# Best diy crosscut sled?



## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

I need to build a new crosscut sled. Curious what people have found to be the best to build. I know there are a ton of plans and videos out there so would like to see peoples thoughts on what was easy/inexpensive to build that still worked well. Thanks!


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

The one that works for you I have 3 or 4 now but when I thought about using a thin kerf blade with stabilizers discovered all my sled would not work as blade was in different position. The zero clearance inserts would have been wrong as well.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

Don't use plywood for the runners. Live and learn. Pretty much as long as it is a perfect 90 deg. your good. Make sure your design has something to make it downright awkward to get your fingers anywhere near where the blade will exit the back of the sled.


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## wildwoodbybrianjohns (Aug 22, 2019)

Speaking of wood runners, I use oak mainly, and make it a habit now to NOT glue them, only screw them to the sled, and use double-sided tape to fix temporarily. Seemed to me that when I used glue my perfect fitting runners swelled ever so slightly and became not perfectly fitting runners.

I have seen a youtube or two of guys cutting runners out of plastic cutting boards and thought that was a good idea if humidity is going to be problem. Havent tried it myself.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

Build the cross cut sled for your usage.

Mine are small about 12" x 1 8" and I use the Incra Miter Slider. Wood is 3 /4" Baltic Birch and hardwood. I generally use mine for smaller items and pieces. I also have a couple different ones.


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## DaveMills (Jan 17, 2020)

I use two crosscut sleds, often. One is very light and only on the left side of the blade. Short cutoffs are easy with this, since there's no need to support the offcut side of the board. And the sled is very light to just grab and go. I can also easily cut a diagonal on it, as the right edge of the sled was cut off with the blade, so I can just line up a board on that edge and cut (I'm not talking "perfect miters" here).

The larger sled is better when the offcut needs support. It's big and heavy. I have a T-track rail in the top with a ruler and a stop block (not in the photo), but realistically I don't use the track & ruler stuff much. If I need a stop block, I just clamp in a piece of wood.


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## 987Ron (Apr 9, 2020)

> Make sure your design has something to make it downright awkward to get your fingers anywhere near where the blade will exit the back of the sled.
> 
> - controlfreak


+1 on this. I put a block in the runner track on the outfeed to limit how far the sled can travel. Therefore the saw blade never exiting the back of the sled. Scared myself once. No damage just too close for comfort.


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## SuperCubber (Feb 23, 2012)

Nick Ferry has a sweet build on his YouTube channel, if you are looking for bells and whistles.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

If you use solid wood runners orientate the grain so when they expand and contract with humidity changes it's vertically.


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## nickbatz (Mar 7, 2018)

My advice is to make it bigger (L and W) than you think you'll need.

Also, be sure to put paste wax on your table - in any case, but it will make an even bigger difference when you're using a crosscut sled.

I didn't spend a lot of time making an elegant one with a handle and all that - just a couple of scrap boards screwed and glued onto a piece of 1/2" plywood, riding on… actually I think I used poplar for the rails, but hardwood is a better idea. It's still accurate after a couple of years.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Thanks for the feedback and pics so far! Ok i'll probably make my runners out of some scraps I have of QSWO. I just wasn't sure if i should do all the bells and whistles like t-tracks and hold downs etc or just clamp on a stop block.


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

IMO, the stop block and a blade block/guard are the only real nice to have opitions. I have copied some of *Kiefers* design ideas! Might be worth checking out some of his projects, always humbles me


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## rickf16 (Aug 5, 2008)

Pretty much did what Nick did.
The only thing I did differently is I put aluminum miter bars on mine. I didn't want have to mess around with fine tuning hard wood runners. And were I live it will change with the seasons. Link below with mine. These are fitted with set screws to get the perfect fit. I can drop mine in and get dead on 90 degree cuts every time. Also Nick has it right, wax your table top. Makes a huge difference.

https://www.rockler.com/rockler-18-24-aluminum-miter-bar

Just my two

Rick


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

+1 for building to the size you think you need. I have a 10"x12" sled I use for cutting smaller pieces. The 12"x20" sled I'm more apt to pull out to use when wanting a sled. It has a miter track on the fence for a Rockler flip stop. For the miter bars, I use Rockler aluminum T-tracks for the miter bar. I had several 30" T-tracks that I got for making jigs. I just cut them down to the length I need. I round down the ends on a sander to remove any sharp edges.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

If it's something you'll use often, I would definitely get adjustable aluminum miter runners if it were me. I like the Incra ones but there are several available and they aren't terribly expensive. I agree with making it bigger than you think you need but I also agree with don't make it so big that it's awkward to use or store. Make sure it's dead flat and take the time to make the fence dead square.


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## MPython (Nov 30, 2018)

If you're making your own sled, you'll need to square the fence with the saw blade. This is the best method I've found, if you don't mind a little math. You can pretty close to perfect with this.






Design your own sled. They're not complicated. I have two; a large one for big panels and a smaller one for everyday cuts. Both have Incra top rails and hinged stops that provide pretty accurate cuts and repeat cuts. I'll second the advice of others above about the weight. Smaller and lighter is better. Big and awkward is bad. If you have to struggle to get the sled out of storage and up own your table saw, you'll avoid using it. Handy is dandy when it comes to sleds.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

I just kind of winged it but found laminating two 5/8 plywood for the back rail and making a center raised portion to prevent my hands from getting near the blade worked well. It provided good support after some cuts were made into the rear fence. I tried William Ng's fence alignment 5 cut method and kept moving the wrong way or over correcting to the point I was running out of screw holes. In the end I used my framing square and was happy with that. I am not sure the stops and measuring rule are a necessity for me. I like the hump in the back rail and use a stop block on the back rail or attached to my rip fence. Beyond that I can use a tape since I got rid of my chop saw.


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## metolius (May 26, 2016)

I am pretty keen on having a T-track on the fence for stops and hold-downs; nearly a must have for me now.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> I am pretty keen on having a T-track on the fence for stops and hold-downs; nearly a must have for me now.
> 
> - metolius


Yeah one I saw one that had a miter jig for making frames that hooked onto a t track or miter slot. Which would be of interest to me as my wife often asks me to make frames and my SCMS is touchy on 45s, not super accurate with blade deflection etc.


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