 14-day FREE trial - and get building!
Become an UNLIMITED member and get it all: searchable online archive of every issue, how-to videos, Complete Illustrated Guide to Woodworking digital series, print magazine, e-newsletter, and more.
Get complete site access to video workshops, digital plans library, online archive, and more, plus the print magazine.
Already a member? Log in
Replies
A search for crosscut sled on the archives will bring up many past threads on this subject. Making a sled is mostly a choice of
The kit seems like a good way to go if it is your first time building a sled, as it includes all instructions needed for assembling it correctly.
Good luck - and expect that this will only be your first sled. Soo, you'll need one for angle cuts, one for dado cuts...
A couple of tips (they work for me anyway):
1. Make the runners too tight to move and fine tune w/ a smoother (hand plane) and wax the runners if made of hardwood.
2. Joint and plane the fence so that it's square to the base
3. Use a framing square or other known accurate tool to square the fence to the blade.
4. Make several; I have a small one with long runners for fine (very small) work.
Hope that's useful.
Gary
http://user.gru.net/garyg-1/woodwork/woodwork.html
Several is key. I keep one for good square cuts, and have another for dados, with a replaceable panel to the left of the blade. I also have one with a replaceable panel to the right of the blade, that I made for angled cuts, that is still pristine, because I don't believe I ever used it for anything except straight up and down cuts.
My favorite trick for panel sleds, to keep the panel from sliding on you is to shake up a can of poly finish, until it is slightly frothy, and paint the top of your panel with all of those bubbles. It will give you a slightly abrasive surface, that is not as unsightly as all of those sandpaper remnants that I used to stick on and attempt to peel off.
Good point about keeping the sled slippery.
I find that giving the MDF a couple coats of shellac both protects it and makes it slide easily. Because the shellac dires quickly, it makes building the sled quick work.Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005
I was trying to make the point about not having the top be slippery at all. I may not have explained that right.
Oh, well, it's not the worst mistake I ever made.
I use "Slip-it" on the bottom and the runners of the sleds, I believe that stuff was first made for sliding wooden windows and it works very well. A pint will last a year or so, and lets wood slide against wood or anything else.
Wooden runners will shrink and swell with seasonal changes. In winter they will be loose and in spring they won't fit. I have some Incra miter sliders. They are aluminum and are adjustable for a good fit. $20 each for 24" well worth the few dollars if you want year round accuracy.
http://www.mcfeelys.com/product.asp?productID=im-3724
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
After you've made your sled, if you aren't getting really perfect right angle cuts, you can use a piece of blue tape on the fence on one side of the saw blade or the other to get the cut the way you want. It takes a bit of experimenting to get the thickness and placement correct. On my crosscut sled, the time of the year seems to make a difference in the cut. Perhaps a more stable choice would have been mdf for the platform and fences.
Rod
Marty,
In addition to the Incra runner, my sled has an adjustable fense....used a piece of right angle aluminum that I put a couple of slots in the bottom. The fense is fixed near the blade and adjustable on the part that hangs of the saw...I check it every time with the carpenter square.
I use 3/8 batic birch ply for the bottom, with white oak runners. I have 1x6 front and back fences, with a 1x1 extra support strip on the outsides. The sled is 40 inches wide and 24 inches deep.
Before each use, I spray the runners with WD-40. They are now to the point where they are staturated with lubricant, and run really well. I thought about using a plastic - teflon would likely be the best, since it is self lubricating and dimensionally stable - but the oak works well.
A safety feature I added: I put a screw that sticks out of the back of the fence above where the blade runs. It pokes out about 1/4 of an inch. If I put my hand on the fence near where the blade is going to exit the sled, it jabs my palm - which is way better than sawing into my hand. I am really careful with the sled, this is just a human-error precaution.
There's lots of ways to approach crosscut sled design. I got plenty of good advice in reply to a post on squaring the fence: http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=24857.1
-robert
I have a Incra now and I like it.. My shop made had hickory (straight grained)runners.. NEVER warped... Had it a long time.. I had runners in both slots...
I found I had to polish the slots a bit because the cast iron was a bit rough in places.. I used a mill file and a light touch.. I used a brass block and dial indicator just to make sure I was not ruinin' anything..
I liked my shop made but wanted to use my Incra miter guage and just was not made with it in mind... (Didden't have it then!)
Suggestion... If you make one think about a design with accurate adjustable right/left miter fence when needed...
I don't have a specific plan.. Sorry.. Sure some out there on the Web... Other post will have better ideas I'm sure...
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled