Various Shop Aids

The first picture is my first attempt at a crosscut sled. It works pretty well but I have some ideas for making a better one.

The second picture is a miter sled and a spline jig. For those that don’t know Woodsmith Magazine is working with Iowa Public Television developing a show called The Woodsmith Show. The miter sled I made is a variation of one that was shown in one episode of the show. To make the sled you place two runners in the miter slots. I attached a tall piece of wood to the front and back to ensure the plywood stayed together. Use your fence to cut the plywood bottom about 3/4 of the way through the sheet. Continue holding the sheet against the fence and temporarily attach the runners to the plywood. Turn the whole thing over and attach the runners using countersunk screws. Turn right side up. Place an architects plastic triangle against one side of the blade to determine one side of the miter fence. I drew two lines 3/4 inch apart removed everything and attached the fench to the location. I repeated for the other side, double checking that the triangle firmly rested against both fences.

The spline cutter was made using the miter fence. I cut two pieces of wood to create and test the miter. After ensuring they created a perfect 90 degree angle, (tested against the architects triangle), I then followed a similar method to the miter sled to attach the two pieces of wood against the side of the sled. On the back side that you can’t see are an additional to pieces of wood that snuggly fit over the table saw fence. This allows me to slide the spline cutter down the fence to make precision splines for items like picture frames.

The last item is a homemade downdraft sanding table. I took standard 2×4 stock and rabbited an edge on the top and bottom. One rabbit is 1/2” thick and is used to hold a piece of plywood to create the bottom. After creating the 1/4” rabbit on the top I cut additional 3/4 by 3/4 inch sections spaced evenly along the top of the two long 2×4’s. I glued in strips of wood in these slots to support the top which is made of 1/4 inch peg board. I then drilled two holes the same size as the outside, (inside? don’t remember now), diameter of a shop vac hose. Two shop vac to 4” dust collector hose adapters are inserted into the holes and I attach my dust collector to these. I can random orbit sand all day and not have to clean up afterwards.

-- Owen Johnson - aka IowaWoodcrafter