# Table Saw Crosscut Sled: One or Two Sides of the Blade?



## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I need a crosscut sled for my table saw. I have seen a lot of designs, but they all boil down to:

* The sled uses one miter slot and rests entirely on one side of the blade (usually the left side). The wood piece is cut off along the edge of the sled. 

* The sled uses one or both miter slots (usually both) and "straddles" the blade. The wood piece is cut in the middle of the sled.

-> What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type? 

-> Which type would you choose for a first crosscut sled?

-> Do you have any additional advice regarding making and using a crosscut sled? 
-> Any mistakes that I should avoid?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*table saw sleds... so many variations*

Here's a build I did on a large double runner sled:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f27/table-saw-sled-build-49218/

It uses 3 fences, two of which are adjustable, the widest one closest to me, is fixed. Angle settings can be made with a digital protractor or draftsman's triangles.


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## new2woodwrk (Mar 16, 2015)

Tool Agnostic said:


> I need a crosscut sled for my table saw. I have seen a lot of designs, but they all boil down to:
> 
> * The sled uses one miter slot and rests entirely on one side of the blade (usually the left side). The wood piece is cut off along the edge of the sled.
> 
> ...


I use both - although lately I'm using single miter slot one a lot more - it's nothing special, just the one that came with the saw with a fence attached to it - it has been working for 100% of my cuts lately. 

The nice thing about this one is it also does angles


Tool Agnostic said:


> -> Which type would you choose for a first crosscut sled?


I tried to use the one I described above (came with the saw), but figured everyone was building one so that must be the way of things. So I built one (two actually since the first didn't turn out so well).

Besides I was having difficulty figuring out exactly how to use the miter sled until I attached a fence to it LOL



Tool Agnostic said:


> -> Do you have any additional advice regarding making and using a crosscut sled?


You're much better at this stuff than I, and If I could I would build one of those really nice ones with 'T' channels and slides - all the bells and whistles - but I'm not near good enough to do that yet



Tool Agnostic said:


> -> Any mistakes that I should avoid?


The mistake I made was not getting the main fence squared correctly and consequently my cuts were off by 1/32 every time - drove me nuts until figured out why.

Can't wait to see what you come up with


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

if you are cross cutting a piece that has some length on both sides, the 'two sided' design supports the cut off nicely - vertically and direction of cut - it makes for a nice advantage.

the one sided can be quicker/faster/easier to use plus fancier designs pivot so you can do angle cuts.
within bounds, a one sided may work when tilting the blade - 

and, drum roll please . . . there's a third option:
the 'drop off platform'
http://www.rockler.com/crosscut-sled-drop-off-platform

it's also possible to make a one sided that will "couple" to a drop off platform so the move in unison.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

TomCT2 said:


> if you are cross cutting a piece that has some length on both sides, the 'two sided' design supports the cut off nicely - vertically and direction of cut - it makes for a nice advantage.
> 
> the one sided can be quicker/faster/easier to use plus fancier designs pivot so you can do angle cuts.
> within bounds, a one sided may work when tilting the blade -
> ...


What is the advantage of the "drop off platform?" The part of the unit that is to the left looks like Rocklers standard unit that I have in addition to a home made sled.

George


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## kklowell (Apr 4, 2016)

That drop off platform looks like it could be made rather easily, and not cost $30 for a scrap of MDF.


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

if you are trimming 1/2 inch off the end of a 1x2, a drop off platform is not so interesting.

cutting 10 inches off a 2x6 - the platform supports the weight of the cut off - it doesn't just fall down and (hopefully) play dead next to the blade...


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I would think just by looking at it the advantage would be pretty obvious, I have made them with a strip for the miter slot to hold them in position sideways and longer than the saw table with stoppers to prevent lateral movement. They are particularly handy when you are saving the cut off from a longer board.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

FrankC said:


> I would think just by looking at it the advantage would be pretty obvious, I have made them with a strip for the miter slot to hold them in position sideways and longer than the saw table with stoppers to prevent lateral movement. They are particularly handy when you are saving the cut off from a longer board.


I do not understand what you said.

George


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I'll try to explain a drop off extension......*

Normally, when you rip a piece from your workpiece it simply falls off to the side laying close to the spinning blade. You may have a tendency to reach for it getting your fingers very close to the blade OR use push stick to gently move it off to the side out of harms way. It's at the same height as the workpiece, so it doesn't bounce on the table.

On the other hand, a cross cut sled with only one runner typically is raised off the table surface by the thickness of the material used to make the sled... 1/2" or 3/4" . Because the cut off is not supported by any portion of the sled, it is free to drop onto the table that same distance, raising the possibility of it bouncing into the spinning blade.

I prefer a double runner sled which supports the workpiece all along it's length and does not permit the cutoff to drop. Having it continually supported means it will also be a more accurate cut and not tend to break away at the end of the cut. That's how I see it .....


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I like the double runner style. If I was going to make another sled that is how I would make it. Do not see much use for the drop off style.

George


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

I lost count of how many crosscut sleds I've made
over time, but now I usually just use my old miter gauge with a nice stiff hardwood board and square it up with my miterset..
www.Miterset.com worth every penny..


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## Mad (Dec 9, 2017)

It's been about 25 years since I have used it, but my old Unisaw has a swing arm attachment for a crosscut sled, and the issue of "drop off" never came up, as the material was always at table level. Is there a swing arm attachment available for your brand of table saw?


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Mad said:


> It's been about 25 years since I have used it, but my old Unisaw has a swing arm attachment for a crosscut sled, and the issue of "drop off" never came up, as the material was always at table level. Is there a swing arm attachment available for your brand of table saw?


Sorry, no. I have a Bosch REAXX jobsite table saw. It is nearly identical to the Bosch 4100-09 jobsite saw, except that it has a flesh-detection safety feature that drops the blade to prevent accidents. Right now, they are no longer available in the US due to litigation issues.


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## Mad (Dec 9, 2017)

IMHO, the REAXX is a marked improvement in ergonomics over the 4100-09, even if disregarding the flesh detection system. I was vulturing a REAXX at my local Lowes during that 3 month period of time between the court's decision and the saws finally getting pulled. I was hoping for a blow out discount price, like I got on my 12" glide. Would have been a dynamic Bosch portable duo... not that we are brand centric or anything! ;-)

But alas, Lowes never budged off of $1,499 right up until the day I noticed the REAXX disappeared. Of course I couldn't be bothered checking everyday, so my misplaced fantasy of picking up that saw for 1/2 off never materialized. Glad you got one! And am curious what you paid? And wonder if a cartridge ever fired on you when cutting wet PT lumber?

Check Bosch of Europe as well as Australia (two non USA but English speaking markets) for any accessories. I know that the European version of the glide saw has stuff that the US market glide saws never got. I've considered ordering those parts and retrofitting. You might want to check if the same is true for your REAXX.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Mad said:


> IMHO, the REAXX is a marked improvement in ergonomics over the 4100-09, even if disregarding the flesh detection system. I was vulturing a REAXX at my local Lowes during that 3 month period of time between the court's decision and the saws finally getting pulled. I was hoping for a blow out discount price, like I got on my 12" glide. Would have been a dynamic Bosch portable duo... not that we are brand centric or anything! ;-)
> 
> But alas, Lowes never budged off of $1,499 right up until the day I noticed the REAXX disappeared. Of course I couldn't be bothered checking everyday, so my misplaced fantasy of picking up that saw for 1/2 off never materialized. Glad you got one! And am curious what you paid? And wonder if a cartridge ever fired on you when cutting wet PT lumber?
> 
> Check Bosch of Europe as well as Australia (two non USA but English speaking markets) for any accessories. I know that the European version of the glide saw has stuff that the US market glide saws never got. I've considered ordering those parts and retrofitting. You might want to check if the same is true for your REAXX.


I shopped around when it was still available. I bought the REAXX in January 2017. It sold for $1299.10 plus $87.85 shipping, no tax. That was the regular price from one source. A few other sources were also selling it below list, but not many. Most sources were selling it for $1499 plus tax and shipping. I was aware of the litigation, but Bosch was confident, and they promised to support it. 

I liked the SawStop saws, but hated their constant government lobbying to force other manufacturers to license their technology at exorbitant fee rates. I also prefer the Bosch mechanism that retracts the blade without damaging it. The SawStop inserts its stopper directly in the path of the blade teeth, which can damage or destroy the blade.

My new REAXX saw kept firing on its own. At first I thought there was something wrong with the scrap wood I was practicing on, but it fired again when I was angling an ordinary piece of plywood onto the table to set up a cut. The plywood was nowhere near the blade when the REAXX safety mechanism triggered. 

Bosch replaced the entire saw with a new one, along with the spare cartridges that had fired. They did it in May, 2017. The replacement saw has worked perfectly since it was replaced. I love how easy it is to move, setup, and use.

I admit it - I triggered the safety mechanism on my own about a week or two ago. I had pushed through a crosscut using the miter gauge. At the end of the cut, the tip of the miter gauge bar lifted out of the miter slot, swung around, and barely grazed the anti-kickback pawls or the riving knife. That triggered the safety mechanism. The miter gauge never touched the blade itself. It took a minute to reset the safety mechanism and get back to using the saw. I vowed not to repeat my mistake. :-(

The SawStop patent(s?) are due to expire in the next few years. I hope that Bosch brings back their superb REAXX saw and its technology when that happens, if not sooner. In the meantime, I have my REAXX table saw, and I love it. 

P.S. There is a thread about Bosch REAXX. Nobody except me seems interested. Here it is:

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f12/bosch-reaxx-anyone-160338/


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## Mad (Dec 9, 2017)

That is excellent that Bosch sent you another saw. Many people complain about Bosch customer service, so either you are a smooth talking genius, or have a good stroke of luck on your side.

I'd have been driven mad if I bought a brand new saw and it kept firing all the time. Wait... I already AM mad.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Back on topic ....... crosscut sleds*

Before I made my double runner sled I experimented with miter gauges with a long fence across both faces. I also made a long fence for use on just one miter gauge:




Here's thread on the two gauges:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f27/crosscut-sled-jig-30811/




I ultimately used a short fence and the 2 miter slots on either side of the blade which worked pretty well:


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