146 – The Cross-Cut Sled

Video - April 29, 2011

Then

One of the first fixtures I ever made for my shop was a cross-cut sled. Heavily-influenced by David Marks, I modeled it after his design. The sled opened up a whole world of possibilities for not only cross-cutting, but joinery as well. I didn’t have a reliable compound miter saw at the time so this versatile fixture really helped me get the most out of my limited tool set.

Now

Now with a full complement of tools, I am finding myself longing for some of the simple solutions I used in the past. And after spending some time at the William Ng School using his cross-cut sleds for various operations, I knew it was time to get my butt in gear and make myself a new cross-cut sled. You’ll notice that my sled doesn’t have any bells and whistles like built-in stops or hold downs, but you can certainly add those if you feel they are appropriate.

Hip To Be Square!

To square the fence, I use the “5-cut squaring method”, which you can see demonstrated in the video and also in this little Flash presentation. Its an incredible method for adjusting a fence down to the nearest thousandth. The final adjustments are made using feeler gauges and a method I learned directly from William Ng himself.

Important Note – I messed up! Yeah I suck. During the editing/filming process, I got the adjustment mixed up. In the video, I state that to correct the error measured by the 5-cut method, I would need to push the left side of the fence BACK toward me. That’s exactly the opposite of what I needed to do. Instead, the fence needs to go forward on the left side. Because the feeler gauge method of adjustment only works by pulling one side of the fence back toward the user, you can effectively push the left side forward by pulling the right side back. So to sum up, instead of making the adjustment by pulling the fence back on the left side, I should have pulled the fence back on the right side.

Dimensions

A cross-cut sled can be any size you want. Just keep in mind the bigger it is, the harder it is to handle. So for me, the ideal size was approximately the dimensions of my tablesaw top.
Plywood base: 34″ Wide x 30 ” Deep (1/2″ Baltic Birch Ply)
Fences: 4 1/4″ Wide x 30″ Long
Runners: 30″ Long x 3/4″ Wide x 3/8″ Thick

Techniques

Once the sled is constructed, I cover the following techniques for using the sled:
Standard Cross-Cut
Wide Cross-Cut
Long Cross-Cut
Using The Stop Block
Repetitive Cuts
Small Parts Cut

Discussion

Kris Lauer April 29, 2011 9:12 am

Nice vid! I like how you squared up the rear fence. I had not heard of the 5 cut method. Learned something new today. This will be a great addition to my little bench top saw. The plate that goes over the blade is screwed in place and cutting small parts is impossible with it the way it is.
Thanks again Marc!

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Christopheralan April 29, 2011 9:16 am

Great video man! The 5-cut test is new to me and I will be trying it soon on my sled. Also, the tip on small parts is great! Thanks again for another great job!

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Rob Lopez April 29, 2011 9:19 am

Great once again Marc!

Are there any dimensions you can give us on the size of your sled?

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- thewoodwhisperer April 29, 2011 9:37 am
  
  Hey Rob. The measurements are in the video. But I added them to the description for you.
  
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Chris April 29, 2011 9:38 am

Awesome. I have used laminate flooring remnants for the runners–which pretty much takes care of the seasonal movement issue.

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Luc April 29, 2011 10:07 am

Hi Marc,

In the spirit of safety week, will you be installing a blade guard behind the fence on your sled?

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- thewoodwhisperer April 29, 2011 12:30 pm
  
  Yeah I regret not showing that in the video. On the day of filming, I realized I didn’t have the epoxy I needed to glue on an extra chunk of material to the back of the fence. Easy fix though.
  
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  - Luc April 29, 2011 12:54 pm
    
    BTW, thank you for introducing me to the 5-cut method.
    
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Ken F April 29, 2011 10:10 am

Marc,

Wax your runners.

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- Rev Jimmy Mac April 11, 2014 2:26 pm
  
  I use Minwax paste wax and it does an AMAZING job – just be sure to apply sparingly and buff to a glass like finish
  
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Sarit April 29, 2011 10:32 am

I love all your tips. Especially how scientific you can be in correcting the error in the fence. That was brilliant!

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Ken F April 29, 2011 10:38 am

Oh
Marc,
Give us an update on your shop .

When I meant runners I wasn?t referring to your legs!

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- thewoodwhisperer April 29, 2011 12:29 pm
  
  <--- cancels salon appointment.....
  
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Chilimax April 29, 2011 10:53 am

Perfect timing, I’ve been meaning to make a cross-cut sled, but wanted to wait and see how the TWW would tackle it.

Many Thanks!!

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Ben April 29, 2011 11:45 am

Excellent!

One thing I would add (and this may go without saying for most people) is to remember to re-check your blade for squareness after making a tilt cut and before putting the sled back on. Also, always use it with the same saw blade. Being able to measure exactly to that kerf line is a huge advantage, and I messed my sled up by not returning the blade to exactly vertical before using it.

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Tom Collins April 29, 2011 12:24 pm

Great video as usual, thank you. I also like the new ?old? shop. What are your thoughts on the commercially available miter slot bars?

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- thewoodwhisperer April 29, 2011 12:28 pm
  
  I think miter slot bars and the UHMW runners are awesome. MicroJig also makes the Zero Clearance Guide Bar system that looks quite compelling. Only reason I didn’t use something like that in this video is because I wanted to go as low-tech as possible in terms of materials.
  
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chris April 29, 2011 12:30 pm

Hi Marc, glad to see the sled. Just a comment on safety. you pretty much covered my concerns, but as with any discipline, pain is a good teacher. Hopefully when the guys are rattling off small pieces with their sleds, they don’t get lazy and fail to clean off their pieces. Your comments about the pieces bouncing back into the blade should be headed by all. I know how it feels to have a piece of hard maple come up off the back side of the blade and fly into the face! I had a piece of hard maple, 1-1/2, 1-1/2, 1 knock the lens out of my glasses, bend the frames and generally scratch up my face,(went in crying to my wife, and then to the eye doctor just as a caution). If our math was correct, then that piece was travelling at about 184 mph! Maybe you want to do a physic lesson one day on E=mc

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- thewoodwhisperer April 29, 2011 12:57 pm
  
  Yikes Chris! Kickback is a bi&^%!
  
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Steve Grimes April 29, 2011 12:44 pm

Great “recipe” for squaring the fence. It looks like the 30″ depth would take care of most needs.
Do you have a separate sled for dados?

Here is an article where the verticle rear fence is squared/ calibrated against a horizontal fence;

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- thewoodwhisperer April 29, 2011 12:56 pm
  
  Unfortunately that’s one of their paid articles Steve. But I know the article you are referring to. Thanks!
  
  And I do not have separate sled for dados. It is definitely on the to-do list. Sometimes its nice to make the first sled, then cannibalize it for dados. That way you can learn from your mistakes and make the second sled even better. And that’s the one you dedicate to regular cuts.
  
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Don Fearn April 29, 2011 1:14 pm

THANX for this, Marc!

@Chris: I thought I was the only one who used laminate flooring material for things like that; it’s WONDERFUL stuff . . . .

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Nateswoodworks April 29, 2011 1:29 pm

Great video, I need to make a new sled as well. A couple yrs back I bought a new TS and my old sled and a few other things went with the saw to it’s new home. I also used other tools to take it’s place but as you stated it sure is nice to have a dedicated perfect 90 degree system. One thing I do remember about making my first sled when I got into woodworking was my fence was just a tad off so when I made my sled that error carried through, just thought by mentioning it maybe someone else could avoid it. The new/old shop sure looks like it’s coming along good. When you get to a certain point do we get a tour or will we just see it on future video’s? Keep up the great work.
Nate

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- thewoodwhisperer April 29, 2011 2:22 pm
  
  OH I’ll definitely do a new shop tour when the time comes.
  
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Toby April 29, 2011 2:01 pm

Great vid!

What are your thoughts for using plywood vs mdf for the base? I have both available but haven’t been able to decide what to make it out of.

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- thewoodwhisperer April 29, 2011 2:22 pm
  
  Personally I like plywood. I like the extra durability and I find it holds screws better.
  
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David Harms April 29, 2011 2:53 pm

Good video Marc, I made one of the left of blade sleds from Norm’s table saw 101 a while back and have been meaning to replace it with this style.

what other types of sleds were setup at the school?

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- Tom Buhl April 29, 2011 8:37 pm
  
  I haven’t visited the Ng School, but in my shop I also use a 45 degree miter sled for framing cuts. I have a chop saw, but it is buried deep so i only get it out for construction type projects. For 45s on small elements the sled is more comfortable than the miter gauge.
  
  I also have a dedicated sled for 45 degree blade cuts. Forget at the moment when I used that, but the few times I have, it has been very nice.
  
  My basic sled is perhaps a tad too large. Makes storing and loading a bit of a chore, but it serves me very well. Not sure I’d wish to make it smaller, unless it was an additional one.
  
  I’m still downloading the video but I bet it will be awesome as usual.
  Thanks
  
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- thewoodwhisperer April 30, 2011 7:48 am
  
  The other one we used primarily was the dado sled. You can also make sleds for 45 degree cuts and other angles if you use them enough.
  
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Tom Buhl April 29, 2011 9:40 pm

Think I am now motivated to make a new sled. Current version is my second, which was built in a hurry after arrival of a new table saw. Know I can make it more accurate. Thanks to Marc.

re: stop blocks
especially if using them for multiples, I strongly suggest having at least a small bevel on bottom reference point. It is so easy for bits to collect there which you don’t notice, which can throw off your reference point.

Fancier is a block that “hangs” from fence and is a bit shy of touching the sled bed. Similar in concept to Marc’s stop for small parts. Another way around the miter corner is to drive a drywall screw into the stop block end, leaving it proud. Not only does this raise the contact point, it becomes a microadjuster for dialing in precise cuts. Reclamping to make tiny adjustments can be frustrating.

Can’t wait to get back in the shop.

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Will April 29, 2011 10:03 pm

That sled is so cool I started building one tonight. The 5 cut squaring method is also genius. I tried it using my incra v120 and I was .004 out over 6″ so I definitely need to calibrate things better before I work more on the sled.

You are a gifted teacher, Marc.

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Dan April 30, 2011 2:27 am

Nice video but I have a complaint. I did not get an update on the shop behind you, no ‘Vanna White’ presentation of the duct work for the dust collection (shiny and neat), no part for Nicole, and no humor. I want the old Marc humor!!! Still, nice video…

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- thewoodwhisperer April 30, 2011 7:43 am
  
  I’ve explained this in the past but it might be worth explaining again. The humor is something that I do when it comes naturally. There is NOTHING worse than forced humor. I am by no means a comedian so I am really not capable of forcing things to be funny. So my rule as always been, “Dont force the funny!” So be patient and the humor will come naturally. But when I am super busy rebuilding the shop, getting ready for safety week, and preparing for the next Guild Build, no funny stuff comes to mind. :)
  I know folks really enjoy the humor, but if you look at my past work, it actually comes and goes and pops in when you least expect it. But sometimes, its “just the facts ma’am.”
  
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John F April 30, 2011 7:01 am

Marc – I recently discovered TWW and I really appreciate all the content, as well as your teaching style – easygoing yet detailed, and most of all ‘practical’. I especially like the ‘what works for you’ attitude. I’ve had confirmation of some of my techniques, but a whole lot of tweaks and improvements as well. This video is most welcome – I had gone through most of you videos and articles on a recent long trip, and I was starting to have withdrawal symptoms ;)

Very nice demo of construction of a x-cut sled. It mirrors mine in some ways, but I really like your method for adjusting the rear fence. I used a block secured to the base, but used a screw attached to the block instead of feeler gauges to adjust/move the fence. This was much more of a trial and error so I’ll have to remember the feeler gauge method. I’m contemplating a smaller sled as a more manageable option to my larger one for smaller pieces, so I’ll put these tips to use.

Did you bother sealing or waxing the base? I tried waxing mine (MDF base) but it just soaked up the wax. I’m new to the wonders of shellac as a sealer, so I might try that first on my next one.

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- thewoodwhisperer April 30, 2011 7:46 am
  
  Hey John. I didn’t seal the sled, but its not a bad idea. A single coat of shellac, followed by a 320 grit sanding and a coat of wax would make for a nice slick surface. Just keep in mind that the side the work rests on might be difficult to work with if its too slick. Its nice for the surface to grip the wood.
  
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jasonR April 30, 2011 3:42 pm

Thanks for the instructions. A sled was on my to-do list. Saw your video last night and knocked-out the sled today.

5-cut method was great. First (and only time through) I hit 1/128″ per 1 foot, which is just fine for me. I am sure others out there will manage better!

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Frank Cela May 1, 2011 12:07 am

Thanks Marc for the video,I have a small sled (like Norms) but I think I’ll try your two rail.

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Frank Cela May 1, 2011 12:12 am

One other thing, I really envy your time you spend with David!

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josh bucher May 1, 2011 5:58 am

crosscut sleds are the best… they make things so much easier.. i just have a flimsy one right now, it was probably the first thing i did with the table saw after set up.. i’ve only had the saw for a year now.. i need to build a rigid one soon..

Marc… WTH man?… Your shop is badass! I agree with the previous posters.. we need a tour.. it’s all powermatic up in there. ;D

Thanks for all the hard work that you do editing and filming this stuff.. you do a great service to woodworkers.

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Sean May 1, 2011 7:44 am

Another great video, Marc! And just in time for the kickoff to safety week. I threw together a sled a few years back, but it lacks in some areas. I’m definitely going to make one of these. I’m with a lot of others here, the 5 cut method is new to me, but damn brilliant. I’ve never checked my existing sled with anything more than a square on a cut piece. This will be a huge accuracy improvement. Thanks again!

Sean

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Sven May 1, 2011 7:45 am

I always wondered how to make such cuts with the US-style table saws. Meaning cuts, where the parallel fence isn’t of any use. But I still don’t know how to make angled cuts.

I’m from Germany and here all table saws are delivered with sliding rectangular fence, which often is adjustable with a scale for angled cuts. (usually there’s also an adjustable stop block integrated in the fence which can be flipped forward if needed and recessed when making longer cuts without loosing the reference for later)

This is such a saw, medium price/quality in the hobby segment
http://www.scheppach.com/typo3.....cbddc5.jpg

And this is the smallest from professional high-end manufacturer Altendorf:
http://www.altendorf.de/upload.....hatten.jpg

When using such saws the parallel fence is only of minor importance. Generally it’s just serving as a reference when cutting with the good piece on the right side (which is rather rare). You rest your palms on the rectangular fence, and press the workpiece down with your fingers. It’s very safe because the fence ends some distance before the blade (adjustable for special cuts) and the habit of always keeping your hands on the fence is easy to learn while fool proof. For most cuts there’s also no need to measure, because aforementioned stop block runs on a scale measuring the exact distance to the blade (the left side is the one we wan’t to keep).

On the other hand, the way the parallel fence is used my most woodworkers in US-videos would be a total no-go in Germany (as are dado-blades and some other hazards). In every safety instruction for such machines you learn, that the parallel fence must end before the blade begins. Otherwise the cut-off could be caught between fence and blade, possibly causing damage. But when there’s no fence the cut-off is just pushed to the side. But still the right side of the blade is considered the “dangerous side” and not to be entered while the blade is running.

This is why nobody’s talking about kickback here, it’s just not an issue.

Still wondering about angled cuts in US…?

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- Danny H. May 2, 2011 9:50 am
  
  Sven,
  The sliding panel saws for home owners are only just starting to catch on over here.For many years the cost to a homeowner was just to prohibitive. Within the last five years or so, companies have been manufacturing lower end models for the serious hobbyists and homeowners. I myself own one as I prefer this style for the ease and speed of cutting panel or sheet goods. Businesses have been using the panel saws for many years , but are now gravitating more and more toward CNC machines to process panel goods along with their panel saws. Angled cuts for most hobbyists here are done with a miter saw or for panel stock on another home made or store bought sliding table saw cut off jig….I still can’t understand how the dado blade got nixed there in Europe. Can’t understand what all the fuss is about concerning the safety issues . In my 25 years or so in the woodworking field I’ve had more issues with inaccuracy and safety cutting dadoes with the router than I’ve ever had on the table saw. In my experience cutting dados on the table saw vrs. the router is that the table saw has been faster, safer and more accurate. Europeans just need to get past their industry forced fear of the dado blade.
  
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Tablesawed May 1, 2011 8:46 am

Marc,

Awesome job. Nice tips for aligning, adjusting and using this indispensible add-on to one of the best tools in woodworking. Great tips and presentation.

I see a lot of woodworkers adding all sorts of gizmos to theirs; stops and measurement tape, 45 degree triangles for miter cuts and the like. Seems like the simplest designs are plenty to get the job done.

The only addition to this one you’ve created – for safety – is to add a block of wood behind the fence so that you can’t put your hand there. But, again, great video. Thanks.

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Eric R May 1, 2011 6:21 pm

Thanks Marc.
I made one today to replace my old worn out one.
I’m sending you a picture tomorrow.
Thanks again.
PS: the shop is looking awesome!

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Adam May 1, 2011 9:13 pm

Very informative video Marc!

I have a small addition for people with t-style miter tracks. My table saw is a cheap old Mastercraft contractor saw. It does not have the simple rectangular mitre track like professional table saws. Its track looks like an inverted “T” from the front. Anyone else out there with a similar table saw might have some troubles with the runners.

After trying to make a sled awhile back, I gave up on the runners being inside the miter track and I simply moved them to the outside of the table. Since my saw is relatively small, I made my sled bigger than the table top and added wide runners on the two sides of the table. This bypasses the oddly shaped mitre tracks. I got the idea from a picture on the internet.

Apparently some stores like Lee Valley make special t-shaped runners but I never bothered to look. Home made is cheaper anyways.

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- Tom Buhl May 2, 2011 7:29 am
  
  adam, do you realize how much money I’ve spent on tools (and wood) for a few pieces of furniture in our home? Besides fully furnishing my home from Ikea or Ethan Allen I could also have bought a significant minority stock position in either company for what I’ve spent on tools…and I ain’t done yet.
  
  Just kidding of course. Being in the shop has cut down on my bar tab and probably many other vices.
  
  Nice to hear your solution. As I visualize it a T-track slot still has a “rectangle” that you could use as the track. Or is there some other aspect that I’m missing. My band saw and some other tools have t-track miter slots and seems that a rectangular profile works fine. Though supplied accessory might have a washer type add-on to ride in the slot more securely.
  
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  - Adam May 2, 2011 9:00 pm
    
    I see your point about cost. Haha. Let’s assume solid wood furniture.
    
    The rectangle part of the T-shaped track is there, it’s just really skinny. 3/8ths if I remember correctly. Getting a decent fit was possible, but just not stable enough due to the wider bottom part of the T. Putting the runners on the outside was just so much easier and accurate.
    
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- Floyd Ply April 10, 2016 7:23 pm
  
  Adam,
  I do not know where he got the idea but this is what my son did for our Skil 3310. I got the saw a a Christmas present 2 years ago and shortly thereafter came the sled. Works like a charm.
  
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Thomas May 2, 2011 10:41 am

Hi Marc,
Just one question, why not use a sliding table saw, that completly reduces the need for this cross cut sled, or have I missed something?

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- thewoodwhisperer May 2, 2011 12:01 pm
  
  In the US, sliding table saws just aren’t the norm. You can get them, but they are very expensive and most of our well-known domestic companies don’t even make sliding models. So a cross-cut sled is an inexpensive alternative for those of us with non-sliding saws.
  
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CB May 2, 2011 10:42 pm

Awesome as always!

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Armando Reyes May 3, 2011 10:55 am

Been waiting a long time for this video. Thanks Marc!!!!!

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Scott May 3, 2011 7:41 pm

I went and bought a caliper to see how close my sled is to square. Well I was just .022 in 24″. I have to say that is the most accurate I have EVER been. I would try to tune it finer but I glued the fence in place. Oh well, that means that the next one will be that much better. Thanks Marc for the video.

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- Scott May 3, 2011 9:30 pm
  
  Correction.022/4 or.022 in 96″
  
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Paul May 5, 2011 11:18 am

Great show, thank you for always teaching us great stuff!

I was just curious where you got that sweet black straight edge you used in this episode?

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- thewoodwhisperer May 5, 2011 11:20 am
  
  That one is from Lee Valley: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wo.....,240,45313
  
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Rich Farwell May 5, 2011 10:18 pm

I almost didn’t watch this video (I get them all as podcasts). Having been doing it for 30 plus years, I currently have 8 sleds of different configurations. So what did I need to learn?
Very good video! & I did learn things–especially the squaring trick and the small cut off stop.

I have a woodworking blog, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to link to this video in an upcoming blog post. (The link would send viewers to you to watch…I’m not sophisticated enough to embed videos in my posts.)

http://slowoodworker.wordpress.com/

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- thewoodwhisperer May 6, 2011 7:13 am
  
  Please feel free to link to anything you like Rich. Much appreciated!
  
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Hope design May 7, 2011 1:10 am

Hey Marc, I used too have a sliding carriage on my panel saw! And needless to say they are pretty cool but every time you change a blade you have too recalibrate the fence as the stop measuring track would always be out on a thicker kerfed blade which is a pain in the butt!! But now I don’t gave a saw with a sliding carriage and I think that this carriage would be a great alternative!! Good luck with the new “old” shop! I would love too visit but I live in the uk so it’s not just round the corner ha ha

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Chris May 8, 2011 2:06 pm

I was just curious about the countersinks that you used, where did you get them at?

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- thewoodwhisperer May 8, 2011 2:12 pm
  
  I have to be honest, I really have no idea where I got that set Chris. Sorry.
  
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Brian May 12, 2011 5:54 am

The countersink bits look like the Steelex kind sold on Amazon here. They have various numbered tapers and bits with built in stops.

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1.....B0000DD0OZ

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John May 13, 2011 8:42 am

Hi Marc,
I’m finally building a new sled to replace my old tired one and your video was the kick that I needed!
I notice that in your design, and David’s and William’s, you cut the front fence (closest to the operator) a bit short, leaving a space on either side. Any reason not to make the fence run the full length of the sled, edge-to-edge? I understand that the back fence doesn’t need to be full length since it’s just holding the sled together, but I would think the front fence should be as long as possible.
Thanks!
John

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- thewoodwhisperer May 13, 2011 8:43 am
  
  No reason you can’t bring it out to the edges. Go for it!
  
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Derek Hall May 13, 2011 10:41 am

Thanks for this video — I really need one of these. I think it will make my benchtop table saw more accurate (lousy fence)

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MikeM May 13, 2011 11:22 am

Great video! I actually built a cross-cut sled last year that while it cut square enough, it would bind in the slot. I never could get it right and eventually abandoned it. After watching your video, thanks to the card scraper tip, I think know what I need to do to fix. Thank you!

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Steve N May 13, 2011 12:00 pm

A wonderful tutorial on how to build a simple yet accurate cross cut sled! Thanks Marc

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Gary Hanson May 13, 2011 4:21 pm

I have been using a Festool plunge saw for all my longer cross cuts but after this video I will being building a cross cut sled in the near future.

Thanks Marc.

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Aaron T. May 13, 2011 4:48 pm

I have never had a cross cut sled as I have always had my shop I work for to go to for use of our altendorf sliding saw but I am definitely going to make one of these for my work shop, looks a very good way for nice square cuts.

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Brian May 13, 2011 7:17 pm

I have the wood magazine version of the table sled that I’m still happy with, but happy isn’t good enough. I’m making a new one (a one off) that will have a routed t-slot channel through the back fence for a sliding stop block, but I think I’m leaning towards making a flip down stop block. I’d also like to make a t-slotted rear fence extension to give myself the option of using a stop block on longer pieces. However I still have to figure out how I need to execute that, but I may just put the fence extension on a hinge that falls just short of the block that will act as a blade guard on the back of the sled.

I’ll just sit down with my drafting notebook and draw out what I want and make it happen.

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Rob May 13, 2011 7:38 pm

Awesome. Building one tonight. Thanks!

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Jim Batchelder May 13, 2011 8:02 pm

I will be building this ASAP. Thanks Mark

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TennesseeYankee May 13, 2011 9:45 pm

Marc,

Great video. Very helpful. I will follow you technique the next time I build one.

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TennesseeYankee May 13, 2011 9:46 pm

Marc, Where do you buy the type of plywood you used?

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- thewoodwhisperer May 14, 2011 6:38 am
  
  Just about any hardwood dealer that sells a nice variety of plywood should carry baltic birch. I picked mine up from Spellman Hardwoods.
  
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Ross Ekberg May 14, 2011 6:13 am

The crosscut sled really seems to be a great idea for the workshop. For my last project, I just slapped a couple of pieces of hardwood to my miter fence, which did serve its purpose, albeit not as safely as it should have been. I intend to either build or purchase a cross cut sled. I see that Rockler makes a couple of different crosscut sleds. The reviews seem great and the features of the sleds are very nice. I guess I have to determine whether or not I need such features and whether to get something professionally made or if my poor craftsmanship would suffice :-)

Great video!

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rick May 14, 2011 8:22 am

What a very informative video on the sled..Ia think I will make one very soon…Great job as all your videos always are..

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BladeRuiner May 14, 2011 5:20 pm

Marc,
I really liked the video..
Have you considered having a jig video category…
It could step up the productivity / accuracy for all of us.
I would especially like to see a jig for creating dovetails on the table saw…

Blade

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Thomas May 15, 2011 8:14 am

I have one already, but your fence set up is going to make me revisit mine.

Thanks

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Eric May 15, 2011 9:52 am

This is going to be first on my list once i get setup.
Thanks.

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Brian May 15, 2011 3:38 pm

Another great video Marc. I really like the method you use to adjust your fence after setting it. I am kinda wondering what the accumulative error on my current sled is. I might have to do the 5 cut test and build a new one :)

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Sean McGilvray May 15, 2011 5:42 pm

I have not seen that before but will be building mine this next weekend.

Thanks you

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Oliman May 16, 2011 1:07 am

I had in mind to build the box joint jig but I will first build this one. Thanks for the ricks you give to use it more safely.

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William L May 18, 2011 5:18 pm

Great work Marc! I love all the details.

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John McAuliffe May 21, 2011 3:25 pm

Thanks for the great video on the cross cut sled. Made one out of 3/4″ ply because it is all I had and it works great just a little bit heavy.
Thanks Again
John

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Howard May 23, 2011 6:59 pm

Thanks Marc,
I should make a new cross cut sled, I’ve used the old one for too many jobs. Every thing from simple straight cuts to angled cuts to box joints!
My question is: can I just have interchangeable decks/backfence that I can slip on to the old sled, or would you suggest having multiple sleds?
btw, I used UHMW for my runner and they have held up very nice.

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- thewoodwhisperer May 23, 2011 7:06 pm
  
  Hey Howard. I’m sure there is a design out there that would allow for interchangeable fences and inserts, but that would take some careful designing. I would love to see something like that.
  
  Reply
Matt May 27, 2011 6:33 am

Marc,
Like the others above, I wanted to thank you for the informative video on squaring your crosscut sled fence using the 5 cut method. I tried it last night on my sled and found the same error you did – my offcut was narrower at the front end and wider at the rear. What I’m writing you about is the fact that I think you demonstrated moving the fence in the wrong direction to correct the error. You state that moving the left side of the fence TOWARD you (essentially pivoting it in a counterclockwise direction)will make the offcut thicker at the front, when in effect it will make it thinner. What that will do is make the non – offcut piece thicker at the front. To correct the error, you should be moving the fence away from you, which can still be accomplished easily. simply clamp your stop block in place with the appropriate feeler gage between the block and the fence. Then remove the fence screw and feeler gage and clamp the fence to the stop block. This effectively moves the fence the distance of the thickness of the feeler gage.

I hope I’m not wrong here, as I don’t want to confuse anyone, but I thought it was important enough to bring to your attention.

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- Gabriel Traske February 26, 2012 3:40 pm
  
  I just followed your video in building my own cross-cut sled, and I am thrilled with the results. Thank you! I’m especially grateful for the short demo at the end of the video showing how to use the sled for repeated cuts and how to use it with the table-saw fence.
  
  I have to agree with Matt, who suggested that you moved the fence in the wrong direction at 11:05 in the video. Moving the left side of the fence back causes the front end of the cut-off scrap to become skinnier, not fatter. I picture this by imagining an exaggerated move of the fence, like for a 30 degree miter cut. The scrap on the right side of the blade would be a triangle, skinny at the front, and fat at the back.
  
  I actually followed what you said first, putting my sled even further out of adjustment, before going the opposite direction to correct it. No problem–the only result is a couple of empty screw-holes on the underside of the sled.
  
  I suspect your first attempt was so close to square that other imperfections in the materials or the saw account for your seeing an improvement with the “wrong adjustment.”
  
  Reply
Chris May 27, 2011 8:09 am

Thanks Marc–Great video

I’ll be making some tweaks to my sled–I need to work on the alignment.

Aslo the small piece jig is pretty smart!

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Mikey June 7, 2011 9:01 pm

After watching I took my old crosscut sled out and re-jiggered it.
Thanks. It now cuts much more accurately. Those tips on readjusting the fence were terrific. Well done Mark.

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Andrew June 16, 2011 7:08 pm

your video have solved a good number of puzzles that I have for my crosscut sled.

Now I am ready to build my first crosscut sled.

Thank you so much, Marc!!!

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Kevin June 17, 2011 3:05 pm

Another great video. Getting together supplies for my own custom sled on my 10″ table saw. I can’t wait to see how much enjoyable it is to use. One question I have is in regards to using the HDO boards for the fences- the stores around me don’t stock this stuff. I wonder if I could use some 3/4″ plywood and layer it between 2 pieces of “hardboard”, masonite? This would give me that added smoothness to each side. How to join the layers together is another question I’d have. I’ve still got much to learn so any help here would be a great benefit. Thanks everyone.

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- Tom Buhl June 17, 2011 5:14 pm
  
  I use a sandwich of two 3/4 inch baltic birch plywood. Seems a little grip is a good thing for this fence, as pieces are not supposed to slide easily as you are making a cut (unlike the rip fence). Hardboard doesn’t seem like a good idea. I used one or two coats of shellac or thinned varnish on my sled. Wax the bed on occasion, but not the fence.
  
  Reply
  - Kevin June 18, 2011 9:16 am
    
    Great insight Tom, thanks!
    
    Reply
- thewoodwhisperer June 18, 2011 8:23 am
  
  What Tom said. I would probably skip the hardboard and just go with the ply sandwich. And even thought he HDO has a relatively hard resin surface, it still has better grip characteristics than hardboard would.
  
  Reply
  - Kevin June 18, 2011 9:21 am
    
    Excellent information. You definitely have the better perspective on the matter so I’ll go with the given advice.
    
    Hopefully by next weekend I’ll have something to share.
    
    Reply
Mike June 18, 2011 11:00 am

Marc,

I just found your site a week or so ago and think i have watched every video by now. I am a fairly new woodworker and your site has helped me tremendously. I created a cross cut sled off your video that i though i would share the result. I think it turned out great and learning the 5 cut method helps re-assure me that i’m getting a square cut on it.

http://mikeshobbyblog.blogspot.....-sled.html

Thanks Again…

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Kevin Washburn June 23, 2011 5:15 pm

Update: I said I would post a picture after I got my sled completed. Well, here we go! The link is below.

I had a great time building it. Between work and kids I hoped to be done by this weekend. Looks like I am a day ahead of schedule. I actually had a unique problem with my build. My 10″ table saw, gifted to me by my father-in-law, only had 5/8″ miter slots. At only 1/4″ deep they didn’t leave much for viable options for quality runners. I would up using 5/8″ square hard stock and routing a 3/8″ dado on the underside of the sled. Made my stock squares fit like a glove. This also gave the added beef to the runners I was looking for since my miter slots were only 5/8″ wide. Maybe someone else encounters the same problem and needs a fix.

http://i1022.photobucket.com/a...../photo.jpg

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Raymond July 9, 2011 7:45 pm

Mark, when adjusting the fence, how do you decide where to place the feeler gauge?
The closer you place the gauge to the remaining screw (pivot point) the greater the adjustment. (I think)

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- Raymond July 9, 2011 7:47 pm
  
  BTW Great sled and terrific 5 cut test.
  
  Reply
- thewoodwhisperer July 9, 2011 8:29 pm
  
  I just put my feeler gauge out toward the end of the sled. Seemed like a good place for it. You are right though, if you bring the gauge closer to the pivot point the adjustment will be greater. Something to keep in mind if you just need to move it a hair.
  
  Reply
  - Eamonn July 13, 2011 7:52 am
    
    Regarding the placement of the feeler gauge to adjust the fence, am I correct in thinking that the distance over which the error is measured (i.e. the length of the board) should be the same distance from the pivot screw to the gauge? So in Mark’s case a .005 feeler would be placed 24″ from the pivot…
    
    Reply
    - thewoodwhisperer July 13, 2011 7:55 am
      
      That was the logic I operated under. Based on how close it got me to the perfect result, I think its probably a safe bet to do it that way.
Julian July 12, 2011 7:25 pm

The 5 cut method is new to me also. Really interesting vidoe. Thanks for posting these videos on line. I really enjoy them and have learned a lot.

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JohnT July 29, 2011 3:11 am

Thanks to your vid I built a new sled to replace my smaller one. I hit a snag after screwing in the runners though, I couldn’t get the platform to move. The solution? Remove the clamp I was using to hold it in place while screwing in the screws. Duh! I did find a new use for the back fence, which might be old news, but I found a spreader clamp or two helped fill in the space between the back fence and work piece, and kept my large board from racking. Thanks for another great video.

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John Kenyon July 30, 2011 9:57 am

Marc,

when you re-do the test, do you have to find and use a new 2×2 square sheet, or can you square up the one from the first test and measure it to get the total board length for the error calculation. I was thinking you would not want to start with the old board from the first test since you would be starting with error built in. Thanks for the video!!

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- thewoodwhisperer July 30, 2011 7:56 pm
  
  Hey John. You could certainly use a new piece, but you could also just change the calculation to reflect the shorter workpiece. And even if you don’t, your results really won’t be that far off.
  
  Reply
Brian August 4, 2011 9:38 pm

Like many here, I just learned of 5-cut method also. Clearly a great way to multiple and easily measure the error. What I personally found more exciting was the method you used to adjust the back fence once the error was measured – Feelers and a stop block; gotta love it!
Along these lines I thought I’d share with you and others my adaptation of your 5-cut method and the feeler adjustment technique. A frustration of mine has been getting my miter gauge dialed in super well. So rather than do a 5-cut on a hunk of plywood, I just wacked off a strip from a 1×8 scrap of pine. I suppose you could call it the 2-cut method. Now the error is not multiplied like it is with the 5-cut on a 2’x2′ piece of plywood but in my case it turned up enough error even over the 8″ to warrant adjustment. Using your feeler gauge method, I clamped a long board across the table saw with the miter fence firmly against it. Then loosened the bolts on the miter gauge for adjustment, slid in the appropriate feeler gauge between the fence and the clamped board on the appropriate end- (I did 1/2 of the measured error – front to back on the cut strip) – then while pressing the miter gauge firmly against the feeler and block, tightened the adjustment bolts.

With just one iteration I reduced the error down to about 1/1000 over the 8″ length of pine. In my case, as you’d say – “good ‘nuf”. I’m typically making short cuts so it’s really quite exceptional for my needs.

Sorry for the overly descriptive narrative. Just got pretty stoked about having the miter gauge tuned up as nicely as the sled.

Your tool tuning videos are second to none and have brought much joy to the workshop. Now maybe I can stop giving out trapezoidal boxes for gifts. Next time I’m in AZ, beers are on me.
thanks very much Marc!

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Tommy August 5, 2011 3:47 pm

Marc,

What purpose does the second fence serve? Im sure it’s there for some reason, but i didnt see it get used at all…

-Tommy (who is getting his first table saw this weekend!)

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- thewoodwhisperer August 5, 2011 4:28 pm
  
  It helps stabilize the structure. And if the platform is ever cut completely from front to back, it will still be usable.
  
  Reply
Izzy October 7, 2011 8:27 pm

Marc,
Great sled and great video! For cutting precise miters are there additions to your sled that you can describe?
Thanks!

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- thewoodwhisperer October 8, 2011 8:14 am
  
  Not really. For 90 degree cuts, I like a sled to be locked down permanently. For miters, I would create a new sled with 45 degree fences.
  
  Reply
Rafael October 22, 2011 6:38 pm

As a beginner I thank you for sharing your craft, you are an excellent teacher! … Slick!

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bob herald October 24, 2011 10:00 am

the countersink bits…..noticed the name Rockler on it but cannot find them on Rocklers web site. I am in the market for a new set. nice work on the video as always

bob herald

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- thewoodwhisperer October 24, 2011 10:26 am
  
  Hey Bob. I can’t find them on Rockler’s site anymore either. If i were in the market today, I might try these bad boys: http://www.leevalley.com/US/ha.....1306,41328
  
  Reply
Greg V November 24, 2011 11:56 pm

Thanks Marc! I made this sled over the weekend and LOVE using it. I had always felt a little nervous making certain cuts with my table saw, and this feels 10x safer. Hoping to remain in the ten-finger club…

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Dan Roscigno January 4, 2012 6:30 pm

Thanks for explaining the 5 cut method. I was asking a friend about crosscut sleds and he sent me here to learn about the 5 cut for tuning my sled. Have a good one,
Dan

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bob herald January 22, 2012 1:30 pm

hello mark. hope all is well. i have a couple questions about the crosscut sled….

1. how did you mark the fences for the curve? i seem not to have the correct curve profile. probably need to buy another.

2. what chamfer did you use for the edges of the fence?

many thanks for the assistance

bob herald

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- thewoodwhisperer January 22, 2012 1:38 pm
  
  Bey Bob. There’s really nothing special to the curve. Purely decorative. But like most of my small curves I use a standard French curve for the profile.
  
  And the chamfer, if I remember correctly is actually a small roundover. Probably 1/8″. The details are a little fuzzy but again, not a crucial detail. Just want to make it easy on the hands.
  
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dmishler51 February 4, 2012 5:23 am

Hi Mark, great Vid. I wonder if you have given any thought into using a sacrificial kerf section so the same sled could be used for dados, diferent thickness blades and angled cuts.
Love the site
Dave

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- thewoodwhisperer February 4, 2012 8:58 am
  
  No but that’s a very cool idea!
  
  Reply
Kevin February 13, 2012 9:50 pm

Does the 24×24 piece of wood that your use to do the 4 cut method need to be square to start with?

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- thewoodwhisperer February 13, 2012 10:37 pm
  
  Nope. Just straight on one edge. That’s the edge you start with against the sled’s fence.
  
  Reply
Roberto February 14, 2012 11:55 am

Thanks for your excelent video. It was the best in internet concerning cross-cut-sled.
From SP Brazil

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bob herald February 16, 2012 3:00 pm

ok. I now have a screaming headache trying to figure out which way to move the rear fence if the final cut is not the same width…..could you help with this ie…if the front is wider than the back, pivot the fence CW or CCW. If the front is thinner than the back, pivot the fence CW of CCW. Sorry, i am having a hard time visualizing this.
thanks for the help. In the meantime, i am going to take some Advil

bob

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- Marc Spagnuolo March 11, 2013 6:00 pm
  
  If the front is thicker than the back, pivot the fence counter clockwise. Or in other words, bring the left side of the fence back a bit.
  
  Reply
bob herald February 23, 2012 1:16 pm

looks like my question got lost in the site upgrade. after i cut the kerf in the sled, as i move the sled sometimes the blade will travel with it. i just finished realigning the saw so i am pretty sure the blade is parallel to the miter slots. just wondering if you had any ideas on what could be causing this. sorry for the probably dumb question… on the plus side, the sled does make perfectly square cuts. hope all is well

bob herald

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- thewoodwhisperer February 23, 2012 6:45 pm
  
  Well sometimes it can be just the nature of things. Over time, you’ll find that the kerf widens. Could be blade runout or a blade isn’t perfectly flat. Unless its moving in a dramatic way, it probably isn’t too big of a concern.
  
  Reply
David March 9, 2012 7:29 am

Regarding the 5-cut test, does the piece of ply have to start off being perfectly square? If it does, what is the best way to get it perfectly square to start with?

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- thewoodwhisperer March 9, 2012 8:06 am
  
  Nope. Just one side needs to be straight and that side goes against the fence for the first cut.
  
  Reply
Gary T March 27, 2012 4:43 am

Recently started back to my woodworking,and found your site searching for some info.I found so much more than I had anticipated.Thank You so very much.I have made a few jigs already,the true up is a real help.I have found a good source for my runners,justed wanted to share.I found an end cut piece of Corian contertop,and use that to make my runners.It can be worked with regular blades,and doesnt take on the effects of seasom
nal distortion.It can be threaded to use bolts instead of screws.It slides very well,no sqeaks or hangups.Just wanted to share.

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- Greg June 13, 2013 3:35 pm
  
  Gary, when you attached the corian runners to the sled did you just predrill or tap as well?
  
  Reply
Bob March 30, 2012 12:56 pm

Can’t use guards when using cross cut sled I am guessing? I would have not problems doing that at home but not at school with my kids.

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- thewoodwhisperer March 30, 2012 1:09 pm
  
  you can always build a guard into the sled.
  
  Reply
Ed Lewis June 14, 2012 2:32 pm

Is there a way to make an expandable sled by adding removable runners to the sides? That would be ideal for storage issues, which I have and am always looking for new ways to get more than one function out of everything.

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- thewoodwhisperer June 14, 2012 2:43 pm
  
  I’m sure there is a way. But I don’t know what that is. :)
  
  Reply
Chuck Kimes July 2, 2012 6:58 pm

Thanks Marc, I just discovered TWW last month and you have been very reassuring to me as a novice wood worker who is just getting his shop started. I started building my sled today and had read about the design in one of my books, I discussed the design with the olde men in my wood working club and the all objected to the size saying it was too big. The local franchise wood working store owner also objected and with teary eyes said, “just buy a Festool”. Sure I have that kind of money just laying around! Your dimensions and suggestions matched the authors design from the book and now I am proceeding with new confidence. Thanks much!

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guitarchitect July 10, 2012 8:59 pm

lame question but, what kind of screws are you using? I was making my sled with a melamine base and maple runners/fences. Have had a heck of a time getting the screws to go in cleanly, even after drilling an 1/8″ pilot hole (for a #8 screw). Thinking of starting over, with the all-ply construction! I’m definitely noticing the melamine is slippery, hehe… but the maple fence is pretty nice! But the darn screws are nearly impossible to get in… are you using drywall screws??

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- thewoodwhisperer July 11, 2012 8:43 am
  
  I use wood screws (robertson/square drive) from McFeely’s: http://www.mcfeelys.com/
  
  Keep in mind the problem could very well just be the melamine itself. The stuff really doesn’t hold a screw very well.
  
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Luis L. August 20, 2012 5:35 am

Thanks for making this video very well organized. So I have a question, is there a ratio that dictates the max size of your sled. I have a small Ryobi 10 inch table saw, and I am afraid that if I make the sled it will not be functional. I am not a fully time wood worker, but I do projects from time to time, and I thinking of making some cabinets for my garage.

Thanks,

Luis

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- thewoodwhisperer August 20, 2012 6:16 am
  
  I would say make it as big as the saw can handle. By that I mean as long as it is stable, it is usable. You might try cutting a few different sizes of plywood and see how well it balances on the surface. I don’t know if there is a particular ratio that works but it is usually pretty clear when something is too large or too small for the saw surface.
  
  Reply
Mike August 21, 2012 9:58 am

Hey Marc, thanks for the video. Just found your site. Inspired! For your crosscut sled, I have noticed that many designs have a front (away from the operator) fence. What is the purpose of the front fence?
Thanks!

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- thewoodwhisperer August 21, 2012 11:12 am
  
  Usually it just helps keep the sled together. The cut at the front goes all the way through. So without it, the two halves will flip flop around. The front fence keeps everything nice and rigid.
  
  Reply
Mike August 21, 2012 10:04 am

Just read your answer to this question previously asked.
Thanks

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Sean Rubino September 7, 2012 4:43 pm

A quick update on my sled. Since I made my last sled after this video was released, the plywood I used for the base had warped and it was throwing off my accuracy. Since I moved and now have a larger space I felt it was time to remake the sled. I watched William Ng’s video and used the formula he gave. After several rounds of cutting and adjusting, my new sled is accurate to 0.00028″ over 15″! Wow! My last sled was accurate to about 0.02″ over 19″ so this is a huge improvement (100 x’s better). Thanks again for the videos and the teaching.

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Jamie Lennox November 12, 2012 7:53 pm

This past summer I constructed the crosscut sled design described by John McCormack in his cover story, “The Ultimate Crosscut Sled,” (August, 2008). I fondly call it “the Stealth Bomber,” since it resembles the aircraft’s shape and the sled is quite “bomber,” meaning dead-accurate. A couple of problems with the Bomber arose while preparing to build it: I wouldn’t be able to repeatedly cut workpieces longer than five feet and the 3/4″ mdf sled would be heavy, creating a storage issue. So to address the first obstacle, I decided to add a telescoping flip stop to the Kreg Top Trak. The telescope slides out from a rabbet in the back of the fence trapped between the hard maple and plywood back fence and is locked in position with a Festool clamp. The Kreg Top Trak, adhesive rule tape & flip stop makes crosscutting a dream.

After a bit of pondering a storage solution, I traced the sled on the 4′ x 8′ outfeed table at the opposite far corner from the table saw and cut out an embedded and lockable Stealth Bomber hangar or docking station that makes the sled flush with the table saw top & puts the sled’s fence completely out of the way of the saw’s ripping path. The lock is a fixed piece in one of the sled’s many oval hand holds on the sled’s outer perimeter.

No need to develop a hernia by lifting the Bomber’s heft off the table saw, just slide it around the outfeed table and land it down into the hangar. The bomber’s hangar also keeps the sled from being bumped out of square or damaged by lifting it off the saw and placing it elsewhere. I squared the fence to the blade once and I have not had to tune it up since.

In addition to McCormack’s adjustable sawhorse supporting the sled on the saw’s left flank, I also use a five-foot infeed rip support located on the right side of the sled’s runner. I am able to safely crosscut 37 inches.

I can now quickly, repeatedly and accurately crosscut cabinet parts and trim work. Set-up time takes about a minute. John McCormack’s ultimate shop-made sled is by far the best of its kind and well worth the time it takes to build.

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Phil Gibbs December 6, 2012 3:43 pm

Hi marc
well, there certainly is a ship load of stuff out there about making and using a sled however…..man YOU nailed it. Right from the get go I found your demo and explanation spot on. Squaring up the main fence in particular seemed so logical and uncomplicated. I think I will be incorporating some form of blade guard as I’ve still got my ‘ten’ and want to keep it that way!!

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Scott Camacho December 6, 2012 3:46 pm

I’m starting this project tonight. Need it for some picture frames I’m going to build for Christmas gifts.

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Steve December 22, 2012 3:33 am

Hi Mark. Very usefull and practical jig. I vsit your site very often. Gives me great ideas and technics. But I need some help for this jig. My table saw has T tracks. Is there a way to make runners for it (no T track runners available in Greece) such to be steady for straight cutting?
Many thanks and merry Christmas.
Steve from Greece (Europe)

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Brandon December 24, 2012 6:15 pm

I wish I had a sled like this when building custom cabinet doors in my old house. I’ll add this to my list of tools to make in 2013. Is there a mitre sled video available?

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Michael Wilson December 30, 2012 8:43 am

It’s time. Today. I’ve said “if I only had a sled” too many times.

Problem: The miter slots on my table saw have a lip in them. I’m considering just grinding them down (they’re really just tabs molded in to the table so that’s doable), but that’s a one way trip. The only alternative I see is cutting full length rabbets on the rails, which seems beyond me quite frankly.

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Fred Mackey January 2, 2013 10:47 am

I am an old guy who is just getting started( haven’t done any woodworking since HS). I found this site and video for the first time today. It is very comprehensive and user friendly for the beginner. I plan to utilize it a lot. Thanks!

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freddyaudiophile January 3, 2013 6:05 am

Ok, so I’ve watched this video no less than 19 times over the last few months… and built a few of these sleds for different purposes. Since I do mostly “small work” (like jewelry boxes, pencil/business card holders), my main sled is a smaller version of this one, at 24″ wide x 20″ deep. Due to its size, I opted for a single oak runner in the left miter slot that resides in a dado on the sled bottom (1/2″ Baltic Birch ply). When cutting strips for these sleds (I built 3 versions in all), I cut them off some 6 foot long oak boards that I had laying around from another project. I did a test fit on one of the strips and it was a good fit; snug but not loose, significantly better than the UHMW strips from Lee Valley. For some reason, the runner on my small sled has a very, very, very slight bit of play in it while the others fit more snugly. My miter slot measures 0.762″ while the runner ranges from 0.753″ to 0.756″. Should I be concerned enough to recut another runner? If I do, I am concerned about it messing up the alignment on the saw kerf already in the sled, which is from a brand new 60T DeWalt 10″ blade. The way I build things (with glue, umpteen brad nails and a screw every 2″ or so), I don’t want to have to beat the sled apart to fix the runner and realign everything. I doubt I could beat the thing apart now with a 20 lb maul…

I guess I always could plane down another runner for the other miter slot, making sure it was just a bit below the saw table top, and screw it onto the bottom of the sled.

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- Riley Rasmussen February 2, 2013 9:40 am
  
  Freddy if it were my sled I would just rip another runner for the right side, seems a lot easier than ripping it all apart and trying to keep the exact kerf line. I’m going to build two sleds today if I can get away for a a little while.
  
  Reply
Ron March 4, 2013 10:32 am

Great video on sleds. Its just what i was looking for! just yesterday i was having to lay a beautiful yellow cedar table top over the blade while lowered then bring it up slowly ,cutting through the top THEN push it through. A little risky but it worked. Marks video was the perfect explanation and fix for me to make my own sled. Finally! I know ive needed one for a long time. Thanks Woodwhisperer! I think your the best.

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Jersey Jeff March 9, 2013 12:25 am

Getting ready to finally build one of my own and have a two questions for you and everyone else out there:

1) Any disadvantage in using metal (aluminium) pre-made runners that fit in the miter slots of my saw? My shop is in my garage and during the summer it can get very humid in there (hey, I live in Jersey, okay!) while in the cooler months it’s much drier. With metal runners I wouldn’t have to worry about wood movement making the runners bind up or shrinking to become too loose.

2) I was thinking about using my router to cut a T-slot horizontally along the back fence so I could attach stop blocks when needed or perhaps even a hold-down or two. I’ve never seen anyone do this, though it seems such an obvious idea. Any drawback in doing that?

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- Marc Spagnuolo March 9, 2013 9:06 am
  
  Hey Jeff. I know some folks who have used the metal runners and they seem to love them. As long as you have them adjusted perfectly, they should work quite well. And T-slots are a great idea. Many folks do that on their sleds. A great upgrade!
  
  Reply
  - Andrew Fleck May 20, 2013 6:38 am
    
    I think you could still use the feeler gauge method when moving the fence forward on the left side. You could place the feeler gauge in position and move the clamping block to it and then clamp down. Remove the feeler gauge and then the screw holding your fence on the left side. You should be able to move the fence forward until it contacts the stop block which is set back the distance of your correction by the feeler gauge. Maybe I am missing something but it seems like it should work.
    
    Reply
Nick April 18, 2013 10:09 am

A word of warning here – the adjustment that Marc makes is the exact opposite to that of William Ng (search YouTube for his excellent cross cut sled video).

After multiple passes trying to adjust my sled (via feeler gauge and dial indicator methods), I ended up being more accurate just using my combination square to set the fence than all the adjustments I tried to make. I put a piece of hardboard in the kerf slot, aligned my square and fence and screwed it down. Im certainly no where near as accurate as Marc or William Ng, but I spent way too long on this jig as it is. :-)

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- Marc Spagnuolo April 18, 2013 10:13 am
  
  I actually updated the text under the video to reflect this information. Look for “Important Note” above. :)
  
  Reply
Shannon Huber April 26, 2013 10:56 pm

The easiest and best way to square a sled is to go buy 2 cheap plastic 90 degree squares at a hobby or craft store, screw down one end of the fence, then put the squares against both sides of the blade and the fence. When there are no gaps, screw down the other end. Clamp down if you need to move it back to screw down, just don’t pull back on the fence, push from the other end of the sled so you don’t accidentally move the fence before you set a screw in the other end. Make a cut, make sure it is square, then put in the remaining screws. I did a you tube video on this with Incra sliders and a Kreg fence that really makes a nice sled.

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John6598 April 29, 2013 10:02 am

This is probably a niggle, as I am sure that the five cut method does work perfectly adequately (especially over several passes) but, as someone with a mathematical mind, could I make a couple of observations?

The first is that assuming the test square has one straight edge to start with, why not simply use four cuts? As far as I can see, all the first cut does is straighten that edge, it does not affect the angles in the final board after four cuts.

The second is that you, correctly, say that the final result (after dividing by 4) is the offset over, in your case, 24″. My test board is a little narrower so mine is over 15″. But I can’t use this offset directly on the fence without adjusting it to the distance between the feeler gauges and the pivot screw for the fence. If my offset is over 15″ and my fence is 30″, then I have to double the offset selected by the feeler gauges. This stage seems to be missing for you.

Don’t take this the wrong way, I love your videos and have some of your DVD’s, but my OCD brain worries about stuff like this.

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John6598 April 29, 2013 10:09 am

Michael,

Why not cut your rails slightly narrower so that they ride inside the lips instead of taking the full width at the bottom? That’s what I do with all my jigs and it works fine for me.

John

(Mods, sorry to post this twice, but the first time I didn’t have it set as a “reply” so it wasn’t connected with Michael’s post. Please delete the other one.

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Skogie1 June 23, 2013 6:46 am

I find that my sled doesn’t slide as smoothly as I would like. It’s not binding, I took care of that, but I’d like to try and get it to move a little more slickly. For a base I used an oak veneer plywood. I’m thinking of putting some varethane on it. Any thoughts or comments? Good idea, bad idea? Thanks.

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- Marc Spagnuolo June 23, 2013 7:10 am
  
  Have you waxed the bottom and runners?
  
  Reply
Steve Roberts August 5, 2013 3:35 pm

I just wanted to thank you for your very clear and well-paced videos.

I inherited a home wood shop from my father when he passed a few years ago, and am finally getting to confidence to take up woodworking as a hobby. I never had the time (or frankly, the inclination, as I was into plastic model kits) to learn at my father’s knee, but I always had respect for him and his sense of precision. He was a machinist, and an inspector at that.

So thanks again, Marc, and I look forward to seeing more of your videos.

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Eric August 5, 2013 4:57 pm

I use mine EVERY time I’m in the shop!

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David Misita August 7, 2013 11:16 am

I’ve made two of these so far, and both have had the same error regardless of how I adjusted them. It worked out to around 1/8″ over 96 inches. 0.015 in per foot. I used the 0.015 in feeler gauge, and adjusted without getting any better result. Definitely not on the order of 0.001 per foot or so. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. Could this mean that my fence is actually square, but my blade is not perfectly square to the miter slot? Admittedly I’ve only checked it with a square and a dial gauge.

I’m new to woodworking, and I’m really trying to be more precise. 1/8th of an inch over 8 feet isn’t the end of the world, but I want to do better.

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- Marc Spagnuolo August 8, 2013 8:01 am
  
  It’s hard to say for sure what’s going on David. Obviously if you move the fence, something has to change. If it doesn’t change, then you either didn’t move the fence as much as you think you did or your measuring of the error is off. The goal of this exercise is to get you as accurate as you can be. But sometimes a method like this results in frustration because our ability to measure may exceed our ability to adjust. So it sounds like you may have hit the point where it’s as good as it’s going to get. My suggestion is to start using it. If you want to make yourself feel a little better, cut a 6″ wide board on it and take a square to it. See if you notice it being off at all. If you don’t see it, then it isn’t there. :) Bottom line is if it doesn’t impact your work in any measurable way, then there is no reason to chase better those thousandths.
  
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- James D. August 15, 2013 1:14 pm
  
  Could it have something to do with how far or close to the point of cut and point of pivot the adjustment was made. Since you’re pulling one end of the fence forward or back, a 1.0mm adjustment at one point equated to a larger displacement down the line. Right?
  
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- Kirk Lund August 31, 2013 10:25 pm
  
  David, If you take a 24″ X 24″ and a 24″ X 6″ you would come up with the same 0.030 off at 24″ but one is 36″ less of board length cut. It’s not the board feet that your dividing it’s the degrees of the angle from 90 your off. 90 X 4 = 360 degrees.
  
  So here is how to figure it,
  Take the width at top minus width at bottom divide by 4 (the degrees of each corner) divide the length of 5th cut (if you had a 24″ log peace at first cut 2 and 4 made it shorter so measure it) times length of pivot point to end of fence were your going to make your adjustment at equals what you need to adjust by.
  1.25 – 1.22 / 4 / 23.5 x 30 = 0.00957……. or 0.010 rounded off
  1.22 – 1.25 / 4 / 23.5 x 30 = -0.00957…….or 0.010 rounded off
  If it is 0.00957 then the fence is to close to the blade and if it is -0.00957 then it is to far from the blade. I would also suggest to use the corner of a board to clamp down to use with the feller gauge to keep from any miss hap from happening.
  
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Ed Mills August 7, 2013 1:50 pm

Your design and demo are simple enough. However, I first attempted birch plywood. Rear fence warped slightly. Next I tried Baltic Birch plywood. Everything was great until rear fence 5-cut method did not seem to be working correctly. Slight warp in BBPW as well.
Wonder if I could try to laminate BBPW on either side of a piece of MDF. Other thought is to add a piece of aluminum angle to rear side of fence, making sure to cut a wide curf where the saw blade exits rear of sled.
Any other suggestions.
Ed

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- Marc Spagnuolo August 7, 2013 2:37 pm
  
  I am actually going to try an aluminum fence on my next sled for this very reason. It can be quite tricky to get a thick fence that is truly flat. So aluminum seems like a great option especially with the variety of attachments available that would lock into the tracks.
  
  Reply
  - Ed Mills August 9, 2013 12:23 pm
    
    I was just asking Rockler about Baltic birch plywood characteristics. They will be getting in a shipment of 3/4″ phenolic plywood.
    Do you think that there is a way to glue up several pieces to get a 2″ thick fence? I would need a 1/2″ piece in between to get 2″ thickness. Problem, what adhesive would stick to phenolic service?
    Is it necessary to allow plywood to acclimate to my shop before working with it?
    Thanks
    Ed
    
    Reply
    - Mad Hungarian October 24, 2016 11:10 pm
      
      I was able to get some 1″ baltic birch plywood that’s fairly flat, for my fence. And then i’m planning to clamp my heavy 36″ (Lee Valley) steel straightedge to the fence to make sure it’s flat while i screw in all the screws. Once all the screws are in, presumably the fence will stay flat enough.
David Misita August 9, 2013 1:00 pm

Just found a really cool cross-cut sled plan which allows for dados and box jig alignment. It only uses one miter slot, so it’s more of a shooting board design, and won’t be quite as accurate, but the dado feature is very nice.

http://www.woodsmithshop.com/d.....utsled.pdf

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Jim Maddry August 28, 2013 8:37 am

Could you provide information about the drill and countersink used in the table saw sled video? I would like to purchase one like it.

Thank you.

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- Marc Spagnuolo August 28, 2013 10:08 am
  
  I purchased it a long time ago and can’t recall exactly where I purchased it. It was either Rockler or Lee Valley and neither one of them seem to carry that exact set. As long as you don’t buy the cheapest stuff on the market and you get a set with a stop collar, you should be in good shape.
  
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- David Misita August 28, 2013 5:31 pm
  
  Rockler’s Pro-Taper countersink bits are the closest thing I found. Unfortunately, they sell each size individually between $20 and $30 a piece. But, it seems a heck of a lot more stable than most of the other options out there. I’m probably going to upgrade to it because my set falls out of the adapter too frequently.
  
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Dave J August 28, 2013 5:01 pm

Dude I commend you on your patience w/some of these replies. It’s an odd flaw in human nature, this need to always find fault in the work of others. I’m new to woodworking so I have little if any skill but should I ever get my accuracy to the point where I’m only 1/8in. off at 8 feet, I will consider myself on the money.

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- David Misita August 28, 2013 5:45 pm
  
  For perspective, 1/8th of an inch is the width of a full kerf saw blade. If you are cutting something long that you want to square up without being able to see daylight through it, accuracy counts. Even though you won’t be cutting anything eight feet long in a cross-cut, you still want to strive for accuracy. In this case, because of the error I kept getting, I discovered that my saw blade was out of alignment even though I thought it was parallel to the miter slot.
  
  I would suggest that when you are starting anything new, your goal should never be mediocrity. You may eventually have to settle for it, but at least arrive there because it’s the limit of your ability, not the limit of your imagination.
  
  To paraphrase someone else’s comment, “When I strive for perfection, I usually wind up with good ’nuff. When I strive for good ’nuff, I usually wind up with a total disaster.”
  
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Sam September 22, 2013 2:23 am

I’d like to hear what you have to say, but I have a hard time catching it while that clown music is playing at the same time as your voiceover. No need for that music.

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- Marc Spagnuolo September 22, 2013 6:40 am
  
  I actually like to use music under my voiceovers because I do feel there’s a need for it. I’m sorry it’s so distracting to you personally. But as long as the voice is loud enough and dominant in the final mix, I see nothing wrong with it. I have used this common technique for years now. Of course if the majority of my viewers tell me they don’t like it, I’ll make a change.
  
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- John September 22, 2013 7:06 am
  
  Are you kidding me. You want to complain about some of the best woodworking content on the web over the way it is produced?? Give me a break! Why don’t you grab a camera and a microphone and produce something! Until then, try saying thank you and be on your way
  
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Ofer Yaar September 26, 2013 5:11 am

Hi Marc,
I am from Israel, and we use European wood working methods that are quite different then the ones you show.
However, to each his own, and I like your site very much as it gives me the ability to see how things are being done over at your end of the world.
There is however one thing I cannot understand:
Why is the sliding table saw hardly used in America?
It is superior to your bench saws in every aspect!
It replaces the vertical pannel saw, the crosscut saw, the cross sled, And also cutts angles and mitre.
Some of the lighter machines (heavy duty by your standards) can even be used as combination machines and work as a milling machine and mortising machine.
Moreover, most machines have a scouring saw enabling much cleaner cuts.
Could you explain this to me?
Regards,
Ofer Yaar

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- Marc Spagnuolo September 26, 2013 7:44 am
  
  I wish I could explain it. There are quite a few examples of technologies that are clear better that simply don’t take hold in the US market. Personally, I hope sliding saws do become more popular. I agree with you completely.
  
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anthony diodati October 28, 2013 7:31 pm

Lowes has some 1/2″ thick plywood that is 24″ X 24″ .
Do you think that in big enough for a sled for a unisaw?
I was thinking maybe 18″ 0r 20″ X 24″.

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 28, 2013 8:02 pm
  
  Yeah I think that would work.
  
  Reply
  - anthony diodati October 30, 2013 7:30 am
    
    Thanks,
    Actually I just ordered a 1/2″ thick 24″ X 32″ Phenolic Faced Plywood Sheet.
    Think I will use/try it full size,I can always cut it down if it’s too bulky.
    I almost ordered the UHMW plastic for the runners, but the Phenolic Faced Plywood Sheet was $25.00, (free shipping code too) So I think I will try the 1/4 sawn wood runners this time, in order to keep the cost down.
    
    Reply
Colin Eldon November 14, 2013 3:40 pm

I have watched many videos on how to make a Cross Cut Sled. I must compliment you on your concise explanations and that your Sled seems to be the best design. I’ll have to look and see if you do a miter attachment for it.

Cheers

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Doug November 29, 2013 3:29 pm

I’ve seen a few people use MDF to make their sleds. I have a piece of 5/8″ MDF left over from another project would this work? What are your thoughts??

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- Marc Spagnuolo December 3, 2013 8:26 am
  
  I think most folks will avoid MDF because it doesn’t hold screws all that well. But for a shop jig like a sled, I think you could probably get away with it.
  
  Reply
  - anthony diodati December 3, 2013 2:34 pm
    
    you could always drill through holes in the MDF and screw the screws into the runners.
    I am making one right now, and am trying just one UHMW plastic runner.
    
    Reply
Skip Berry December 5, 2013 5:23 pm

It looks like you are not using your riving knife with the sled. Is it not needed? Would it be OK to leave it on?

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- Marc Spagnuolo December 5, 2013 5:34 pm
  
  I do keep the riving knife installed whenever using the sled.
  
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  - Mad Hungarian October 24, 2016 11:29 pm
    
    But now with klutzy me of course, i forgot to take the riving knife out before raising the saw blade to punch the slot through the sled. “Hmm, why’s it not cutting through? And wait, the sled’s risen way up off the table too! Oh boy, what do i do now?”
    But i remembered Marc’s advice about if something unexpected happens at the tool — stop, don’t move anything, don’t let go, and hit the big off-switch with your knee.
    
    Reply
FlyinFish January 15, 2014 12:47 am

Marc, thanks so much for this! Your plan was by far the simplest and most direct I found, and the video is very nicely done. This was pretty much my first project and your video was a big help.

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Jim Stastny January 18, 2014 9:00 am

Great video. I have a sled dedicated to making miter cuts for all kinds of decorative boxes. Somehow it came out of square. Your instructions are just what I need to get it back to 90 degrees.

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Matthew Plodinec January 26, 2014 3:28 pm

Awesome stuff! Your sled will be my first real project. I had my father in lawhelp me cut the stock down to a more manageable size and once I showed him the finished product he wants one too.

One question about the five cut method. If your making five cuts, why don’t you divide by five?

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Mike April 21, 2014 2:41 am

Marc,
I’m setting up shop at a new location and decided to make a crosscut sled since my miter station won’t be up and running for a while. I have always liked your designs and videos so I search for your crosscut sled. One question: Why two runners? One runner would lower the chances of binding. Using a full length runner should provide enough stability, or not? Am I missing something?
Thanks!

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- Marc Spagnuolo April 21, 2014 7:02 am
  
  Most designs I know of use two runners. It strikes me as stronger and more stable to make use of both runners. And since there are two slots, I figure it isn’t much more work to use the second one as well.
  
  Reply
Fred April 28, 2014 5:56 am

Hi Marc,

I am just getting back into woodworking after a several year hiatus. I had started out watching you way back when you started your podcasts. I love your site and videos.

I have made the sled from your video and all seemed to turn out great (well except for driving screws into white oak – took a while, but finally remembered the beez wax trick). Anyway, I attempted the 5-cut alignment and was off a whopping 0.15 inches (front was larger). I am not sure how I could be this far off. When I place my square against the fence and the blade, it looks dead on.

First question, must you do the 5-cut alignment with a square piece of wood (you used 24″x24″)? I did not, I used a piece of scrap plywood that was rectangular in shape. Logically, it did not seem to matter that it would need to be square. Nor do I know if it was anything close to square when I started.

Just had a thought that possibly my square is off, but I used a fairly large square triangle and checked it a smaller, but hopefully more precise, all metal woodworking square.

Possibly I just messed up the cutting process. Do you have any guidance on how to trouble shoot? Or do I just need to try a small adjustment to the fence?

Would greatly appreciate any help you might have to offer, though I know you must be quite busy.

Thanks again for the great site.
Fred

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- Hank Jochade September 27, 2014 1:49 pm
  
  I am sure you have an answer by now, but I’ll tell you what I did anyway – I started with a scrap that was not perfect, but after the 1st cut I had a straight line – the next cut gave me a right angle, and so forth. I believe the 5-cut method will square up your scrap piece – (I could be wrong)
  
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Jack bucchare May 21, 2014 8:07 pm

Saw the vid on 5 cut method. That’s proving things.
Keep up the good work. Also saw NG. Version great and very informative.

Jack Bucchare

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Tom O’Brien July 15, 2014 7:58 am

Hi Mark,
Nice stuff as always.
Questions: Is there any reason why a blade might align sqare perfectly at 0 degrees bevel and not when tilted to 45 degrees?
Based on your answer, if there’s not any reason, do you see any disadvantage to creating the sled for a zero degrees cut, then eventually using it for 45 bevels? Obviously it widens the kerf on the sled and out the back, so that is maybe the reason to have two? Just curious.
Thanks. Tom

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Hank Jochade September 27, 2014 1:44 pm

Love the video – followed it closely, but used Incra miter sliders instead of wood. Like I said, I followed the video closely – I should have read the note that followed – I was out .08 so I adjusted as shown in the video – then I was out .16 – I figured that the adjustment was backward – I fixed it and now am off on a 12″ cut .001 – that will teach me to read the instructions all the way FIRST!

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Mike McAloon October 13, 2014 1:59 pm

Great Video. Finished the sled today. Got to crazy good accuracy then stopped. Thanks for the video. Easy to follow and understand

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casey March 1, 2015 7:21 pm

Okay…I have had a tough time with this. My sled looks awesome, but both times I tightened all the screws, starting with a new hole first after small adjustment, the precision changes. I am now .0009/inch off. I know that this is slightly worse than 1/128 per foot, but in reality…will that really make a difference for most projects? I build boxes, make small table bases, etc. Just wondering how much slop you can get away with? I mean I have been building those things with just a sliding miter until now. Also, do you use yours for 45 degree cuts and have a wedge looking kerf or should I build a second sled for that and not risk making that wedge kerf? Thanks man!! Awesome stuff!

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- Marc Spagnuolo March 1, 2015 7:25 pm
  
  I’d say you’re fine. Use it, and see if it impacts your work. And i don’t use mine for 45 degree cuts. Would love to build a dedicated miter unit one day.
  
  Reply
Larry Burrell March 4, 2015 7:33 am

Hi Marc,

I am BRAND NEW to woodworking but loved watching NYW and Norm for several years. I just came across your website and am really excited to get started. I am going to build this sled and have seen a few posts about adding a “stop block” of some sort at the back end where the blade comes through the sled for safety. I apologize for not knowing how to attach some an item. Any help on how to build such a thing would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for such a great website!

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Mark J August 27, 2015 7:42 pm

Marc, et.al. Any thoughts on the relative merits of a sliding table for a cabinet saw vs. a fixed table and building a crosscut sled?

I am slowly setting up my shop and have yet to buy a cabinet saw. I have a budget (and space)that will allow for a bigger and more featured unit and a 240volt 15amp circuit.

Sawstop, Baleigh and Grizzly both make units as do some other companies.

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- Marc Spagnuolo August 28, 2015 7:22 am
  
  That’s a hard thing for me to resolve in my mind Mark, only because I have never lived with a sliding table. But in many ways, I think it would be superior. As long as the unit is well-built, it should be sturdier, smoother-running, more reliable and higher capacity. But that’s mostly just a theoretical understanding of the technology. If I had the money, space, and inclination, I think I’d go for the slider.
  
  Reply
  - Mark J August 29, 2015 11:20 am
    
    Thanks for the feedback!
    
    I also posted the question on the Forum (Power Tool City). The consensus opinion seems to run along much the same lines. Although there may be some operations for which the sled may be the superior choice. But it occurs to me that depending on the sliding table design the two are not mutually exclusive.
    
    Reply
Jeff F September 23, 2015 2:33 pm

Any reason to not use 3/4 baltic birch ply for the base? I guess the 1/2″ gives you more saw blade to work with.

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- Marc Spagnuolo September 23, 2015 2:37 pm
  
  Exactly. Also makes a big sled much lighter. But if you want to go with 3/4″ you certainly can.
  
  Reply
  - Jeff F September 23, 2015 5:18 pm
    
    Sometimes you go with what you have :)
    
    Reply
    - Jim Williamson October 10, 2015 6:25 am
      
      Dang! I’m over thinking this. I bet a nice dry 2×6 would do also.
  - Jim Williamson October 6, 2015 3:34 pm
    
    I’ve been wondering about that. A sled that size is a bit heavy.
    But what about warping? Would the 1/2″ warp quicker than 3/4″?
    
    I actually purchased a 5’x5’x1/2″ BB ply for the sled and then it hit me that most are 3/4″ bases. I plan to make the front and back fences 1.5″ thick using 3 pieces of 1/2″ ply. Thoughts?
    
    Reply
    - Marc Spagnuolo October 8, 2015 7:07 am
      
      It’s plywood so it really shouldn’t warp at all. Use a nice flat piece that’s been in your shop for a while and it should stay flat. Your plan for the fences sounds good. Just make sure you glue them up of a nice flat surface so they stay flat during glueup. It’s pretty easy to induce a curve when gluing up thin pieces of ply like that.
Jerry October 29, 2015 3:03 pm

I have just purchased a skill table saw. 3310. I wanted to make a table saw sled, however, my table saw has metal sticking out out which makes it for me to make the runners. I may have to find aluminum slides, just dont know, any suggestions?

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Jeff Mazur January 3, 2016 11:15 am

Marc, late comment post here, but thanks for the very fine job with this video; it was very helpful indeed. I finally got around to building my sled, a small one due to my small saw (Shopsmith), but it’s a blessing to have. I got REALLY lucky with my initial set-up, and so missed out entirely on the adjustment phase – my cumulative five-cut error was only .002 over 10 inches! The sled’s pretty ugly, being objective, but is one of the most beautiful things in my shop :)

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Ted Spitulski January 4, 2016 10:32 am

Marc, just ran across your cross cut sled video, I will be making one soon just like it. I like the details you put into your videos, very explanatory. Would you recommend to have a separate cross cut sled if you are using a dado blade?

I am in the process of putting my shop together and noticed that some woodworkers use PVC and some use Tin ductwork. Can you tell me why you used tin instead of PVC, advantages and disadvantages?

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- Marc Spagnuolo January 4, 2016 10:52 am
  
  Hey Ted. I personally think it’s good to have two sleds. That is, unless you have the ability to make some kind of replaceable inserts. Otherwise, any time you bevel or use your dado blade, you’ll widen the opening.
  
  As for metal vs pvc, it’s all about convenience of installation. I find the metal easier to cut and install. It’s much lighter so when mounting it to the ceiling it’s a lot less back-breaking.
  
  Reply
chris January 8, 2016 7:05 pm

Thanks, Marc, for a great video and all your info in general . I was wondering your thoughts on making the fences by gluing up multiple (like 4) pieces of 3/4 BB plywood and using the edge trued up on the table saw as the fence face. In other words, using the edge as the sled fence face rather than the faces of the ply. My thinking is this would reduce the chance for warp in the fence face, but I may be missing something. I am about to build a sled, so any input would be awesome as I’ve had issues in the past with keeping those fences true. thanks again

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Matt March 6, 2016 12:24 pm

Ok, I don’t mean to be a downer here, but I’ve been working on this crosscut sled for the past several days and the whole things has been a complete fail. First, where do you find flat plywood? I got the flattest piece of baltic birch I could find in central-Florida but it was still enough bowed that calibrating the fence was not possible. Also, I used purple heart for the runners like you suggested and they cracked and split everywhere. The top of the sled is pock-marked with redrilled screw holes. Is there some other kind of wood that would be friendlier to work with? Any advice for someone living in central-Florida where there is only 1 wood supplier within 50 miles, other than the big box stores would be greatly appreciated.

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- Marc Spagnuolo March 7, 2016 12:22 pm
  
  Well the problem might be less about the material and more about the supplier. I’d imagine it has to be possible for plywood to stay flat in Florida. One alternative you might try is MDF. You have a better shot of that stuff staying flat though it’s not my favorite material to work with. But it could work as the base of your sled. And for the runners, just about any dense hardwood is a good choice. Something as simple as red oak will do.
  
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John May 22, 2016 9:25 pm

Hi, Can you tell me why you use hardwood? And can regular old plywood be used instead of Baltic Birch? I just found your videos. Thank you. They’re great.

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- Marc Spagnuolo May 23, 2016 1:04 pm
  
  Hardwood is adequate and available. It’s also easy to sand/scrape/plane if I need to make an adjustment. But you can certainly use plywood if you wanted to.
  
  Reply
Dan July 11, 2016 10:04 am

For attaching the runners, do you recommend 3/4″ screws or 5/8″?

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Steve November 9, 2016 7:23 am

Marc,
I noted this comment and wondered if you would explain it further:

Because the feeler gauge method of adjustment only works by pulling one side of the fence back toward the user, you can effectively push the left side forward by pulling the right side back. So to sum up, instead of making the adjustment by pulling the fence back on the left side, I should have pulled the fence back on the right side.

Does this mean when making the adjustment you cannot move the fence away from you when squaring? I was just going to place the feeler gauge on fence, place a block then make the adjustment by moving the fence to the new position of the block.

Thanks for all of your great work! Hope the move goes well.

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- Marc Spagnuolo November 9, 2016 10:22 am
  
  You can certainly make the adjustment by pushing. Just make sure you’re pushing on the correct side.
  
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Al B January 3, 2017 7:16 pm

Marc,
First off, Happy New Years! Thanks so much for making this video. I’m certainly going to use it when I build my sled. And as always I will have my Woodwhisperer apron on . Just one question and it will save me some guesswork, trial and error, etc.
*What is the measurement from the left (long) side of the sled base to the kerf?

Again thanks. Al

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- Marc Spagnuolo January 4, 2017 9:08 am
  
  Hey Al. That measurement isn’t super critical. I’d aim for the left side of the sled base to be near the left edge of the table. Then the blade simply lands where it lands. In the video you’ll see mine is just short of the table width but you can actually make your sled a little wider if you want.
  
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Max Head January 7, 2017 12:22 pm

Hello Mark . Your wood working capabilities always amaze me. The info here is plentiful and it always amazes me how easy your woodworking tips help in my projects. I’m also retired and an old Norm fan and always will be. From what I have seen here I think I have found a new home. You make things easy which also makes things fun.

Have a great day!

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- Marc Spagnuolo January 7, 2017 1:13 pm
  
  Thanks so much Max. Hope you enjoy the rest of the content!
  
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Craig January 23, 2017 7:14 am

I watched a lot of videos on how to make a table saw sled and this is the best I’ve seen. Great work!

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Larry Olivetti January 23, 2017 10:32 am

Marc,
When you did the calculations for the 5 cut method how come you didn’t factor in the distance between the pivot point screw on the right side and the temporary screw on the left? I watched Willam Ng’s video on his crosscut sled and when he does the calculations he includes that distance in his math. Also If you end up with a neg number you move the fence up on the left side and if its a positive number then you move the fence back on the left side. He says that you can make those adjustments on the left side without moving the right side of fence. Or do I have it confused? Thanks

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo January 23, 2017 11:14 am
  
  It’s been a while since I did the video but ultimately at some point we’re chasing imaginary numbers. So if I can get within the ballpark of perfection without going nuts with the calculations, I will.
  
  Reply
Jan Dorfman February 2, 2017 10:32 am

Marc,
Just came across your video. Good presentation. However, beside the directional error you made in moving the fence, you did not take into consideration the error generated by the offset pivot point in your video. If you measure the actual distance between the pivot point (the screw driven into the bottom of the fence on the right side when facing the saw) to the left end of your fence) and multiply that dimension by the error you calculated per inch previously, the resulting number would then represent the actual dimension that you would have to move the fence to zero the sled. If L is the length of the piece of the 5th cut, and A and B the widths of the piece at the front and rear respectively, the formula to square the fence would be (A -B) divided by 4, then divided by L, and then multiplied by the length from the pivot point to the end of the fence. If the number is positive, then the fence is too high, and if the number is negative, then the fence is too low.

Reply
- Stan February 24, 2018 5:18 pm
  
  yes, that’s correct.
  
  Reply
Scott June 26, 2017 8:02 am

Terrific info and great video. Because of the (video’s) length I was delaying watching it; I would watch it when I “got around to it”. But I am glad I did. It was well “choreographed”. Thanks for it, the plan, and all the little bits of info you wouldn’t normally find in written format.

Reply
Michael McCartney October 1, 2017 2:11 pm

Way back, you mentioned a piece you didn’t have in the video because you were out here g epoxy. What part was that? I am going to make this sled to replace my old one

Reply
Mutt October 24, 2017 7:41 pm

Great vid….What size Chamfer bit/angle did you use? All I have is a 45 degree and it doesn’t look at all like your routing. Thanks

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo October 26, 2017 8:42 am
  
  I honestly don’t remember, but it’s really not important. As long as you put some kind of edge treatment you’ll you fine.
  
  Reply
John November 20, 2017 6:51 pm

Hi Marc,
I have watched your video several time. I’m ready to make my own sled and think I have the basics down. Before I start though, I’d like to know why your sled cerf is offset to the right? It looks like the sled surface is either divided in thirds, or maybe it’s divided 40/60. What is the benefit of that, and why to the right (as opposed to the left)? I have a unisaw with an extension table to the right, is the offset you use good for this setup? Thanks

Reply
Danny Mepham February 15, 2018 7:27 am

Good day there Marc,

Firstly ‘thank you’ for every video you have made. They’ve sparked both creative and imaginative ideas in my hobby-room, and I’m enjoying woodworking now more than ever.

I do have a slight problem though … my new Table Saw does not have the 2 parallel dado-slots on which my Table Saw Sled can run … any ideas.

I have just invested in some thick 18mm plywood to install on top of my Table Saw, with the intention of Routing 2 parallel tracks, but a video from your good self to guide me on routing parallel slots would help tremendously :) also any suggestions as to making the tracks slide smoothly, would also be appreciated.

I use the word ‘routing’ in my question as my ‘European’ Table Saw doesn’t accept Stacked Dado Blades, thread is too small. (Just to clarify for anyone else reading this … the EU rules on Stacked Blades is that the weight of the blades is too much for the conventional braking systems on the machines, so … not allowed. The blades must stop within a set time limit, and not longer.)

All the best, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Danny M.
(Germany)

Reply
Stan February 24, 2018 5:16 pm

Great tutorial. I think there is a step missing from the 5-cut method tho. The flash presentation doesn’t show the final step of taking the error/inch number and multiplying it by the distance between the screws securing the fence. Or did I miss something?

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John McBratney August 26, 2018 8:55 pm

Thanks Marc for the sled ideas. I made a smaller on as I only had a small sheet of Melamine covered board, a gift from a friend.
Glad I read that note on adjustment, I was about to do mine, thought I’d read you instructions again.
By the way you briefly mentioned wax, what sort would you use on he runners. Can you use the same to prevent rust on cast iron table surfaces or is there another recommended product.
John
Lawrence
NSW
Australia

Reply
Mike Randall January 4, 2019 11:05 am

Thanks for the video, it gave me some great ideas for my build. I have two questions.

1) I have a dewalt jobsite table saw. How much would the smaller size of the saw be affect the sled size? For instance, should the sled be no larger than the table?

2) Since you made this video a number of years ago, what would you do differently in 2019?

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Stan H April 28, 2019 8:07 am

The scraper method for reducing drag did not work for me. In fact, it took off a hair too much wood resulting in a little bit of play in the miter slots rendering it useless (we are trying to get accuracy within a few thousandths after all). So, I started over again on a new sled and this time used 220 and 320 grit sandpaper to ever so gradually reduce the stickiness without producing and play. It worked.

The scraper may have worked for you but there is too much risk in producing play and ruining the runners.

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo April 30, 2019 9:12 am
  
  I find the scraper to be a very low risk option. The only way to go to far is to take way too big of a bite or to take too many passes. But I’m very glad you found a solution what works for you either way.
  
  Reply
Bob McNair December 14, 2019 12:16 pm

What a great video. I am an instructor and I like your style of presentation. The tip about adjusting using the first cut is brilliant. Do you have the same for a mitre (I’m Scottish!) sled?

Reply
Andy March 12, 2020 1:06 pm

I am new at using a table saw, but one of the first things I heard was not to use the cross cut along with the fence, when making a cross cut. What would be the difference in using a stop block with a cross cut sled and the fence on the table without a sled?

Reply
Steve Chambers November 25, 2020 2:56 am

Hi Mark. Great video and advise. My question relates to the which blade type should be used with the sled in regards to number of and type of cutting teeth and its Kerf? You seem to be using a general purpose blade in the video and seem not to suffer from blow-out. This might be due to the fibres being supported by the sled and therefore one can get away with this blade type (which is great with not having to keep swapping blades).

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo November 25, 2020 8:14 am
  
  A good quality combination blade in conjunction with zero clearance usually produces a serviceable cut. But if you don’t mind switching blades, you’ll get better performance and results if you have a 30 tooth ripping blade and a 50+ tooth cross-cut blade. But a 40 tooth combo blade is ideal for those of us who prefer not to change blades.
  
  Reply
Robert Allen January 25, 2021 6:33 pm

That small square was the largest square you had? Lol
A woodshop that doesnt possess a framing square? Really?

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo January 25, 2021 9:38 pm
  
  I should have been more specific. That was the largest ACCURATE square I had at the time. But if you want to set up a cross-cut sled with a regular framing square, have at it. lol
  
  Reply

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146 – The Cross-Cut Sled

Then

Now

Hip To Be Square!

Dimensions

Techniques

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