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I finally got around to building a cross cut sled for my TS… Boy did I miss having one of these! The reasoning behind the dimensions is pretty simple; they were scrap pieces that were close to the size I wanted so I just picked a base size close to what I had on hand.

Base: 31" x 36" 3/4" Birch Ply

Front Fence: 5 3/4" x 36" Double Layer of 3/4" Birch Ply

Rear Fence: 5 3/4" x 36" 8/4 White Oak

Stop: Hard Maple 1" x 5 3/4" x 2 1/2"

Hardware: Incra TT+ Scale Track (rear fence), Incra 22" Miter Sliders,

Still to Come: Toggle Clamp assy's for the fence

It occurred to me as I was writing this that you may wonder why, in the first photo, the sled was not flat to the table. It was due to the clamps I was using to hold the blade guard pieces in place.



I will top them off with a piece of Lexan. I'll also use a strip of Lexan across the top of the sled to cover the kerf path of the blade

UPDATE

Added Acrylic instead of Lexan; the acrylic was 1/3 the cost.


Also, because I plan on setting the sled on it's rear edge when not in use I added these White Oak corner blocks to help stabilize the it.

Gallery

Comments

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6 Posts
That's great.

Since I made mine, it lives on the saw. I use it for everything!
 

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6,953 Posts
Nice looking sled!

Do you find it will work in place of a "panel cutting" jig?

Lew
 

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205 Posts
Great looking sled!
 

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930 Posts
That things the bomb, consider it leeched!
 

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168 Posts
Looks like a well thought out sled! Gives me ideas!
 

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102 Posts
Great sled. This is one thing I am missing. I have the slides, just never got around to building the sled itself.
 

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5,163 Posts
Chris, This is a nice sled. It is well designed and has some really nice features.

Thanks for the post. I have one of these on my to-do list as well.
 

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Lew,

I do not cut many panels, If I do start cutting larger ones I'll probably make a dedicated panel sled.
 

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Dave T,

I purchased a pair of the long miter sliders and a pair of the short ones nearly a year ago. I just got around to using the long ones on this project. I'll probably use the short ones for a dedicated miter sled; but, that's another project! :)
 

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194 Posts
The sled is an indispensable TS accessory. Good work.

Question: Are the sliders made of aluminum? If so, would wear and tear on them over time affect the accuracy of the 90 degree cuts?
 

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ChuckM,

Yes, they are aluminum. However, they do have an adjustment mechanism to allow for differences in miter slots which could adjust for wear and tear as well. I don't believe they will receive all that much wear as they act as guides and do not necessarily take that much load. As long as the blade remains parallel to the miter slot I don't foresee any issues.

Just my 2 Cents….
 

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796 Posts
Nice project Chris. I need to build one of these for my shop. Thank you for posting.
 

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1,011 Posts
Cool project, you'll get lot's of use from it I'm sure.
 

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9,145 Posts
Great looking sld. I've got a sliding table on my saw, so I don't need a big one. I'm more interested in making a sled for cutting small pieces where I can hold the wood on both sides of the blade. A nice design.

I installed an Incra fence on my sliding table to get the accurcy on cross-cut pieces.
 

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Karson,

I plan on using a couple of Toggle Clamps on the t-track in the fence for that very reason… :)
 

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57 Posts
This is another project on my "to do" list which is behind my wife's "to do" list….Great Job!!!!
 

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Great looking sled!

Thanks for the post

Callum
 

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19 Posts
GOOD IDEIA
AND I will folow you in another project
 

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99 Posts
Chris
That sled looks perfect. Enjoy it.
 

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145 Posts
I would be careful with the acrylic, if it's hit with enough force it will shatter and the pieces tend to be sharp and pointy, very dangerous. The reason Lexan (a GE trademark) or Polycarbonate is preferred is due to the fact that if it ever brakes will not brake in sharp or pointy shards.
Just my $0.2 worth.
Otherwise congrats on a very nice sled.
 
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