STILL LEARNING - TABLE SAW SLED

T. wrote:

> That'll keep the blade covered too. I'll be able to make accurate
> repeated cuts by clamping a stop block on to the piece of 2X4 running
> along the back of the sled.

If you want to go fancy, you can build a sliding hold-down into the fence
even.

No, I never did that either. I just clamp a stop block to the fence. ;)

My first sled is serving as a two-part miter cutter now. I just used that
today for the first time, making a frame to go around that chess board.
Damn if it didn't work. There are still a couple of hair gaps due to less
than absolutely perfect fitting, but these are hands down the best miters
I've ever done.

I decided this thing isn't of sufficient quality to justify complicated
joinery, so I opted for through dowels. Fitted and clamped everything up,
and drilled through with my doweling jig, including a dowel into each of
the miters. It looks pretty decent. My only real worry is that the stain
didn't stain quite dark enough, and once I amber it with poly there might
not be a comfortable amount of contrast relative to the oxidized pine. I'm
contemplating doing a thin wash of tan paint on the white squares to make
sure they stay lighter than the dark ones, but it feels a lot like
cheating.

And of course I should have assembled it before I stained anything. I got
sawdust all over everything, then had to buff it out with steel wool, and
then got steel wool lint all over everything and had to blow it off, and
got compressor water all over everything. That's the trouble with doing
stuff by the seat of the pants.

Still looks pretty damn good to me though. Fine woodworking it isn't, but
this is a big departure from my usual rough shod stuff. I haven't felt a
need to put a finish on anything in years. I don't even have a suitable
varnish brush on hand. I'm going to have to go buy one.

I'm going to borrow a digital camera and see about putting up some pictures
when I get it done. I still have to finalize the details of how to hinge
it to the box, and then finish everything.

> I'm thinking of a stop on the front too, so I won't be able to pull
> the sled back so far it slips off the saw. Among other reasons, that
> thing's heavy, and it could do some serious damage to a foot.

I should think about something like that for mine too. I can get it pretty
far back before it tips too far, but I've come close to dropping it a time
or two.

> And, I've still got another big chunk of that thick ply, in case I
> ever need another sled.

I used all of mine up. :(

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

Joat,

Just wondering why you believe that you need something 1 1/2" thick as the
base of the sled?
Personally I'd think that 1/2" would be plenty and would be lighter too.

As for the thing falling off, did you consider screwing some washers or
strip of 1/8" steel on the bottom of the runner to keep it in the t-slot?

-Jack

"T." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Well, I am still working on the first table saw sled. Looks like I
> may not be using it for anything, but am learning a lot from it, so well
> worth the time and effort.
>
> Turns out it's too small for what I need. Don't recall the exact
> measurements, but somewhere arond 11" X 12". I may be able to use it
> later, cutting for splines in boxes, or something. Other than that,
> it's a great learning tool. I'd glued a block of 2X4 on top, about 6"
> long. Well, that wouldn't work for anything, so took it off. This time
> I decided to try chiseling it off. Got out a HF chisel, started at the
> glue line, tapping it with a home turned mallet. About a minute later,
> the chunk was off, split nicely at the glue line, with no wood taken
> off. A first. I'm certain if I'd tried to knock it off with a hammer
> it would have split the wood, rather than at the glue line. Not sure
> it'd would work every time, but did this time.
>
> Decided to go bigger. Had a couple more chunks of that thick
> stuff, about 1 1/2" thick, lot of plies, about 18" X 36". Found a
> couple of runners I'd cut before, that fit the slots on the saw. Waxed
> the slots, so any glue runout wouldn't stick, put glue on the runners,
> and set the slab on. This was last night, so haven't had a chance to
> work on it more. Had tried sliding it, on the runners, and it slid like
> a draem, with just the weight holding it on the runners.
>
> It may be a day or two before I can get out and work more on it,
> but I think this is going to be great. I'll be gluing a strip of 2X4
> across the back, and one across the front. then probably one across the
> top, over the blade. I want to make this as error proof as I can. This
> should keep my fingers away from the blade with no problems. The 2X4
> going from fron to back will be about 1" above the base, letting me
> slide my piece under it, with no clearance problem. I'm thinking I may
> put another 2X4 piece across, with a hold down for the wood mounted on
> it, so I won't have to concentrate on holding the wood steady, while I
> push the sled.
>
> I intend to glue some. as yet undetermined what shape. pieces in
> place for a handhold, that will guarantee no hand parts will get near
> the blade, even if I ran the whole sled thru the saw. But, to make sure
> I don't do that, I'll to be gluing a stop of some description on it.
> That'll keep the blade covered too. I'll be able to make accurate
> repeated cuts by clamping a stop block on to the piece of 2X4 running
> along the back of the sled.
>
> I'm thinking of a stop on the front too, so I won't be able to pull
> the sled back so far it slips off the saw. Among other reasons, that
> thing's heavy, and it could do some serious damage to a foot.
>
> Oh yeah, the first sled tended to tip when I pulled it back from
> the blade. This new sled is wide, and heavy, enough, I can pull it way
> back, and no tendency to tip.
>
> And, I've still got another big chunk of that thick ply, in case I
> ever need another sled.
>
>
> JOAT
> If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing
> again.
> - Terry Venables
>
> Life just ain't life without good music. - JOAT
> Web Page Update 1 Oct 2003.
> Some tunes I like.
> http://community-2.webtv.net/Jakofalltrades/SOMETUNESILIKE/
>