# Interesting take on router sled in latest Fine Woodworking



## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

This just popped up in a Fine Woodworking post on Instagram. I gotta say, it's intriguing. I built a sled way back that works well, but it's limited by the 24" bed I chose to go with. The bed is a 3" thick torsion box construction with the guide rails permanently attached and adding another 4 inches to the height. The bottom line there is, it's just one more thing that I use only occasionally and have to store somewhere.

I see a couple of things I'd do differently on this one, and I'd probably keep the sled portion of mine, since it's simply designed to ride on rails anyway. But I think it's a pretty creative concept and would save some space. I can always give it a try and if it doesn't work as well as mine, no loss since it's all stuff I have anyway.

What do you all think?

https://www.finewoodworking.com/?p=254242&preview=true


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

I think the whole concept is to be able to use the bar clamps.
I think if I wanted to make a setup like that I would forgo the clamps.

I would go buy some 1" pipe that I would store just for that purpose and I would make some pillow blocks to hold them down.


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## ScottM (Jul 10, 2012)

How about threading both ends of the pipe clamp bar? Then add another set of pipe clamp parts, tightening end and adjustable end, to the other end in the same way as shown in the left of the image. That way both ends are held securely to the spacer/riser blocks. Now you have a firm rail sled.


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## PPK (Mar 8, 2016)

Cool concept for sure. I saw it too. But my concern is the pipe flexing. Even the 1" pipe flexes a fair amount if you go too long. Perhaps for smaller sizes (like up to 30" or so?) it would work well. Other thing I keep thinking is that my pipe clamps are all full of glue (rough) and they have a lot of those little rings from the clamp bottom binding. All that could contribute to a rough ride for the router sled…


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

You could do something similar with square pipe and make clamps that hold it to the piece. Square 3/16 tube is fairly stout. As in your fence for your TS is probably made of it.

Do like the idea, have to save this for a future build!!


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> How about threading both ends of the pipe clamp bar? Then add another set of pipe clamp parts, tightening end and adjustable end, to the other end in the same way as shown in the left of the image. That way both ends are held securely to the spacer/riser blocks. Now you have a firm rail sled.
> 
> - ScottM


That's one of the first things I thought about too.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Too much flex. Looks gimmicky, like someone sat around thinking up ideas for a magazine.


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

Replace the pipe with heavy angle iron that wont flex. Make the x- slide out of angle spaced for the tool so the router slides. The x- slide sits "in" the rails, shortening the tool shaft extension.


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

Pretty clever, and it looks to me like it would work but only between the two pipe rails. You'd have to reposition the workpiece and relevel to get outside the pipe rails, unless I'm missing something.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> Pretty clever, and it looks to me like it would work but only between the two pipe rails. You d have to reposition the workpiece and relevel to get outside the pipe rails, unless I m missing something.
> 
> - Don Broussard


Been away for a week. That was my question. Seems that as soon as you move the slab all bets (measurements) are off? Do you hot glue the shims to the slab?


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

> Pretty clever, and it looks to me like it would work but only between the two pipe rails. You d have to reposition the workpiece and relevel to get outside the pipe rails, unless I m missing something.
> 
> - Don Broussard
> 
> ...


I would imagine that the drawing is mostly just for concept.
You would make the spacer blocks, that the clamps sit on, long enough to cover your slab. 
You would have to slide your set up side to side though.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> I would imagine that the drawing is mostly just for concept.
> You would make the spacer blocks, that the clamps sit on, long enough to cover your slab.
> You would have to slide your set up side to side though.
> 
> - jbay


I don't like that type of sled for the router itself anyway. Here's the model for the simple one I built. It can handle up to 24" wide and pretty much any length. I also used a torsion box instead of just a board for the base. The sled has stops that are just wider than the rails on the base and the router slides back and forth across it. The width of the rails that guide the router allows making two passes - one forward and one back - each time the sled is moved on the base rails.

It's pretty basic, and lives most of its life in the shed. That's why the idea of something using things I already have laying around was interesting.

It's fun reading all of the ideas. I do have a couple of things coming up that I was going to use the router sled for so maybe I'll give this thing a try and get some idea of its stiffness. My guess is that it'll be stiff enough at shorter lengths, but if it's still adequate at 48" I'll call it a win.










And here is the actual one I made.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

In my opinion I think the surface of the pipe clamps is too rough to allow smooth gliding of the router carrier. 
I would, and have used, aluminum extrusions, T Slots or 80/20, because they are smoother and more uniform over their lengths.


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