# Table Saw Sled Build



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

So many threads on sleds. So I had to make one. I used 1/2" hardboard, like Masonite, for the sled. Maple runners. Oak for the front rail. I haven't decided to cut though the rear portion yet. I don't see the need so far. 

The semi-circular 5/16" slots for the "T" bolts were routed on the backside. Also a 1/2" X 1/16" step for the head of the "T" bolt. This stuff make the worst fine dust imaginable. :thumbdown: A simple pivoting guide of 1/4" Luan held the Dewalt plunge router
and the slots were made in several passes. 

I used sticky 2 sided tape to locate the runners, then they were screwed in place. The kerf was made by raising the blade into the sled and pushing it ahead off the edge.

The fence was located square to the kerf using a large triangle. More to come later.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*More sled photos*

Routing the slots:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Still thinking about the pivoting fences*

Probably a "L" shaped fence with a "T" track..... :blink:


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

Lookin good! :thumbsup:


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

That is looking good.... What happened to the triple saw monster? 

I am curious to see why you curved the slots.... interesting concept, but it sure makes it pretty! :icon_smile:

I am definitely interested to see how this plays out... I am planning on making a sled in the near future myself. I am finally seeing why they might be so handy.


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

I am watching this one. I need to build a sled. I have not seen 1/2" hardboard at the local box stores.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

thegrgyle said:


> That is looking good.... What happened to the triple saw monster?
> 
> I am curious to see why you curved the slots.... interesting concept, but it sure makes it pretty! :icon_smile:
> 
> I am definitely interested to see how this plays out... I am planning on making a sled in the near future myself. I am finally seeing why they might be so handy.





Paul W Gillespie said:


> I am watching this one. I need to build a sled. I have not seen 1/2" hardboard at the local box stores.


The triple saw is alive and well. The splitters are so hard to reach and reset a sled just wouldn't work on that setup.
The semi-circular slots are for setting a pivoting fence at any number from 0 to 90 degrees.... at zero from the main/front fence, I'll just use that. 

That 1/2" hardboard may be rare, I donno. I got this at Home Depot a while back. It is very heavy but smooth and quite strong and durable. It will be an experiment in more ways that one anyhow.... So we'll see how it works. It takes wax very well and will slide easily. 

I made the runners a bit snug so I'll be using wax to start with and if that doesn't work I'll make some new ones. I can also see cutting off the corners at a 45 degree, since they really don't do anything except add weight unnecessarily. I'm not yet sure on the cross cut capacity, but if I can get 16" that will be more than my radial arm saw. :yes:


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

Paul W Gillespie said:


> I am watching this one. I need to build a sled. I have not seen 1/2" hardboard at the local box stores.


That looks like MDF that Bill is using from what I see, and his comment about the nasty dust. Maybe Bill can confirm/deny that.... I know alot of people call it hardboard because it is quite dense and heavy like Bill alluded to. I know the big box stores around the chicagoland area carry MDF in 1/2 and 3/4....


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Still thinkin' see post 3*

Well, after sleeping on my sled :sleep1::bangin:.... idea, I came up with this. 

The cool thing about the semi-circular slots, not my idea, is that the angles are infinitely adjustable. You either need an accurate reference to set it to, or once it's set, drill a hole and drop a pin into the hole to make a reference location. I scribed a line at 45 degrees, but I won't know until I test it, if that is accurate.

I haven't secured the rear fence yet (last photo) and may not. That's the advantage of not cutting all the way through the base at the rear, you don't need a tall fence and you because of that, you are not limited in the width of the workpiece.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

I like it. Nice work!


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Unintended Consequences?*

It takes a bit of set up using a digital protractor but the results are accurate. AFAICT. After a while you don't know which measuring tool to trust. My 24" Framing Square doesn't seem to be accurate...at 89.9 degrees. My large plastic triangle either ...89.8 degrees. I'm going with the digital protractor, I guess. :blink:

One of the advantages of having 2 fence systems is that the movable fences can also be set at 90 degrees to the blade for cross cutting. The gap between the two fences is a safety feature so the blade doesn't have to be exposed at the front.
I suppose slight corrections of 1/2 degree can be made if needed. I'm pretty pleased...so far. Maybe there will be changes or improvements to come. I'll have to sleep on it again. :yes:

FYI the depth of travel in front of the movable fence is 13 1/2" and in front of the fixed front fence is 17 1/2", but I could squeeze another 1" if needed.


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

Looking great, Bill. I really like the way you think... Are you going to try 



to check its accuracy? I know some people really get caught up in that stuff.

Good luck sleeping on your sled. Now that you have cut off the corners, I think its going to be real difficult....

BTW... what blade do you have in your saw. Is it a Freud? I am trying out a chrome one like that currently from freud that I received as a gift....


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## jg2259 (Oct 28, 2011)

That is a really nice sled. I hope to some day be able to make one just like yours.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

That came together nicely. I have been cutting a lot of different miters lately and just tacking a temp fence to my dedicated 45* sled. This looks very handy. I would use a sacrificial backer board to eliminate tear out at exit. 

Cool sled! :sailor:


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Okay, that's an awesome looking sled. I like the adjustability. You would definitely have to take your time in setting the adjustable fences, but once you dialled in the angle you wanted, you would be off to the races. I can really see this sort of sled coming in handy for some segmented turning. 
Awesome work Bill.


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## woodchux (Jul 6, 2014)

That is a fantastic multi sled design! Hoping to make mine similar but have a question regarding the runners, which appear to be in alignment with both semi-circular slots. To clear the adjustment bolts, did you remove a section of the runners, or were the slots not cut as deep? Any info on this matter is appreciated. Thanks.
woodchux


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

@woodnthings

Bill, is that sled MDF? Thats what it looks like.
Anyway, I have never used MDF in sleds. How well does it work out?
And I realize that this is an ancient thread.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jul 4, 2018)

this is one of those old vintage threads that needs to be resurrected 
every now and then. this is probably one of the nicer and multi-functional
sleds I have seen in a long time. the content is still very relevant today.

.

.


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## scott lindsay (Jun 22, 2010)

I do like the sled design. I tried making a couple of them. One I used plastic runner (UHMW) and it was pretty good. The other I used oak runners which also was not bad. My whole issue was trying to get it square. I used a speed square and a drafting triangle and still just could not get a square cut. I attempted to do the William Ng 5 cut system and ended up not adjusting it the correct direction. Some times I think I was not made for woodworking. I just could never tell if the fence was to move back or forward and by the time I was done adjusting, I had no more places to put a screw plus I always for got to put a small chamfer or rabbet one the bottom to allow dust to go. This Spring I am attempting another one.


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

there's actually three sled 'main designs'
one for left of blade
one for right of blade
one for both sides of blade


in every case, getting a perfect 90' alignment of fence to cut is the tricky part.
commercial model$ use metal blocks and fine thread screws for adjustments.
the "five panel" cut is the most revealing - it multiples any error by 4 i.e. easy(ier) to spot


so what is a body to do?
well, I put a shallow dado in the bottom of the fence
thence mounted with an elongated countersunk screw up through the sled bottom.
a framing square does a really decent job of getting the basic 90' angle; prove with a 5 panel cut....


when it's "perfectly adjusted" pour / ramrod glue down the fence dado and the sled platform to absolutely-permanently fix the rail in place.
((I use "add on triangles" to achieve 45' cuts, etc. once the sled has a proven 90' fence, ain't me no more gonna' mess with it - another topic))



MDF is nice - it's stable. but it is moisture sensitive - until.... you polyurethane it. double soak raw edges....
I poly all my jigs/fixtures. (1) gives them an appearance tipping me off to "no, this isn't scrap wood" and (2) contributes to their "stability"


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## ducbsa (Jul 6, 2014)

TomCT2 said:


> gives them an appearance tipping me off to "no, this isn't scrap wood" and (2) contributes to their "stability"


I also label them so that I don't forget what they are. Some are pretty simple and used rarely.


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