Crosscut Sled WithOUT Miter Slots?

[Pakaderm]

Would it be idiotic to try and make a crosscut sled without using any miter slots? Why couldn't the runners "hug" the main body of the saw on each side of the table? Has anyone done this before, or is it a useless effort?

-Pak

[LarryG]

People have tried it, or at least considered it, but failed to take into account the (probable) fundamental problem: the sides of the main table are probably not perfectly parallel to the blade.

If yours happens to be perfectly parallel, however, there's no theoretical reason it won't work.

[LCHIEN]

larry's right, due to the design of the saw, SMT and rip fence adjust to the blade, not adjusting the blade to the table/miter slot (which is why the saw is so reasonably priced). So only in the rare instance the blade lines up perfectly to the table will this work well. DAMHIKT.

[Uncle Cracker]

Anybody ever thought of making one that rides the fence? (or fences, if you have two)

[siliconbauhaus]

That sounds like a idea. I wondered if using drawer slides would work?

[gugie]

Anybody ever thought of making one that rides the fence? (or fences, if you have two)

I've done it to do "cross cuts" that are too long for the SMT-even with the Lee Styron (or is it Jim Frye?) modification-drilling a new pivot hole down near the end of the SMT (search through forums for more info on this).

I needed to square up some larger MDF panels (about 2 feet square). I used a piece of 1/4" plywood, and used a square to locate a piece of 2X4 down near the end. Clamp, a few deck screws, and you have a jig. Just make sure the jig is flush against the fence. You could make something to hold it to the fence, but I find it's easy enough to guide it.

[Hoakie]

Wouldn't it work if you created a sled that you
1) created and mounted so it slid on main table.
2) cut/trimmed the sled while sliding on ts
3) added backing strip so it was 90 degrees to the cut you made to trim it up?

I am not fully awake yet so trying to perform this type of metal gymnastics may be a stretch. My logic may very well be flawed.

[iceman61]

Anybody ever thought of making one that rides the fence? (or fences, if you have two)

The latest issue of ShopNotes has plans for one in their magazine. Looks like it's mainly for ripping stock, but a clever mind could modify it to whatever.

[Uncle Cracker]

Figured that might be worth a shot... Have not done it myself, since I have miter slots on both sides of the blade, but it seemed like a reasonable idea.

[scmhogg]

Before I got my miter slots, I had a sled with a runner that slid in the gap between the center table and the router table. I guess I was lucky that the tables were parallel to the blade. I used it this way for over a year with good results.

Steve

[iceman61]

Figured that might be worth a shot... Have not done it myself, since I have miter slots on both sides of the blade, but it seemed like a reasonable idea.

Same here.

[niki]

My TS has only one 3/8" miter slot so I had to make the sled runners on both edges of the table...I'm lucky that they are parallel.

But, even if they are not parallel, you can attach a wooden (or plywood) upside-down L shape to each side (or to one side that is not parallel to the fence) and using the TS fence as a guide for the router, you can route the L shape to be parallel to the fence.

The other option is, to attach 2 upside-down wooden (or plywood) L shapes, one to each side of the table and using the TS fence as a guide, route slots for runners...

Regards
niki

[JimD]

Hoakie is correct. It does not matter that the sides of the top are not parallel with the blade. What matters is that the fence of the sled is perpandicular to the blade. You can make a sled that slides on the base and adjust the fence so that it cuts right angles. The only effect of the lack of the base being parallel to the blade is that the fence may not be parallel to the front edge of the sled.

Jim

[LCHIEN]

Hoakie is correct. It does not matter that the sides of the top are not parallel with the blade. What matters is that the fence of the sled is perpandicular to the blade. You can make a sled that slides on the base and adjust the fence so that it cuts right angles. The only effect of the lack of the base being parallel to the blade is that the fence may not be parallel to the front edge of the sled.

Jim

Yes, but you'll end up carving a kerf that is wider than the blade's nominal kerf. I just could not recommend doing that.

[rcp612]

I remember seeing David Thiel showing this very thought on his tv show, AND he did it on a BT31xx!!
The only thing I didn't like was that he used the outside edge of the SMT which seems to me to not be the most stable place to guide from.