Table Saw Cross-Cut Sled - Winky's Woodworking Tips

[@leslieburgess8680]

Your video is clear, with no gimmicks so that a novice like me, can understand it.

[@chief2169]

Mark, I just finished making your sled for my 10” Makita table saw. Man does it make a difference. I used maple and 3/4” plywood for the fences. I really appreciate your videos and how instructional they are. From an old man in Kentucky, God bless.

[@WinkysWorkshop]

Thanks Laymon, I live in KY also. I started another channel several years ago when my interests shifted to metal working. I called it "Winky's Metalworking Tips" but over a years ago I changed it to Winky's Workshop so that I could post both metal and woodworking projects. I plan on posting new material to this channel which will include more woodworking in the future. Check it out and see what you think. And thanks on the sled video. I don't know if you noticed the date (2014). Still I am convinced that my method for building a sled is by far the best and easiest. I now have more experience and a better camera. At some point I'll redo this video and post it to the new site. I hope you will subscribe. kzbin.info/door/f4EaCarZUA0IrfQnYhnekA

[@chief2169]

@@WinkysWorkshop I have subscribed. I live in Monticello

[@rn-rvchronicles]

Winky....dont stop making these videos...your one of the best instructors i see on youtube. Please dont stop!

[@WinkysWorkshop]

Thank! That's a huge compliment!

[@prophetictimes1968]

I bought a table saw yesterday and I'm thinking this is a very good easy to follow way to make one. Very nicely done winky.

[@WinkysWorkshop]

Thanks for the compliment and yes I agree, this is by far the easiest way to make an accurate sled. If you have the room attach a 4-foot table on the out feed and build the sled 4 1/2- foot deep. It's great for cutting a sheet of plywood. Of course if you have space limitations a smaller sled is still very useful.

[@jamesdunne8748]

Winky, I would like to add to the comment by the gentlemen below. I would love to see you make many more videos. No b.s., very good instructional information and a quality product. I am only a part time woodworker but I have already built 2 of your sleds. I have added a little personal touch but nothing big. Keep up the excellent work. Thanks again. Jim D.

[@WinkysWorkshop]

Thanks Jim! Here's the deal. I started a metalworking channel also and it did very well. However, I'm a woodworker first so I changed the name from Winky's Metal Working Tips to "Winky's Workshop". Yes there is a lot of metalworking but I have recently added some woodworking and plan to add more in the future. In fact, some of the videos on this channel will find there way to Winky's Workshop. I hope you will join me at the new channel! kzbin.info/door/f4EaCarZUA0IrfQnYhnekA

[@dannmarks]

Nice to see you doing some wood working again...

[@WinkysWorkshop]

Hey Dann, this is an old video. I need to post it to my new channel. I think I'll make a new video.

[@5555dpq]

Winky, thanks for making these videos and sharing your expertise. It's very helpful and you're very thorough in your explanations.

[@kevinsturgeon2902]

Good job Mark. I have always thought you have a good way of explaining, teaching and training so that it is understood. When you retire, this may very well be your calling. I think you would do an awesome job making instructional videos of the projects and things you like doing most.

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

+Kevin Sturgeon Good to hear from you Kevin. Thanks for the encouragement!

[@jamesdunne8748]

Winky, I just completed doing my first cross-cut sled or should I say your cross cut sled. I came out real well and I want to thank you for making it nice and easy to follow. I stuck to your format pretty much until I got to the front panel. I used two pieces of 1x3 birch as a sandwich instead of your plywood with the intention of routering in a t-slot on the front piece for a stop block. Everything else was your syyle and again I want to thank you. I was fortunate to have it come out square and I am real happy.

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

Thanks James. The T slot is a great idea. I have a piece of wood that straddles the fence and I use a clamp to hold it. At some point I might add some kind of stop system. It would be nice to have some kind of fine adjustment also.

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

Thanks for the great compliment. The runner attachment and 2-piece construction seemed like an obvious solution to an otherwise tedious build. I'm no genius but I am surprised other videos are not showing this type construction. Thanks again

[@saranjesse23]

Thanks for the video Winky! I am buying a new table saw and this video is just what I needed, a lot easier than the other videos I have watched!

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

Thanks Jesse, glad the video was some help. If you have a choice get a table saw with a riving knife.

[@password3707]

Love this design. Also a great idea are the 2 support legs that clip into the back rail on your saw. Keep making these videos for us !!

[@pcrengnr1]

Winky, thanks for the great how to video. It was concise, easy to follow and shows that you have a mastery of the subject (woodworking that is). Making the two halfs then adding the fence was genius. I look forward to more videos from you. The large cut-off box was an inspiration. You are right sheets are such a pain to cut. I have to set up infeed and outfeed rollers each time due to space constraints. I will either make a BIG cut-off box or build a panel saw. Thx again.

[@davetarrant6888]

Thanks I’m looking forward to the ability to cut 4x8 sheets. I have recently made a couple small sleds using the technique of placing the runners in the miter tracks and then gluing and screwing them flush to the bottom of the sled. What I have noticed is that the hardwood still has a tendency to twist and become tight in the tracks. I like the idea of recessing them into dado slots to keep them straight. I made a cut off sled maybe 28 years ago based on one Norm made on the New Yankee Workshop and it used dados. I have just recently got back into woodworking so it’s back the the dado slot for me. Thanks for sharing your talents.

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

Thanks for the compliments and you are welcome. Just a side note, if your router table is not very large you can use a dado blade to cut the dado. Using the dado regardless of how you cut it really simplifies construction. I recommend a large out feed table if you have the room. Mine is a 1x2 oak frame with 3/4 plywood set into a rabbit. I mounted it level wit the saw table and then cut two over sized dados with a router for the runners of the sled. Both the out feed table and the sled get used as a table. One more thing, I recommend using glue only on the runners. I used screws to hold them in the dado on a past sled and ended up doing lot of sanding to make the runners slide in the slots.

[@823Steve]

I really liked the way you built your cutoff sled. Doing it in two pieces like that solved any problems of runner alignment. Since I don't have a jointer, making the fence the way you did seems like it should be easy to do with just the table saw. Thanks for sharing.

[@fbtool]

Winky I have been using your video step by step to build my 1st sled. I looked at many video's and plans and then picked your's as the one I wanted to follow. I like the way you make it so easy to follow along. Thanks! I will subscribe to your site.

[@frankingram3382]

I liked the video, it was straight and to the point without any frills. I also liked the boards that allowed you to put a full sheet of plywood on the saw and pull it back far enough to start the cut on the leading edge. Do you have a video showing how you made them? Thanks for sharing. God Bless my friend.

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

+Frank Ingram Thanks Frank. I'm glad you like the video!

[@icespeckledhens]

Thanks for the tutorial on making a sled

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

You are certainly welcome! I feel like making the sled in two pieces makes everything easier to assemble and improves accuracy. I'm currently using a sled I made 15 years ago and it is still working fairly well but the runners are a little worn and the top is worn and tattered from years of use. It may be a few month but I plan on making an updated video of the sled construction. It will still be the same basic sled with a few updates like a stop block for repeat cuts, a rule for measurements and much lighter weight construction. Be sure and subscribe! And thanks for the positive comment!

[@icespeckledhens]

Winky's Woodworking Tips . I can see the virtue of making the sled in two pieces for the reasons you suggest. Thanks

[@jianbinhuang]

Very good video and clever way to do two pieces and join them later. Thank you for sharing.

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

You're right Chris, jointing the edge of plywood is hard on the blades. Trimming the edge on the table saw would have worked just as well. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

Glad you enjoyed the video Steve. From what I have seen the runner attachment with my design is unique. I think it is quite a bit better and even easier to construct than most other designs. Thanks for the comment!

[@OldDunollieman]

Terrific video, great simple & to the point instructions. Thank you.

[@arthurcrosby5755]

Nice video Winky! Like most commentators here I like the originality and simplicity of your construction method. I will certainly try this build for my first crosscut sled. Unfortunately in Australia we don’t have ready access to hard woods like you have in the USA, Canada and Europe with their common deciduous trees. I have just bought some 20 mm thick x 610 mm long ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) to use for sled runners. This avoids any movement in the runners due to atmospheric moisture changes but I am not sure how glues adhere to it yet. However at least I can use counter sunk screws to hold the runners securely. One suggestion to assist in lining up the two halves of the sled on either side of your blade is to use two pieces of a blade of the same kerf as the current table saw; or metal or plastic cut to the same kerf width as the blade. Placing these spacers between the two sled halves along the length of the gap from the saw blade to near the alignment fence should assist in keeping the edges parallel and at the correct width. I like your idea, given in reply to one of the comments here, to fasten hardwood pieces in contact with the fence to allow removal and re-installation with glue to make sure that the alignment does not change. Although I take your point that many screws will hold the fence squarely in position, I also agree with those users of this method who would like to ensure the uniform holding and stiffening transferred to the sled base by a glue bond. Thanks for your goodness to share your ideas and for your efforts in making an excellent video presentation. I have subscribed to your channel, so please keep up your good work! Kind regards from Australia.

[@WinkysWorkshop]

I would suggest screws with a trim head (small) for holding the runners. When you fit the runners to the bottom of the sled make the dado very carefully so you get a very good fit. The biggest problem you will have with screws is that the screws will expand the plastic as you tighten them. You might also consider a pan head screw and use a counterbore rather than a countersink. Countersinks will try to expand the runner. The spacers you talked about are not needed. You trim the sled after installing the runners. I totally agree with your last comment. Wood blocks clamped to the sled an glue the fence. I've never had mine move but glue is a good idea.

[@arthurcrosby5755]

Thanks Winky for your reply to my comment. I take your point about the “V” of the countersink screws creating lateral forces which would try to expand the polyethylene (PE) against the runner walls. I agree that the smaller head of trim deck screws would exert less force in the radial direction to the screw axis. Your second suggestion using flat-headed button head screws would exert almost all of the screw force in the axial direction. Wafer head screws with the slightly larger flat on the head may be even better. Used in conjunction with a counter bore as you suggest, and perhaps a small flat washer to distribute the force over the larger surface area of the flat of the bore, would ensure less distortion pressure on the PE for the same holding force. I hope to get in the post soon some 3M acrylic plus double sided adhesive tape (15mm wide). I will see how the tape bonds to the PE - it should bond to the wood OK. If this works it should be an even easier and better method for holding the PE runners in the trench. I will ensure that I cut the PE runner width to a tight fit in the trench so that friction will be on my side too. I will let you know how I go. Thanks again for your conversation.

[@paulpaul1948]

Great job with this video. I'm making my sled the same way. If you ever get time, I would love to see some detail on your outfeed table. Maybe another video? Thanks for all you do.

[@4vinos]

I will make one using your video as a guide. Using a hard wood followed by the laminated plywood really assures the sled is properly aligned. Thank you.

[@ronin4711]

Very good and pretty easy to build. Thanks.

[@JayDee-xj9lu]

I like the way you make the 2 sides seperate. If you did it the standard way I guess it could jam up. I love the extension runners in front. Great idea even if you dont use the sled, to run boards against the fence. JD

[@septimuspretorius250]

Nice Job! I like your sled best.

[@raymondrobitaille6952]

Awesome video!!! Well explained!!!

[@rn-rvchronicles]

Thank's, this helped me a lot on making my sled....like someone else said "pure genius".

[@icespeckledhens]

It looks a very effective safer way of cutting timber. thanks James

[@DeLouis08]

Perfect....I have learned the best.. thanks. Ottawa Canada

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

Thanks pcrengnr1, that was a great compliment! I agree that making the two halves separately is the best way and also the easiest although it probably doesn't qualify me as a genius. But thanks anyway! I'll give myself high marks for originality however. Apparently I'm the only person making a cutoff sled like this, at least on youtube.

[@WindsorCraftDesigns]

Great video. One bit of advice that I've learned the hard/expensive way - don't edge joint plywood unless you're using carbide blades. The glue in the laminations will destroy HSS blades.

[@my74vette]

Great video for the sled build. I also really like your input support slides. Do you have any information on how you built these support slides?

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

I didn't cover the supports because there are so many different fence rail designs. On my saw the fence rail is 2 x 4 steel tube and the top surface is about 3/4" below the table surface. I basically laid a 3 x 3/4 oak board on top and glued and screwed a couple of 4 inch strips to the bottom of the board so that it made sort of a saddle for the rail. My old saw was better. I hinged it from below the rail so that it folded down out of the way. Maybe I need to make another video and improve my saw.

[@BlessUp411]

Very helpful, I'm going to build this. Thanks for the vid!

[@randyaberts8195]

Winky, what air filter do you have on your dust collector, where did you get it? what part number? and how much? does it come with th bottom pece?

[@lorimac320]

I've made sleds in the past but will try the two piece method for my next one. Just curious why you removed the screws from the top of the front fence and why you didn't use any glue. Good job

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

The screws from the top were into just to hold the front fence while checking the cut for square. They don't hold much because they are in 1/2" plywood. Using glue would be tricky but could be done. You could mark the plywood and remove the fence but getting it back in exactly the same place might be a challenge. Plus if you needed to make a future adjustment it would pretty much be impossible. Lots of screws are easy to install and I have never had a fence move yet.

[@lorimac320]

Thanks -

[@AvocaSingleTrack]

I've been looking to build a small sled, didn't want to get into 5 cut method and others i've seen. Your way is really interesting in that the the accuracy and parallism is "built in" to the design and your getting a parallel like the whole length of the kerf, so parallel and accuracy is inherent to this two part design. Thanks for posting this. This is one I can wrap my head around without much thought. I know i'm gona have to apply glue under the fence though. Not sure why you didn't apply some, you would have plenty time to make any adjustments of needed. Even if used some slow setting glue or 10 minute epoxy ? Either way, great design and thanks much for posting it !

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

Thanks for the great input! Yes, the 5 cut method is weird if you ask me. Flipping the wood doubles the measured error. In my opinion you really can not get more accurate. If you've ever tried to measure would with a micrometer you'd understand... nearly impossible. About the glue, Epoxy might be a good choice but I don't recommend any kind of wood glue. I did this on one sled I made and it made things pretty hard to manage. The glue makes the fence slip around at first and then grabs when you don't want it to. So here's a possible method for gluing: Use a few temporary screws to square the sled then use a brad nailer and tack 4 small stop blocks to the surface of the sled firmly against the fence. Then remove the fence, apply glue and then clamp the fence to both the blocks and sled and attach with a few screws. Remove the blocks after the fence is secured. Thanks, for the comment.

[@kennethcornelius2785]

i especially like the hardboard under the front fence

[@GaryGuss]

Great video, well done !

[@rickreed123]

Thanks for the great video.

[@ClydeHB]

I like your design and build process. What are the dimensions of you large sled? thanks in advance.

[@wimshurstmachines-teslaspa9557]

Thanks - the larger sled is about 48 wide (slightly under due to the center trim) and 55 inches deep (to accommodate both fences and still be able to cross cut a 4 x 8 ft sheet of plywood.

[@setfiretoalltrumpsupporter3598]

I am interested in making a large sled as you showed at the beginning of this video, can you share any info especially the supports you made to hold the sled before the blade. Thanks

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

+Set Fire To All Trump Supporters : The supports are about 2 1/2 x 3/4 inch strips of wood (oak). I think I made them about 36 inches long. The thickness is about 3/4 but I planed it down so that when I laid it flat on the fence rail it was flush with the table top. Then I cut a couple of cross cut dado and inserted some scraps of oak so that it straddled the fence rail. It's really pretty simple. On the other end I laminated a scrap of oak to the bottom to give the rail some thickness and drilled a 3/4" hole almost all the way through. Then I glued dowels (old broom sticks I think) in the holes.

[@setfiretoalltrumpsupporter3598]

Winky's Woodworking Tips thank u VERY MUCH

[@danlee5184]

Winky, great video! Question. What is the advantage of the two separate bases each with their own runner versus installing 2 runners to a single base?

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

This method makes it much easier to attach the runners accurately. It allows you to cut a dado to mount the runners without being concerned about accurate spacing.

[@InventionTherapy]

Great video.

[@TheShavingWoodWorkshop]

Great video

[@topline2554]

thanks for making this video!

[@cocula0666]

Muy buen vídeo ya tengo la mejor opción para hacer la guía que tanto necesito

[@RenoScruggs]

Hello great video by watching I could tell you know what you're doing. I have a question when you squared the fence I noticed you used a fairly long square. So you were squaring the fence with the whole kerf line of the blade and not just the blade itself right ? I do know from experience using the miter guage alone that if you square the guage with the blade. And if the blade is not aligned with the miter slots even though the guage is square to the blade itself. You won't get a square cut. So what I'm asking is,, will you get square cuts with the sled by squaring the fence to the miter slots ? I also subscribed I look forward to watching more of you videos ,,,thanks

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

***** Hello Steve, Good question! The blade needs to be square to you miter slot which is a table saw adjustment. It involves moving the arbor and tilt mechanism. It's not difficult but it is a bit tedious. If the blade is not square to the slots it can cause all kinds of problem. To answer your question, yes, you square the back fence to the cut in the base of the sled. If your blade is only slightly out of square the cut will still be square but the quality of the cut won't be very good. You will have more saw marks, splintering and possibly burning.

[@RenoScruggs]

Thank you sir

[@WV591]

Dang mother of all sleds.

[@MrLelion76]

precision a voir!!!

[@kennethcornelius2785]

glad you did not take any shortcuts. very good video.

[@garymccoy2888]

It looks like you are no longer making You Tube videos since all of these comments are months old. If that is the case it a shame, because you are especially good at it. I just junked my old table saw sled and am making a new one per your video. Hope I wrong, looking forward to seeing more on your channel.Gary

[@markswoodworkingtips2350]

+Gary McCoy Thanks Gary! That was a great compliment. My wife said she agrees, I should make more videos. I guess I felt like I had something very original to offer with the band saw circle jig and especially the cutoff sled. I do plan on making a series of maybe 3 videos on home made shop equipment soon but they won't be so much how to make them. More just to give people ideas. The reason for this is that these machines are made using industrial surplus that is not readily available. At least not at a reasonable price.

[@kc1850]

What is the size of your large sled? Could you do an update video on the sled. Thank you for your help.

[@WinkysWorkshop]

You are in luck sir! I made this video in 2014 and i'm still using the sled but I use it for dados and cutting with the blade a a 45 degree angle. This leaves a big gap in the sled. However, I have a larger sled that will cut a 4 x 8 foot sheet of plywood that I am going to build it again. It's 18 years old and starting to get wear. I will be making the video later this week. You may have noticed my Channel Name on this comment, "Winky's Workshop" This is my new channel and it covers woodworking and metalworking. Maybe you should subscribe so you get notified when i post the video. Thanks!

[@kc1850]

Sorry, I should have specified. I was looking at the large sled for the size. I have a 5 x 5 x 1/2 Baltic Birch I would like to use. Are you redoing the large sled? I have subscribed to both channels to try to catch any update on your large sled. Thank you for the response and I look forward to more videos.

[@WinkysWorkshop]

@@kc1850 The large sled overall is 4-feet wide and 5-foot long. With the fences attached the capacity is about 4'4" or a bit more. This allows a 4 x 8 foot sheet to be cut across the width anywhere along the 8-foot length. And yes, I am redoing the large sled. My current sled is 18 years old, doubles as a work table and it's very dirty... plus the runners are a little worn. It's time for a new one and new video. Thanks

[@gossetb33]

Génial !!! Bernard

[@markbeiser]

Wow, I thought my 31" crosscut capacity sled was big!

[@WinkysWorkshop]

If you have the space it's almost as easy to make a larger sled and being able to cut a full sheet of plywood is a huge plus! Of course an out feed table and infeed supports are necessary but also add to the size

[@MADDMILK]

like a boss

[@curtislovering3522]

Cheers

[@starkaran8390]

Im using Avasva instructions to make it and I do it already :)

[@claudiahone6877]

For almost 5yrs, I spend cash and time purchasing wood working ebooks, programs but most of them left me more problem than solution.

[@claudiahone6877]

All I want is the comprehensive woodworking tutorial such as the one below, hope it help: help1.info/wood-working-blueprint

[@hafzamacie8858]

Quick easy access to many projects with Woodglut plans.

[@WindsorCraftDesigns]

Great video. One bit of advice that I've learned the hard/expensive way - don't edge joint plywood unless you're using carbide blades. The glue in the laminations will destroy HSS blades.