Table Saw Crosscut & Miter Sled In One (ep58)

Table Saw Sled by Nick Ferry

I have gone without a table saw sled for a few years now.  It seems as though I was between table saws for just as long.  I suppose that would be the major reason I haven’t had one in so long.  I needed to change that.  I guess going without one for so long had its benefits.  That meant I could imagine in my head and plan out as best as possible the best table saw sled I could think of.  One major thing I wanted it to do is cross cuts as well as miter cuts.  So this is what I came up with.  A robust sled that could do 24″ cross cuts for cabinet sides yet jam packed with features that could handle small picture frames as well.  Links to all the components used will be at the end of this article.  If you want a full set of plans & measurements click here.

I opted to use 3/4 inch baltic birch plywood for my building material.  Stability and ease of use are nice and all, but I love how it looks.  I cut most of pieces to size on the table saw.table saw sled 02

With my fence pieces to rough size I applied a liberal amount of glue to the surface.

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I deployed just about every clamp I own for this step.  I guess that is why they say you can never have too many clamps.

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With so many clamps in place, it was hard to wipe up any glue squeeze out.  I cleaned the majority of this up using a chisel.

table saw sled 05

Once most of the glue was cleaned up, I cut the fence pieces down to their final sizes.

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A 3/4″ by 3/4″ rabbet was cut on the front fence to accept a piece of Kreg® Top Trak.

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The Top Trak can be cut using the miter saw.
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I played around with different fasteners to secure the aluminum.  Just about anything will work but I can be picky on how the final product looks.  I settled on these screws.

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Pre-drilling the aluminum is super easy being it is so soft.  Then it’s just a matter of installing the screws to secure it in place.

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The adjustable aluminum miter slot runners made the whole process go a lot easier but you could substitute for hardwood.  I like these jig & fixture bars from Kreg® because of their stability and adjustability.

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Using a few dimes I raised the miter slot runner up slightly so I could glue them temporarily to the sled base.

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If using the aluminum runners, use CA glue to attach them before using screws.  If you opt for hardwood you can use standard wood glue.

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Once the glue is dry, finish securing the runners with some screws.  I like to hand tighten them to avoid stripping them out.

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Layout the cut lines on the back fence, cut it out on a bandsaw and sand to the cut line.

table saw sled 18

Using a 3/4″ dado stack set to 3/8″ deep, I cut 2 dados to accept the Mini Trak miter track.

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Using 1/2″ long #6 screws, I clipped a bit over 1/8″ of the length to make certain the screws were not going to poke through the bottom of the sled base.

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The Mini Trak works great with 1/4″-20 hexagonal bolts.  Needing a way to insert the bolts and remove them, I made a 3/4″ wide by approximately 1 1/2″ long cut.  In hindsight I would have used a bandsaw and made the slots 1/4-1/2″ long to accommodate longer fasteners for future use.  I may change this at a later date.

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A couple of cuts on the table saw, and a notch is made in one of the fences to allow for most stock to be used in the miter sled portion.

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To that same fence I added a 1/8″ chamfer to the bottom to allow for saw dust accumulation.

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I have a SawStop table saw that senses conductive material touching the blade (such as skin).  If you have a SawStop or similar technology saw, make sure the safety feature is turned off and in bypass mode before cutting any conductive materials such as aluminum.  I also made the aluminum kerf quite a bit bigger to make sure the blade is no where near the metal during normal operation.

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I employed the five cut method to calibrate and adjust the sled.  I explain this quite simply in the video.  It may sound or look complex but it really isn’t.  It essentially is just a matter of making five cuts and measuring your results.  You can see here from this machinist’s square and my test piece that this sled is very accurate.

table saw sled 30

If you are using a sharp blade in combination with the zero clearance aspect of the table saw sled, chip out or tear out is almost non-existent.

 

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Applying the self adhesive tape measures and installing the SwingStop.  I am very pleased with the results.

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I began making my miter sled insert by cutting a large triangle, drilling a few holes for some hold down bolts, and installing a couple star knobs.

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After ripping some pieces to width to act as my miter sled fence, I put a 3/4″ groove in them to allow for some more aluminum miter track.

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I cut these pieces of aluminum at a 45 degree miter, and I like to use a wood backer to make it easier and have less burrs.

table saw sled 39

Again, being I’m on a SawStop, I held my aluminum back at least 1/8″ back from the blade to avoid the blade ever coming into contact with the extrusion.

table saw sled 40

I also added a blade guard to the miter sled insert for added safety.

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For the cross cut sled portion, I made a small box where the blade protrudes out the back of the saw.  Again this is for safety and a visual reference of where the blade exits the sled.

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Also for a visual indicator, I used some masking tape to make a stencil so I could paint a red “X” on the blade guard.  This may be overkill, but I like the fact that there is a visual to say “don’t put your fingers here”.
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Some wipe on polyurethane to all the bare wood, and this sled is done!

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LIST OF COMPONENTS USED:

Please note – most of the item links are my Amazon affiliate links and purchases through there help support the show.

1@ 48″ Kreg® Top Trak – ITEM#: KMS7714 – Purchase

2@ 30″ Kreg® Jig & Fixture Bar – ITEM#: KMS7303 – Purchase

2@ 48″ Kreg® Mini Trak – ITEM#: KMS7509 – Purchase

1@ Kreg® Swing Stop – ITEM#: KMS7801 – Purchase

3@ 1/4″ – 20 star knobs for jigs – PART# S7-N12BK – Purchase

1 of each Self Adhesive Tape Measure – ITEM#: KMS7724 & KMS7723 –  Left to Right and Right to Left Reading

Table Saw Sled by Nick Ferry

Table Saw Crosscut & Miter Sled Plans

$15.99

23 pages of high quality, full color step by step PDF plans for the cross cut / miter sled combo I made in episode 58.  All downloadable products are non-refundable.  On checkout receipt you will be given a link to download the file.

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Description

A table saw sled is a jig that is essential in any wood shop.  When built correctly it offers improved safety, repeatability and extreme accuracy.  This has been years in the making for me and I have put many hours of thought, trial and error into this design.  This sled combines both a cross cut sled and a miter sled all in one.  These are my most comprehensive & detailed plans I have made to date.  I am sure you will love building this awesome table saw sled!

What you get:

  • 23 pages of highly detailed full color plans
  • Materials list
  • Step by step instructions
  • Plywood cutlist and sheet goods cutting plan
  • Illustrations & pictures showing each step

sled plans in article image

You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to view the file.  Most computers already have this installed. For a free download click here.

21 reviews for Table Saw Crosscut & Miter Sled Plans

  1. Sverrir Hjörleifsson –

    Do you have the plan with meters measurments ?

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      I don’t as of now but remember 25.4mm to an inch

  2. umpire20 –

    I recently purchased and read your plans for this sled “combo” and they are absolutely EXCELLENT. I’ve never seen such a detailed step by step set of plans. It was like “reading your video”. They are certainly worth the price to purchase them. Kudos to you, sir.​

    I’ve ordered the parts necessary for this build and am awaiting their arrival. I’ll try to post a picture when I am through making my sled. Thank you………

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      Thank you – I can’t wait to see it!

  3. Mark A. Brown –

    Seriously considering your plans. However, one thing you might want to add that has me holding off is the rough cost of the parts/pieces you used. The wood is a given as anyone can price that at their local lumberyard. Not knowing the cost of other parts you purchased that are pretty integral to your design has me hesitating to pull the trigger on your plans.

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      the reason I left the price of materials out is because of the varied ways in which to build it – some have even built it without any aluminum parts – I used Kreg products but they are a lot of other manufacturers and their prices vary widely

  4. Mark Burrs –

    Your videos rock. I look forward to building this sled. My only outstanding question I need to answer for myself is if I want to make it with an open front or with a fixed depth. The one I whipped together has a fixed depth and I keep coming across situations where the wood is too big.

    Any thoughts?

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      thank you! – The main reason for having a back is to keep the 2 halves stable and keep the blade kerf a consistent gap so it doesn’t pinch the blade – as for larger pieces I would most likely make a panel sled or use another way to cut it to size

  5. RHINO (verified owner) –

    I was disappointed that I did not win this. I really need one ! I guess I will have to download your plans and make it myself. I suspect your other subscribers will too. Do you think it can be made without a bandsaw and some of the other tools you used ? I have a jigsaw and 3 x 18 sander and drills and other hand tools I priced the Kreg items on Amazon. It can be built for $250-300, depending on local cost of material. Any suggestions are appreciated.

    Thanx

    JRR

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      you can most definitely use a jigsaw in place of a the bandsaw – it might just take a little longer – another thing to keep the cost down is to use cheaper plywood (I used baltic birch) or leave out the Top Trak on the fence – you could just use a clamped stop block – personally I like the convenience of it, but you don’t have to have it – hope that helps!

  6. Kevin Kemp (verified owner) –

    I built this last weekend and I love it. I got the plans which are very well done. The video was extremely helpfu too. Top notch stuff. I looked at different sled projects and I think this one is significantly better than any others I found. I used different but equivalent parts that i got from Woodcraft. I did use the Kreg miter guides which I have to say I’m not real impressed with them The quality is not consistent. One of the guides worked fine, but the other one was horrible. The set screws were so tight I could barely get them adjusted without damaging the screws. I think next time I need a miter I’ll try a different brand.

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      glad you liked the sled and were able to build it – as far as the miter tracks, I spoke with Kreg and they said they had a bad batch from manufacturing and pulled the bad ones from inventory and corrected the problem – some unfortunately got out – they will replace any defective ones free of charge – so check with them for a replacement

  7. Jon –

    Hi Nick, why do you suggest that when gluing your sled base to the runners, we offset the center of the
    plywood 1 1/2″ to the left of the saw kerf? I am not sure I understand the operation or reason.

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      so when you utilize the rip fence as a stop block you are not equidistant to the left and the right of the blade – for example the stop block to the left of the blade goes from say 0-10″ and the fence picks up at say 8.5″ to your fence system size – granted I just used generic number for that example – doing the offset allows for an overlap of measurements to get to – hope that helps

  8. Jon –

    Thank you for the reply Nick. Much appreciated.

    If you happen to have a chance, would it be possible for you to sketch out what you mean visually about the center offset of the sled to the saw kerf?

    It would be a huge help to us visual learners. Perhaps append it to the Episode 58 post?

    Thanks again.

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      no problem – I will see what I can do – crazy backed up on stuff now – heck, I’m still in Atlanta from the woodworking show

  9. Michael Prochaska (verified owner) –

    I purchased your plans I think they a great. I do have a question that I posted on you tube today. I appreciate it if you could help me her is my post. This is a great video thank you for all the great advise. Was wondering on the miter slot tracks on top of the sled you went 4 1/2 inches from the kerf. I cant cause I would be sawing threw the screws from the runners on the bottom. I can make mine 3 1/4 inches or 5 3/4 inches. Which would you recommend? Thank you

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      either distance should be fine – I would probably make it the 5 3/4″ to keep the hold downs a bit further apart – that would keep the miter insert more stable against twisting – it shouldn’t twist either way though – I do have plans for add-ons in the future and again either the 5 3/4″ or 3 1/4″ should work with those – hope that helps

  10. Daniel (verified owner) –

    Hi Nick. Your table saw sled design rocks! Bought the plans and have already built the sled but at a slightly smaller scale. Im getting rid to build the miter sled insert this weekend hopefully for some picture frames I want to build. My only question is why did you add miter tracks to your miter sled? Was this purely for the use of stop blocks on smaller pieces of work or did you have something else in mind? Thanks again and keep up the great work!

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      thanks – mainly for stop blocks but I may try and incorporate some other things using them – showed using the stop blocks here

  11. Jared J Treser –

    Purchased these plans a few months ago (right before the giveaway) and I can honestly say, these were the easiest plans to follow! I used melamine for the base and both front and back fences as I found my plywood to be too warped to make an accurate sled. Worked great though! Absolutely love it, recommend to anyone on the fence about purchasing it. Ya, could have made a basic sled without them, but this is top notch. Thanks

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      Wow, thanks Jared – glad you liked them and glad to hear you enjoyed building it!

  12. Paul (verified owner) –

    I just purchased your plans, and starting to get all the materials needed for the build – can’t wait to start building! Quick question: I don’t have a dato blade set, but thinking about purchasing one for this project – Any recommendations? Looks like Freud SD208 could be a good option, what do you use?

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      As of today, this is my dado blade set – the Freud set looks pretty good too but I have yet to use it – I’d like to test out the difference between the SD208 and the SD508 – having a truly flat bottom to the cut is my biggest concern – my current one does that really well

  13. Russ (verified owner) –

    I purchased your plans and have the sled mostly complete. I’m working on the miter portion now and I’m wondering about the utility of putting the T-tracks in the miter portion on top of the miter rails vs. on the front? This might allow for T-track hold-downs to be used for loooong pieces – those that are too long some sort of basic stop.

    Thoughts?

    Thanks!

  14. Bryan Babbitt –

    Hi Nick,

    I am a new subscriber and very very new to woodworking. In fact, I have a hard time reading a tape measure lol. However, I am on a mission to get better at this. I have been learning about the table saw sled and thus far, your build has been my favorite and I would like to build it but here is my concern. I have a small Dewalt compact job site table saw. Not know much about all the sleds and amazing jigs that are out there.. would this build work for my saw as well?

    Thanks for feedback you can provide and keep up the great content! I am really enjoying your videos! Now if I could just make some of the things you make and do it as gracefully as you make it look!

    Bryan

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      thanks Bryan – you are not the first I will not be the last that has issues with tape measures – practice makes perfect – the sled would absolutely work – when making the base, size it up a bit and see how big you can go without it being a tipping issue – most likely taking 3-4″ inches away from the depth of the base should do the trick

  15. Eric (verified owner) –

    Great plans. Had a little issue with the download but Nick quickly responded to my email and took care of the situation, no problems. Looking forward to building this sled.

  16. Miles (verified owner) –

    Thoroughly enjoy watching your videos, and was pleased to be able to buy these plans and support your channel. Looking forward to making this sled… It’s by far the nicest one I’ve seen in looking the past couple weeks on YouTube. Thanks Nick!

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      I appreciate you saying that – you will have to let me know how the build goes – I really love mine and use it all the time!

  17. Chad (verified owner) –

    Hi Nick, enjoyed watching this video and I am definitely buying your plans for this sled! I am just getting started in woodworking and I have little to no experience. I was given a few items from my dad and it just seems to be a great hobby to start up. A question I have is, what brand table saw are you using in your video to make this sled? The table saw I was handed down is a 10″ craftsman….it is so much louder and more clunky than most saws I see on youtube. Is this an ok saw to start with, or should I look to upgrade right away? I don’t know where this hobby will end up just yet, but I do plan to make some nice things and don’t want to be held back by sub-par equipment. Thanks for your time.

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      I have most of my tools listed here – https://nickferry.com///my-tools-equipment/ – nothing wrong with the saw you have if it does the job – upgrade over time if you want something quieter and more accurate and the work you do calls for it

  18. Mario (verified owner) –

    I just received your plans and I’m looking forward to the build. I’m just getting into woodworking and purchased my first table saw, a Bosch TS3000. I have built a couple of beginning projects with good results; but, the more research I do, the more I want the sled combo. My concern is I might be starting off to big. The saw tabletop is 21-1/2 X 40-1/2 (fully expanded) with the blade 11-3/4 from the left side. Am I aiming to high for my first sled or will this design work for my size saw? Thank you for any assistance in advance.

    Mario

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      congrats on the new saw! Mine table top is probably 43″ wide by 24 or 25 deep so you’d probably want to make the sled 4-6″ less in depth to keep it from tipping – hard to say without actually being there though

  19. Joseph (@mrjoedave) –

    Love the channel! Just about to get a new saw delivered. This will be my first project. I thought I remembered seeing a tenon jig you made for it also. Is that right, or am I confused?

    Also, has anyone done removable throat plates for this? It seems like that would be nice to have, but maybe I am over thinking it.

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      thanks much – you can see the tenon jig build here, and the cut-list for it here – I had thought about a throat plate for dados but never pulled the trigger on it and have no regrets on not having it

  20. Barett Engelhardt (verified owner) –

    Can 3/4″ MDF be substituted in place of Plywood?

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      you could but it would be substantially heavier and won’t have as much resistance to bending

  21. Lee (verified owner) –

    This may be s dumb question but doesn’t cutting through the aluminum mess up the blade on your table saw?

    • Nick (verified owner) –

      not a dumb question at all – it’s not the most well known thing to do – cutting aluminum like this is perfectly fine to do with carbide tipped blades – A higher tooth count blade typically works better – yes it will dull the blade quicker than cutting wood but that’s how it’s done in manufacturing all the time

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71 Responses

      1. Like the sled! Trying to start rounding up parts, where did the “view finder” come from and is that the Best name for it. I’m having a hard time finding one.
        Thanks.

        Reply

      2. Hello Nick, I just bought your plans. for the knobs for the miter part, do you have a link or a part number. I just want to make sure Im buying the right ones?
        TY

        Reply

  2. Nick—Great sled I built one very similar about a year ago. Mine did not have the miter slot for the 45* sled–wish it did. Rather than cut the holes in the back fence for access you could have cut the track one inch short and that would allow you to insert the bolts from there. The dado slot could be a blind dado and end under the back fence. Keep up the great work–love your vids.

    Mike (Hugibear)

    Reply

    1. thank you – I thought about having the back tracks stopping short and pretty much flipped a coin deciding I liked this look over stopping short – as far as the front fence, I wanted it to go through so a quick blast of compressed air cleaned out any debris – having the back dados also aided in clearing away saw dust with a straight shot through – I will most likely mention a bit on this in the next FerryTalk

      Reply

  3. With your excellent video and these step-by-step directions anyone should be able to build this sled. Thanks Nick!

    Reply

  4. Hi Nick, great sled design and you are really good at the narration of all your projects. There is a WoodCraft store about 65 miles away from us, I’m going over there to buy some .75 Baltic Birch so I can build one of your versions. Thank you and keep up the good work.

    Reply

    1. very cool – that’s a bit of a journey to get baltic birch – I feel lucky I only have to go 10 minutes – if you are interested I will have a step by step plan for sale with all dimensions – might make it a bit easier for you – that should be out by Wednesday – would love to see pictures of it when you are done!!

      Reply

  5. Nick, Very nice job on the sled!! I’ll buy the plans and make my own, but please don’t forget Jigs you are planning for it!! This is the most professional looking home made sled I’ve seen

    Reply

    1. thanks Mike! – not sure when I will get to the other jigs but I won’t forget about them – they should be fun & useful

      Reply

  6. Rather than cut the slots in the front fence to all allow the bolts through, what do you think about stopping the channel about 1″ short of the front fence and just sliding the bolts in from there?

    Reply

    1. That was my other choice – I pretty much flipped a coin – blowing sawdust out of the track is easier with the slot in the back though

      Reply

  7. This is seriously awesome and i want to build it… sadly it will be a long time before i can as the cost is preventative (just the metal alone looks to be about $180). Could you add to the list of components the amount and size of wood you used? It’d allow a better cost estimate. If its not too much i might just build it without the rear track (temporarily)

    Reply

    1. Thank You – I used 5’x5′ baltic birch but you can also fit all the pieces in a 4’x4′ half sheet of plywood – I show both in the plans

      Reply

    2. Daniel, you would save a lot of money by using Orange Aluminum 48″ T-track rather than the Kreg ($15 each vs $27 each).

      Reply

  8. Awesome video Nick. Wish I lived in the states. Getting hold of things like wipe on Poly and those aluminium miter tracks are virtually nigh on impossible over here. The only poly I can get hold of comes in 1 litre tins and not those handy ‘bottle’ type containers yours comes in.

    Reply

    1. Thank you – yeah some projects are hard to have universal components world wide – sometimes alternatives need to be used

      Reply

  9. Great design and great video, thanks very much for creating and sharing. When I’m ready to build a sled I’ll definitely buy your plans.

    Reply

  12. Hi Nick,

    I very much like your crosscut sled. Nicely made.

    To add and remove bolts from a t-track, I milled a 3/8″ entranceway in the top. The entranceway is located near the front fence. It needs to be as large as a bolt’s head.

    In this way, any length bolt can be placed (upside down) in the t-track. Of course, each of your nice blue t-tracks will have a large hole near the far end, but it will still look “clean”. The ease and versatility more than makes for the inconvenience.

    Reply

    1. thank you – that’s a really great idea – I ended up drilling some thru holes in the star knobs and now they reside tightened towards the back fence when not in use – I do like the milling an entry hole though!

      Reply

  13. Hey Nick, great plans here. The first one I made for myself left a little to be desired so I think I am going update my original with this.
    Do you use a different blade to cut the tracks and other aluminium parts, or is a regular combination blade good for this?

    Reply

    1. One thing to remember is that you will need a carbide tooth blade – I prefer to cut aluminum with an 80 tooth blade however I have gotten good results from a 50 tooth or even a 40 tooth – you will just want to take the cut a bit slower with the lower tooth count blades like the the 40 & 50

      Reply

  14. Wondering what to do with the rest of the measuring tape, affixed some of it to the top of the right side of the miter sled. Then I cut stop blocks a little higher than the sled, cut a 45 degrees face, and drilled a 1/4″ hole for a hex bolt. Securing the block in the track with an extra knob, I can put a mitered board on the right side, the top of the stop block tells me how long the cut because is it right on the measuring tape. Willing to share a picture or two. It was an easy addition to the sled using left over pieces from the project.

    Thank you for sharing how you made the cross cut sled, I made one and it is really useful. I think I will make a little storage box and screw it to the top of the miter sled so all the knobs, blocks, washers, and bolts stay with the sled.

    Reply

    1. I have yet to use the extra tape measure – feel free to send me some pictures, I’d love to see it – glad to hear you liked the build – I am getting tons of use from mine – I drilled some through holes in the knobs and tapped the 1/4-20 threads all the way through so I can keep them on the sled – I will be making a dedicated cabinet for table saw accessories – of course I need to find a final home in my shop for my table saw first – I keep moving it around

      Reply

  15. I’ve watched your sled video several times and I have to say your explanation of the “5 cut method” is by far the best I’ve seen. While I could probably cobble what I needed to make the sled from the video, I decided to purchase your plans instead. You worked hard on them, and the video, and the plans are very easy to understand and read. I just received the last package/parts necessary to start building this, and I can’t wait to start using it. Thank you.

    Reply

    1. Yes – they are Amazon affiliate links and I receive a small percentage of the sale – either way do what works best, thanks!

      Reply

  17. Awesome Sled – Mine turned out great! A couple of suggestions for the directions – I would only make the initial cut through the front fence just high enough to cut a piece of plywood on the sled for the ‘5 cut’ adjustment. I found that making a full-height cut and trimming the track prior to completely anchoring the fence allowed it to flex a bit, even with the aluminum track attached. My fence flexed a bit when making the test cuts, so even though I thought I had it square, when I attached a straight edge and put the rest of the screws in it was no longer so.

    On a similar note, attach a straight edge when you are making the 5 cut adjustments to the fence to keep it straight (or take out any minor bowing of the plywood).

    I ended up scrapping my first fence and making a new one. Good news is the second one was only 0.0008″ out of square on the first try! Better lucky than good any day!

    Reply

  18. Nick,
    Trying to figure out how this design will work on my saw prior to purchasing the plans. Can you provide the overall dimensions of the sled and miter insert? The side of the sled to the right of the blade seems like it would be very short to accommodate the insert.

    Reply

    1. The sled will work with any table saw that has miter gauge runners. People have scaled it to fit smaller or larger saws but most of the time it is not needed. All of the dimensions are included in the plans.

      Reply

  21. Hi Nick. I started this project today and have all my pieces cut but wonder how deep your table is? Mine is 27″ deep and I wonder if I should resize the project or is this the same as yours? Thanks in advance for the reply.

    Reply

  22. Nick, I just finished my sled and it turned out great! Your plans are superior to anything else I found. I just have a Craftsman cast top table saw that my wife I bought new for me about 35 years ago but the sled works very well with my saw. Of course I had to sell one of my grandchildren to pay for the components but it was worth it! I meant the components, not the selling of the grandchild! I am now making the tenoning jig to go with it. I would love to send you pics of my sled if you are interested. How do I do that? BTW, the five cut method was fantastic; I am only out 0.0025 inch. Thanks for the fantastic plans. Dave

    Reply

    1. so cool to hear Dave – glad you enjoyed the plans – I’d love to see pictures – send me a message here and I’ll email you back and you can send some that way

      Reply

  23. Hey Nick.
    Awsome sled and very well done video. after watching your video, i decided to build a sled for myself. I look forward to more of your build videos.

    Reply

  24. Hey there, Nick. Really like this sled plans. In fact, I like them so much, I bought a set of plans as soon as I bought my SawStop contractor saw. Keep up the good work and let us know whenever you come up with a new jig for the sled!

    Quick question: How critical are the heights of the front and back fences? I assume they can be higher than your plans call for, correct? I figure a little extra height might add a little bit more stability (with a bit more weight to go along). Is the only limitation the height of the rear fence which shouldn’t be too high as to limit the usefulness of the stop? But the back fence could be as bulky as desired, right?

    Again, thanks. This sled will definitely last the life of the saw. great investment.

    Reply

    1. thanks for the kind words – glad to here you dig the plans – the curved fence could be sized to just about anything but as you mentioned, the other fence should remain the same size for the stop – not to mention my tenon jig also relies on it being that size – the curved fence is plenty bulky in my opinion

      Reply

  26. Just ordered the plans and I look forward to building it.

    I just thought of something I will do on my blade guard other than painting it, as you did. Even with a Sawstop, I worry about my hand being near the end and cutting though the back. I have some leftover grip tape, similar to what might be on stairs or a skateboard. I am going to put that on my guard. That way if my had come in contact with it, the guard will feel rough and by feel alone, I know they will be in a dangerous spot.

    Garth

    Reply

  27. Great Video and great sled! I know you made the sled to accommodate 24 inch crosscut. How deep did you make the sled to be able to do that?

    Reply

  28. Very cool sled and i really like your design. A couple questions if you don’t mind.

    1. On the front fence to use kreg flip stop, u have a relatively short fence, any concern about the small amount of material holding the fence together? I have this desire to make the fence 4″ tall.
    2. You cut the notch out of the back fence to make room for the bolts to slide in. Any reason to not just leave space in front of the back fence to just drop them in? Basically leave 1/2 gap between end of track and back fence?

    Reply

    1. thanks – the aluminum extrusion add a good deal of beam strength to the fence – you can stop the miter slots track a bit short if wanted but I’d leave the slot to blow out sawdust

      Reply

    2. Brian E.
      I have also thought about making the fence higher. But to do that and still use the Kreg flip stop will require adding an addition to the bottom of the flip stop so that it doesn’t end an inch or more above the base. I am thinking about doing that and have started to play with some prototypes but haven’t finished it.

      Reply

  29. Nick, great sled, thinking about buying the plans. Only question is, the Kreg swing stop only has the precision adjustable lens on one side or the other at a time. How do you make use of both sides of your saw blade (you put right to left and left to ride measurement tapes on your sled track) if every time you need to swap it, you’d need to disassemble the swing stop for the other type of cut, then calibrate the fine adjustment with a scrap piece? You didn’t cover this in your show notes. Thanks!

    Reply

  30. Hi Nick, Nice build.
    Was there any particular reason why you didn’t make the front fence high enough to clear the highest setting of your blade so you wouldn’t have to cut the top track?

    Reply

  31. Very nice sled! I downloaded the plans and hope to make it soon. I saw Kings Custom Woodworking made a similar sled to yours but with insert plates to accommodate a dado blade. Do you think that is necessary?

    Reply

    1. thanks – let me know how the build goes – I debated adding dado inserts when I designed my sled but opted not to have them – It’s been several years now and not once did I want them – another option I planned for that I may address in the future is the base plywood offset – you can rotate the sled 180° and square the back fence and use it that way for dado cuts – being the base is offset, the kerf would be in a different spot altogether

      Reply

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