Replies

1. 
   mrbird90 | Jan 15, 2009 06:32am | #1

   I have a cross cut sled but only use it to cut dados in narrow wood. Most jobs I use the fence and the regular table surface, A good cross cut slide is essential, Yankee Workshop had plans for one. I designed my own to meet my requirements. The key is to use a hard wood for the runner and make it a very close fit in the slot (no slop what so ever) Keep it waxed and it will last many years.

   
   

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   Edited 1/14/2009 10:35 pm ET by mrbird90

2. 
   xmike | Jan 15, 2009 06:58am | #2

   Two more points - be sure that you cut the wood for your runners so that it's grain runs vertical to your sled (I don't think that I've got that backwards). Otherwise, it swells in the summer and binds and shrinks in the winter and wobbles.

   The other is that all the instructions suggest that you glue the back piece down. Don't. If you do, that darn thing will, for certain, be just a little bit off, either now or later, and you are stuck with it until you build another.

   Mine has a 2" built up back piece. Picture perfect - lovely thing. I followed the instructions to get it square, put your screws in, back them out, glue it and tighten your screws, and test to be sure that it's square, and then (cause all that frapping around has let it move) move it square again slightly with a clamp to make it just perfectly square. I BENT the darn back board slightly with the clamp, which doesn't show up until much later when you swap from one side to the other to cut a few "square" boards.

   Time to build another.

   Mike D

3. 
   flairwoodworks | Jan 15, 2009 07:26am | #3

   Jack,

   Just build one sled, build it well, and make replaceable zero-clearance throat inserts for it for different kerfs. If you ever work with small stock, you might want to consider adding provisions for hold downs (threaded inserts, t-track, etc).

   Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
   (soon to be www.flairwoodworks.com)

    - Success is not the key to happines.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

1. 
   gjensen11 | Jan 15, 2009 03:13pm | #4

   I recently built a sled for doing a dado project. I built the sled with most of base missing it just had a 3" starter piece and at the far end about a 4" piece. between the ran the 3/4 sliders ( flush in the grooves). I made a storyboard of the cuts I needed to make out of a leftover piece of door casing. mounted to the 3" flat. my work could slide across the table but was pushed and held in place *( square) with the sled and a small hold down..
   I hope this helps.. OH By the way My "wall" of bookcase dados came out perfect..
   Gregory
   Mesquite Guy

1. 
   user-172496 | Jan 15, 2009 03:54pm | #5

   Hey gjensen11 !!!!!   a picture would be Good, and Helpful

   Jack

2. 
   AZMO | Jan 16, 2009 07:37am | #8

   Mesquite Guy,

   First post so you have around awhile. Why the moniker, do you like that wood, or do harvest some? I have a few guys here in Phoenix, that bring me Mesquite logs to work with. Nice material for our local area.

   Morgan                  <!----><!----><!---->

   -----------_o

   ---------_'-,>

   -------(*)/ (*)   http://www.EarthArtLandscape.com

4. 
   aaronpetersen | Jan 15, 2009 04:42pm | #6

   I use a sled to do all of my cross cuts and dados (don't have a miter or RA at the moment). I find it works perfectly. Flairwood was right on about the zero clearance inserts. Those could save you having to make a lot of sleds. Then, you'd just need a small sled for the lion's share of the work, and possibly a large sled for panels.

   Also, having just built 2 sleds here's my advice on the runners. I searched all of the articles FWW and ended up using suggestions from a few places. It took me a while to figure out, but now I can throw a perfect sled together in no time. First, lay the sled base on the table and snug it up square against the fence. This will get the back of the sled very close to square. Mark the location of the miter slots on both the front and back and draw both the outsides and centerline of the track. Put the runners in the track and screw from the top. This is the method used by Schleining and can be found if you search FWW for "crosscut sled". Once this is all assembled, then I put the front and fence on. I use bolts as described in a FWW article by Rogowski. This lets me adjust if the fence ever goes out of square.

   Good luck!

   Aaron

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Jan 16, 2009 02:45pm | #9

   aaron,

   Just a thought about attaching the runners.

   Try predrilling the holes in the runners, put them in the mitre slots and lay the sled on top squaring it to your fence.

   Then pull the sled back enough to expose the predrilled hole and, from underneath, drive in a screw.  Slide the sled forward and repeat from the other side.  Clamping first will keep the whole contraption from moving B4 driving the screws.  Once you have the two ends in place flip the sled over and drive in the rest.

   Saves a lot of head scratchin, measuring and marking.

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   aaronpetersen | Jan 16, 2009 03:21pm | #10

   Bob,

   I tried this method first (I believe this is the one Rogowski uses), but I didn't think it worked. I tried and cursed for a long time to get those runners perfectly parallel, but never managed it. Everytime you go to move the sled forward or backward you twist it just a hair and that throws the alignment off. In fact, the first sled I built still doesn't slide perfectly because of it. When I switched over to the other method, I got perfect runners and no headaches. It really only takes a couple minutes to layout the holes on the top - 5 tops.

   Aaron

5. 
   Eef | Jan 15, 2009 10:41pm | #7

   hey sparky,

   you're getting some sound advice here.  the last two sleds i built, i used 1/4" plexi-glas for the runners.  works really nice and they never shrink or swell.  i use one of my sleds to cut 45's with.  building it so that the fence is adjustable is really wise.

   good luck

   eef