Table Saw Crosscut Sled Rear Fence Material

Alan wrote:
> I am also considering 2 pieces of MDF face-glued, OR two pieces of
> Baltic Birch ply face-glued. With either, driving screws into the edge
> of these seems problematic to me.

You're getting hung up on details...it's only a sled. The fence bottom
and inside face need to be straight and perpendicular to each other.
The top edge and back face don't need to be straight or flat.

Face-glued solid wood or ply would work just fine, as long as you don't
make it go wavy when face-gluing. Even MDF would be fine unless you're
making a sled with an adjustable fence, in which case I'd suggest using
threaded inserts so that the threads of the screws don't strip out. For
regular screws into MDF, always predrill and don't over-tighten.

No matter what the material, assuming that you have one good face, cut
one edge in your tablesaw (good face down) to get a good edge, and
fasten it to the sled with the good face inward.

Chris

"Tanus" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Another time-saving plan is to make your runners long enough to poke out
> front and back, rather than cutting them to size before you attach them.
> Then you can see where they are when you screw them on.
>
> Cut them to size after you attach them.
>
> --
> Tanus

I as well left mine long on both sides or is it ends?....a bit easier to
mount for a cut and additional tracking support after the cut....Rod

On Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:29:46 -0500, B A R R Y <[email protected]> wrote:

Thanks, Barry... I printed that out and the next time I have 20 minutes free...


>The 20 minute sled:
>
>- mill the runners to fit snugly, but slightly less in thickness than
>the slot depth, slightly over length
>- retract the blade and wax the table and slots
>- add strips of masking tape to the bottoms of the runners until they
>stand ~ 1/32" proud when inserted in the slots.
>- stick the runners in the slots and run a bead of glue down them
>- put the sled bottom on the glue, add a few brad nails
>- drill and countersink screws through the base into the runners
>- screw the front and rear fences on, using not more than (2) screws on
>the rear fence, one at each end. Use 4-6 on the front, avoiding the
>kerf area
>- take the sled off the table and remove the tape from the runner bottoms
>- raise the blade and slide the sled across the saw, when the kerf gets
>to the rear fence, STOP. Shut off the saw and hold things until the
>blade stops.
>- remove ONE of the rear fence screws and adjust the fence to 90 degrees
> to the kerf.
>- clamp the fence in place, and drill / countersink / install a screw in
>a _different_ location, near the one removed.
>- Double check the kerf to fence angle and install more screws
>- Wax the runners and bottom of the sled, and optionally cut the extra
>material off
>
>
>I don't apply finishes or wax to the inside of the sled, as I like the
>work to have some wood-on-wood "traction" helping to hold it in place,
>and I have a habit of writing and making pencil marks all over my tools.


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

I am also considering 2 pieces of MDF face-glued, OR two pieces of
Baltic Birch ply face-glued. With either, driving screws into the edge
of these seems problematic to me.

Opinions?

On Mon, 4 Feb 2008 07:50:13 -0800 (PST), Alan <[email protected]> wrote:

>I am building my first crosscut sled from the David J Mark's plans.
>
>For the rear fence, which I consider the most important part, I am
>considering maple. The trouble is that a 4' piece of 8/4 maple, 7"
>high will cost me $68 in New York from a lumberyard. They will mill
>the faces parallel for that price and joint the edges.
>
>If I did this by buying 2 pieces of 3/4" maple and gluing the faces
>together to make a 1-1/2 inch thick piece, would that be as stable? It
>would certainly cost less. I do NOT have a jointer-planer so I have to
>rely on my supplier to mill the faces parallel.
>
>Also which is more dimensionally stable, Oak or Maple?

Dr. Who has sled plans??


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Chris Friesen wrote:
> Alan wrote:
>> I am also considering 2 pieces of MDF face-glued, OR two pieces of
>> Baltic Birch ply face-glued. With either, driving screws into the edge
>> of these seems problematic to me.
>
> You're getting hung up on details...it's only a sled.

Right on...

I've built sleds using whatever solid wood was laying around, as well as
built-up ply or mdf box girders as fences. As long as the flat &
square basics are covered, you're good to go.

Some of my sleds are built on the spot to solve a specific problem.
Once you build one, you'll see where you might like a smaller version,
huge version, taper ripping version...

Metal fasteners are fine, as long as they can't hit the blade.
Pre-drill for screws and add glue to back things up. In a hurry? Use 5
minute epoxy. Spot-built sleds and jigs go together instantly with
staples, screws and brads. It's pretty easy to know ahead of time where
the blade will be, so plan on no metal there.

Tanus wrote:
> Another time-saving plan is to make your runners long enough to poke out
> front and back, rather than cutting them to size before you attach them.
> Then you can see where they are when you screw them on.
>
> Cut them to size after you attach them.


Right!


The 20 minute sled:

- mill the runners to fit snugly, but slightly less in thickness than
the slot depth, slightly over length
- retract the blade and wax the table and slots
- add strips of masking tape to the bottoms of the runners until they
stand ~ 1/32" proud when inserted in the slots.
- stick the runners in the slots and run a bead of glue down them
- put the sled bottom on the glue, add a few brad nails
- drill and countersink screws through the base into the runners
- screw the front and rear fences on, using not more than (2) screws on
the rear fence, one at each end. Use 4-6 on the front, avoiding the
kerf area
- take the sled off the table and remove the tape from the runner bottoms
- raise the blade and slide the sled across the saw, when the kerf gets
to the rear fence, STOP. Shut off the saw and hold things until the
blade stops.
- remove ONE of the rear fence screws and adjust the fence to 90 degrees
to the kerf.
- clamp the fence in place, and drill / countersink / install a screw in
a _different_ location, near the one removed.
- Double check the kerf to fence angle and install more screws
- Wax the runners and bottom of the sled, and optionally cut the extra
material off


I don't apply finishes or wax to the inside of the sled, as I like the
work to have some wood-on-wood "traction" helping to hold it in place,
and I have a habit of writing and making pencil marks all over my tools.

Sounds like you already have some replies about the fence itself, so I
won't add to that. But...

> The trouble is that a 4' piece of 8/4 maple, 7"
> high will cost me $68 in New York from a lumberyard. They will mill
> the faces parallel for that price and joint the edges.

$68?!? That's more than $14.50/bdft for maple? Sounds like you need
a new lumberyard. If you need maple for this or any other project,
you should be able to find it much cheaper than that, even if you have
to mail order it. At my favorite dealer (Lakeshore Hardwoods,
Pulaski, NY) it would cost about $27 for a 4' board, S3S, of 8/4 hard
maple. ($5.50/bdft, -$.20/bdft discount for 4' and under, +$.50/bdft
for S3S). I don't know if Lakeshore typically ships small orders. If
they don't, you should be able to find someone with competitive
pricing who does ship, and shipping should cost less than $20 (from
somewhere in the northeast US to anywhere in NY).

Good luck,
Andy

B A R R Y wrote:
> Chris Friesen wrote:
>> Alan wrote:
>>> I am also considering 2 pieces of MDF face-glued, OR two pieces of
>>> Baltic Birch ply face-glued. With either, driving screws into the edge
>>> of these seems problematic to me.
>>
>> You're getting hung up on details...it's only a sled.
>
> Right on...
>
> I've built sleds using whatever solid wood was laying around, as well as
> built-up ply or mdf box girders as fences. As long as the flat &
> square basics are covered, you're good to go.
>
> Some of my sleds are built on the spot to solve a specific problem. Once
> you build one, you'll see where you might like a smaller version, huge
> version, taper ripping version...
>
> Metal fasteners are fine, as long as they can't hit the blade. Pre-drill
> for screws and add glue to back things up. In a hurry? Use 5 minute
> epoxy. Spot-built sleds and jigs go together instantly with staples,
> screws and brads. It's pretty easy to know ahead of time where the
> blade will be, so plan on no metal there.

Another time-saving plan is to make your
runners long enough to poke out front
and back, rather than cutting them to
size before you attach them. Then you
can see where they are when you screw
them on.

Cut them to size after you attach them.

--
Tanus

This is not really a sig.

http://www.home.mycybernet.net/~waugh/shop/

Alan <[email protected]> writes:

> I am also considering 2 pieces of MDF face-glued, OR two pieces of
> Baltic Birch ply face-glued. With either, driving screws into the edge
> of these seems problematic to me.

I think 3/4" ply is more stable. As for connecting them, I used
the ones labeled "A" and "B" in this diagram.
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=1045

Just drill one hole in the edge, and the other perpendicular.


--
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