# Table saw sled?



## Ermel123456 (Mar 17, 2015)

Hello everyone I am a fairly new woodworker and would like to make a table saw sled so I can make more accurate and fast cut but I noticed that in all the plans i looked at the slots on the table are straight but the saw I use has notches in the groove and I was wondering if there was a way around it thanks for all of you guys help


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

Could you post a picture of the whole table top? What brand of saw is that?


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

You need to use T shaped runners, lots of info about this on line.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

How handy are you with an angle grinder? Id get rid of the tabs. If you dont feel like doing that, your best bet is to find or fabricate some t shaped runners


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## igster (Oct 31, 2013)

My Skilsaw TS had the same type of mitre slots...I took grinder and nibbled offf those tabs. Made it a whole lot easier to make runners for a sled.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

igster said:


> My Skilsaw TS had the same type of mitre slots...I took grinder and nibbled offf those tabs. Made it a whole lot easier to make runners for a sled.


You have a small table, the lugs and a T runner will keep the sled from tipping over the edge allowing for a larger capacity.


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

You might be able to make your own runners. Do you have a router table? I haven't done it but I think you could fabricate a "T" shaped runner. Maybe, maybe not.

What does it look like from the end of the runner. Got a picture to show?

Something like this. See below.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

That "T" slot was a feature of some of the less expensive Craftsman saws. Other brands may have also used the same idea.

Newer Craftsman saws have gone to the full size slots. However, they still accommodate the "non-tip" feature of the 'T slot" design. They put what looks like a roller washer on the bottom of the miter bar. This roller-washer rides in a slot cut into the sides of the bottom of the miter slot. 

Seems like a good idea to prevent tipping. However, the miter bars seemed to be a loose fit in the slots.

George


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## rabies (Apr 3, 2015)

i have one of those aluminum craftsman table saws. has those stupid 5/8 T slots. i took an angle grinder with cuttiing blade and slides of the tabs. used the saw to cut maple strips that fit. glued to hardboard and front and rear sled faces. done..just need to remove kerf blade thingy


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## jspadaro (Mar 20, 2015)

x2 on cutting those things off! I like to make sleds of various types, and that looks like a big pain to work with. FWIW, btw, for the actual slides themselves, I've been using UMHW plastic, and so far I love it.

It will stay the same size with humidity changes like steel, but it's easy to work with like wood. The only downside is that it's weaker on really large sleds.


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## Cutteroo (Jun 9, 2014)

I ended up giving my Skil TS to my son-in-law because it had (like Craftsman) slots that didn't allow for standard ¾ guides, feather boards, or any of my homemade sleds. I also thought about taking my angle grinder to those tabs. I bit the bullet and bought a DeWalt TS, made a zero clearance throat plate and dado plate, and now everything works the way it's supposed to.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*3 solutions so far....*

:blink:
The 3 solutions are:
Leave 'em and make goofy "T" shaped runners.

Cut 'em off with a grinder and make "irregular" 5/8" wide runners, rather than the standard 3/4" wide runners.

Buy a new saw and be done with it.

My vote is for a new saw..... just sayin':yes:


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## new2woodwrk (Mar 16, 2015)

My craftsman has niblets on it as well I went with...

Option 4

Put the sleds on the outside:









Works incredibly well


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*you have made a "sliding table" table saw*



new2woodwrk said:


> My craftsman has niblets on it as well I went with...
> 
> Option 4
> 
> Put the sleds (runners or guides) on the outside: Works incredibly well


This is a great solution and low cost. A further variation would be to add angle or channel extensions on either side to extend towards the rear. The sled's runners could run inside the channel or angle to make certain they don't shift about. 

I have changed my vote to option 4 ....just sayin' :yes:


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## igster (Oct 31, 2013)

Is it me or I just can't see how option 4 works...it looks like the runners are on the wrong edges ie top and bottom instead of the side, so there's no way it can work?


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## new2woodwrk (Mar 16, 2015)

igster said:


> Is it me or I just can't see how option 4 works...it looks like the runners are on the wrong edges ie top and bottom instead of the side, so there's no way it can work?


The runners are on the outside of the main part of the table and slide back and forth (I wax everything for this to slide easily) - the outer fences on these saws pull out and the sled fits right there.

Probably you're looking at the 2x4's on top - these are not the sliders there are sliders on the sides of the sled (look closely at the back of the one you can see clearly).

Works great so yah - it's you :thumbsup:


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

The original poster hasn't been back since he made the post. Thanks for stopping by, bud.


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