How to Make a Cross Cut Sled

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⚙️ SHOW NOTES: Enjoy the concise but thorough process Tom demonstrates for making the most important and useful jig in your shop, a crosscut sled for your table saw. It only takes a few simple pieces of wood, and plywood, to customize and create an awesome accurate accessory. (Close captioned)
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⚙️ RELATED VIDEO RESOURCES
• 3 Cut Method to a Dead-on Crosscut Sled with Tom McLaughlin: • 3 Cut Method to a Dead...
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LIVE EVENTS are filmed in the shop of Tom McLaughlin, host of TV's Classic Woodworking and Shop Night Live. Tom loves to pass on the craft of woodworking by creating projects to present in live video form backed by his over 30-years of experience making fine custom furniture.
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[@Timothylaing]

Tom is such a nice dude. Could watch his videos all day

[@EpicWoodworking]

Thanks Tim, I appreciate that and could listen to comments like that all day! 👍😎

[@Betterbeing45]

Underrated Woodworker master.

[@EpicWoodworking]

Thank you 👍🙏

[@malcolmthorman9126]

Great presentation from someone who clearly knows his subect !

[@terryrogers1025]

Thank you, probably one of the more through expiations on sled building, and simple is always the best way to my way of thinking, you can build any thing onto or into the sled from that point, well done sir, enjoyed the video.

[@EpicWoodworking]

Thanks Terry, glad you enjoyed it and found it was helpful! 👍

[@MostBasedKing]

A master at work, thanks for the entertainment!

[@jerrystark3587]

An excellent design and method for building for a cross-cut sled. It will last, and work accurately, for years. Thanks for the video! 👍👍

[@EpicWoodworking]

Thanks Jerry! 👍

[@alanjohnson7704]

Tom, I really enjoy your videos and I especially appreciated this one along with the companion 3 cut fine tuning. I made a new sled to replace the old one I cobbled together a couple years ago. Did the 3-cut procedure and my sled is "dead nuts" as you say. I made one important addition -- a "thumb guard" on the back fence. I even painted that piece red! Why? Because I cut off half my thumb using my old one, on which I neglected to put a guard! (Back on after some nifty surgery and I'm beginning to use it.) Thanks for the great work!

[@carldavis6902]

Thank you Tom

[@EpicWoodworking]

My pleasure Carl! 👍

[@stone.dayton]

That bandsaw cut belongs in a museum. I hope one day I can follow a line that well!

[@EpicWoodworking]

😂 Wow, I didn’t even think of that, nice of you to say, thanks! 👍😎

[@rick91443]

Always love watching and BOY would I love an American Table Saw with "da slats;" I have two but no slats(but the cheese and wine here is great.)...rr Normandy, France

[@EpicWoodworking]

Haha, thanks Richard…the wine and cheese sounds delicious! 😎👍

[@hikingsteven7665]

youre a good teacher even i could understand thanx

[@gcasso9350]

Great video. well paced. very precise. Although I do now have workshop envy...

[@vernsteinbrecker3759]

Great job, you make it so easy

[@EpicWoodworking]

Thanks Vern, glad you enjoyed it! 👍

[@notlisted1493]

nice video

[@EpicWoodworking]

Thank you 👍

[@cabman86]

I have to remake my crosscut sled. My new saw has different, smaller slots. Thanks for this.

[@dalelivezey3622]

Can you explain why you don’t glue the fence down? Thank you

[@EpicWoodworking]

You certainly can glue it down, but I have had times in the past when a sled fence that was glued down needed adjustment. I have found that the fence stays in place quite well with just the screws, and it is still easily adjustable if for whatever reason the fence gets out of square or needs replacing. Hope that makes sense, thanks for watching! 👍😎

[@tommckenney7627]

With your new table saw, I am presuming you had to make a new sled. I am in the same boat. Did you still use MDF? I have heard conflicting info regarding MDF causing SS brake activations.

[@EpicWoodworking]

Thanks Tom! This was new to me, I did not know MDF was a potential problem with false triggering of the Sawstop. (If you happen to be in the Neighborwood, you may have seen me talk about you telling me this discussing it with the viewers on our little livestream “Coffee with Tom” episode this past Friday morning. I did some research and found comments about it in various forums, perhaps some of the same you saw. They said it seemed to be isolated to cheaper grades including 1/2” MDF supplied by the big box stores. I just happened to have picked up a small piece from Home Depot, so now I don’t want to use it on my saw due to the risk of it false firing and ruining a blade and cartridge. But quite a few on the livestream said they have never had a problem with any MDF cutting on the Sawstop. I have found 1/2” MDF to be the best material for the base of a sled so I may just take a chance with this and hopefully it’s not an issue. I can make the sled and the initial cuts in “bypass mode” but I hope it regular use after that it doesn’t trigger the saw. I will try to find out more from my regular plywood supplier. Thanks for letting me know! 👍😎

[@tommckenney7627]

@@EpicWoodworking I do want to get over to the Neighborwood at some point. I will have to read up more on "bypass mode". I have cut pressed particle board with no issues with the saw, and am considering that for the sled. I know not as strong as MDF, but is just as flat.

[@notlisted1493]

please keep using the standard system :). We are still Americans

[@EpicWoodworking]

Haha, I didn’t realize I went into metric during this video. No worries there, I’m American too, and old habits aren’t going to be broken now! 😎

[@joser1219]

What's with the camera man. I'm getting motion sickness.

[@EpicWoodworking]

Most times it’s not an issue, but sorry about that 👀

[@tpolarich6039]

A PARF table is cheaper - 3/4 MDF, safer, more accurate, the track saw has better dust collection than a table saw and when your done you can hang the MDF on the wall.

[@thwwoodcraft1449]

And works really well for finger jointing & dadoing LOL.

[@EpicWoodworking]

Sounds like you have something that works great for you! I’ll grant you it’s cheaper, but more accurate?…to each his own guess 😎

[@tpolarich6039]

@@EpicWoodworking This my answer your accuracy question. 4 cut test. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJqbXnaAhJ54qac

[@spanky4244]

Don’t wanna criticize.. you know what you’re doing but why didn’t you just use your table saw fence to square up and glue your runners? Just put the fence where you need it add glue and drop in place using the fence to flush it the add weight until dry

[@EpicWoodworking]

You are right in thinking of other ways because there sure are many options. I choose to “establish square” with the first runner using a square and referencing from the back edge where I will be placing my fence…that way I know I will be close. Referencing from the fence can certainly work but it assumes the fence is set accurately parallel to the slot, which is no guarantee as the fence is adjustable. But if you know yours is parallel, by all means that method should work well. Thanks for watching! 👍😎