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While making some endgrain cutting boards, I needed a jig to help me crosscut the blank. The toggle clamps hold the blank firmly, and make the last few cuts (when there isn't enough of the blank to hold itself square) super easy.

The rear (closer to the operator) fence is screwed and glued to the MDF base. The front fence is only screwed, so that in the future I can move it as needed to handle blanks of different width. If I were building the jig again I'd mount the front fence in some slots to allow for adjustment.

The toggle clamps really paid off on the final cut of one blank, when what was left of the blank was 1/4" too wide. Using the square to align the blank and adjusting the fence and stop block let me maximize the use of the expense and labor that had gone into assembling the blank.

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Simple yet effectively functional.
 

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This is a great idea with the clamps…I'll have to remake my larger sled to accomodate a sliding rear fence system now …I hope I don't affect how square it is : ) Thanks for the idea and what brand of toggles are you using here ? I've never seen any like that before .
 

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The jig that works for you is the right one! Nice job Derek.
 

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I'm with Spanky. Ditto
 

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Dusty, I picked those up at Rockler, IIRC they were their house brand.
 

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This is a nice sled, Derek. I like the addition of the clamps. That is a good idea. I have one of these on my to-do list and will incorporate the clamp idea in my version.
 

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Thanks for the source. I'll be heading to Rockler next week and will keep an eye out for them.It's pretty sad that the closest Rockler store to me is in Salem ,New Hampshire….I live in Western Massachusetts but I am going to visit a friend in the East and will combine the two trips .
 

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I know the feeling Dusty, Rockler, Woodcraft, and all my hardwood suppliers are an hour away in Seattle. I tend to combine the trips with other errands in Seattle, which makes for some long days. (And Seattle traffic can get pretty bad, even on weekends.)
 

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Nice sled. Will be looking forward to seeing the end product/project (cutting board). Those clamps look like they could hold down a 10 foot plank. Beefy!

That is one perfectly shiny lookin cast iron top.

Table saw sled, just one more project to add to my list.
 

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that is a very good idea and simple to make.
 

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LOL. I could take a picture of my sled next to my Biesemeyer fence and it would be close to identical - right down to the toggles, Rockler clamps and triangle. I even replaced the original power switch on my Delta saw with that one. I did put slots and t-tracks on my sled, but find I rarely use them.
 

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Great minds think alike eh? :)

But that is the original switch on my Delta.
 
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