# Small XCut Sled



## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

Between all my distractions, I have managed to make a mini xcut sled. I'm hoping to make some small jewelry, and keepsake boxes here in the future. Made with 1/2" Baltic Birch ply, and 1/4" hardboard for the blade insert for straight cuts and angle cuts. The miter tracks are from a plastic/phenolic cutting board that can be found at Walmarts, Meijer, etc., even some Harbor Freights: here: http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-cutting-board-set-69459.html. Hope the pics tell the story:


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## majuvla (Jul 20, 2010)

Awesome idea to have same jig for different cuts. Excellent.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

Very nice and I like and use a smaller sled…good ideas.


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

*Super Simple Cross Cut sled!*

What are the dimensions, just to be clear…?

What did you use for the runners & where did you get them?

That box showing your Miter cuts is cool too… (size?).. Looks huge in the picture…

*Great sled!

Thank you very much!*


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

That is a great little sled!! A small sled is nicer to handle for little parts.

Cheers, Jim


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

thnx guys.
Joe: It can be made with any dimensions, but this one is about 13 1/4" id, and 31" long. The front and back fence are about 2" tall. The big block where the blade comes through is just laminated plywood scraps and I attached it to the fence above the "1/4" hardboard insert/s. I have an insert for straight cuts, and one for 45degree cuts. Brass screws hold the inserts in place.
The sliders are just from those plastic/phenolic cutting boards that you can buy at Walmart, Meijer, or even Harbor Freight has them…. here @ HF: http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-cutting-board-set-69459.html
I am really happy that the 45 degree angle on the saw is right on.
The "test" box is just a scrap piece of 3/4" ply that's about 5" high, 11"long, and 6" wide. I wanted to be sure the angle cuts were going to be good, and they are. Thank you Grizzly. LOL…......although, it wouldn't take much to dial it in.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

I like the angle cutting options/inserts. Wish I would have done that on mine.

Everyone knows how frugal (spelled cheap) I am. I get my cutting board plastic from a local restaurant when they throw out their stained boards. The make great gluing surfaces, too.


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## andy_P (Aug 13, 2009)

Great looking sled, Roger. I use one myself, so I understand how handy they are. Of course yours looks like a work of art compared to mine. I like that idea of using the cutting board material instead of hardwood I used.


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

*Roger…

I have some of those white cutting boards…* that we do not use anymore…

NOW, I have to find'em and put them to good use…
... I forgot ALL ABOUT using them for this use!!

*Thank you!!
*


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

I like the smaller cutting sled a lot. Will have to make one. We have an old green cutting board I ca confiscate.


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

Nice one.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

Phenolic is a much different plastic (same stuff as Formica) than polyethylene or polypropylene. They are softer and more easily deformed. I mention this because I tried using some HDPE for runners on an X-Y table for my mortiser, and had trouble with the plastic deforming when the flat head machine screws were tightened. Had to go another direction altogether.


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## kiefer (Feb 5, 2011)

That should work just fine but you could save some setup time by making sliding panels which will make it easier to adjust for different blade width , even a dado head and different blade tilt angles .
I have made a couple sleds with sliding panels now and they work great and are very simple to build .
Here is a video demo link to my sled 



 if you like to take a look .

Klaus


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## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

Lots of great tips here!


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

Like the insert idea. I have a few sleds, but not one for 45 deg.

For miter bars, I use 3/4" wide, 1/8" thick aluminum flat and 1/8" hardboard in a sandwich glued with CA. Then use CA to glue to the sled. You can skip the screws entirely on small sled or miter gauge. I placed screws in addition for my super sled because of the amount of use and weight of the sled. Haven't tried the plastic route yet, but I have read a number of posts about it.

I like Kiefer's sliding panel sled idea and will keep it in mind for the next sled in a row…............


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

Good idea *Roger*, can't wait to see the projects you make with that.
Again with the sawdustless shop pictures!


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## Diggerjacks (Oct 22, 2009)

Hello Roger

Very impressive work on this crosscut sled

I like the precision of the result

I m impatient to see your next work using this crosscut sled

Thanks for sharing


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## mattg (May 6, 2008)

Cool sled!!


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

Thnx everybody. I luv the pages of LJ's. We all can learn from each other, and it is always changing for the betterment of woodworkers and woodworking. Thnx for all the looks and tips/suggestions/remarks/jokes/etc. I have corrected a "boo-boo" up above in my description of this sled. The bottom is also 1/2" Baltic Birch, NOT 3/4"....there was a 61 year old brain cramp… lol


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## kdc68 (Mar 2, 2012)

Great idea Roger using the phenolic cutting boards…I will have to borrow that idea.

Well done and thanks for sharing


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## nayo (Mar 21, 2013)

that's a good tip, i always have trouble using wood for the tracks, for it varies with the humidity, here its common to be in the 90s. 
now i know what to use for them now. thanks for that Roger


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Very well made Roger. Should we call you 'One Cut Roger' from now on?


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