Which Router Sled do you REALLY need - Linear Bearing or DIY?

Рет қаралды 50,594

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 41

@contessa.adella 8 ай бұрын

I bought a cheap bench and wanted to flatten the top. I fitted 15mm ply side rails on small stand offs so the bit could reach across the entire bench width. I made the two sled rails from 1/8” x1” aluminium angle (which I checked for straightness) and put some furniture wax on them for an easy slide of the router base. The rails were separated by a wood block at both heads, the width of the router base. Worked brilliantly and cost little. The chippings left the bench top through the standoff gaps each side. Hardest bit was ensuring a perfect alignment of the six feet long ply rails each side of the bench. This worked with my cordless DeWalt palm router using a one inch surfacing bit and I kept the depth of cut to under 1/16” to avoid over loading.

@EveningWoodworker 8 ай бұрын

Sounds like a great setup!

@DaveMillman 9 ай бұрын

The easy way to start flattening that warped slab is to clamp it down tight and freehand with a chainsaw. Seriously, it's easier than it sounds, just go slow. When you think "one more pass should do it" STOP and finish on the sled! PS, your hints in the Router Sled Mistakes video were awesome.

@EveningWoodworker 9 ай бұрын

Thanks! Also that's an interesting idea with a chainsaw. I'm guessing it takes some practice too!

@jpellet2744 10 ай бұрын

Really helpful video…I watched the one on making a DIY sled first and then this one. Super helpful. Thx.

@EveningWoodworker 10 ай бұрын

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it

@sapelesteve 10 ай бұрын

Not in the market for a router sled but that was a very informative video! Well done! 👍👍

@EveningWoodworker 10 ай бұрын

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.

@robertmclellan3541 10 ай бұрын

I have used my DIY sled for about 5 slabs. It is very messy but it works. It’s great if the weather is nice I can share the dust with my neighbors 😂. Thanks for a informative comparison. On the moisture issue I have never used a meter. To be honest I have been lucky most of my projects have not warped. On the epoxy resin tables I like to use a polyurethane on the bottom to help seal the wood.

@EveningWoodworker 10 ай бұрын

Thanks! I guess you can either use a moisture meter or just wait a year or two until you know it's dry!

@tutubeos 6 ай бұрын

I used the wooden DIY sled in the past and I didn’t like it, because it bends in the center, so little, but it doesn’t perfectly flat a slab. Slab large around 40inches, and 100 long, with a quite heavy router 13 lbs. I’ll try with the metal ones, but I doubt they won’t bend as well.

@EveningWoodworker 6 ай бұрын

The thicker diameter linear rails (20mm) will help reduce the sagging in the middle... they're just a lot heavier!

@brucehansen7949 7 ай бұрын

Looks like my garage except yours is even more packed full lol i made my own router sled with wood and now making a linear rail router sled, the wood plywood model works to an extent but im going for pro performance

@davidjefferds8532 10 ай бұрын

Great info about the moisture tester.

@EveningWoodworker 10 ай бұрын

Thanks! It's an often overlooked tool.

@petermuller7397 7 ай бұрын

Fill in the cup with epoxy resin. The top will be flat with a 3D effect when looking down into it. Leave the bottom of the slab exposed-ragged edge.

@wesleymorris9990 4 ай бұрын

Hang it vertically and put a clock and the 3 weather guages.

@fathogwoodworking 10 ай бұрын

Great video. I’ve been looking into sled improvements for a while so it was good to see your video and comparisons. Was there a time saving between the two sleds for how long it took to flatten each side?

@EveningWoodworker 10 ай бұрын

Thanks! The linear bearing one was a bit faster for the actual routing, but setup took a bit longer because you have to slide rails onto bearings and tighten Allen wrenches.

@mark2talk2u 2 ай бұрын

I don’t understand parts of this video that mention “with the grain”. Router bits go round and round. They cut both with and across the grain. Direction of sled travel seems like a second-order consideration.

@EveningWoodworker Ай бұрын

When a router plunges, then yes it's in all directions. However when you're moving it sideways, it cuts mainly on the side of the cutter. So if you're running it across a slab, I get less grain tearout when I run it back and forth in the direction of the grain. Try it and see if you agree

@anthonywilliams7052 9 ай бұрын

Crazy wood suggestion - a few chess sets 4 in tall at most. Definitely NOT for the board itself! Use plenty of sealer,.

@Steve-dr7rr Ай бұрын

I tried to look at the sleds from your friend but keeps saying page not found

@EveningWoodworker 24 күн бұрын

Sorry about that... here's the correct link: s2ms.com/collections/router-sleds/products/basic-slab-flattening-router-sled-rails

@terryt2910 10 ай бұрын

I really like your home build flattening sled. It's the design I would use. But in regards to moisture meters, how do you know the Wagner is more accurate? Not just because 😂🎉it costs more, I hope. There could be a huge variability between any brand of moisture meter. How could you measure the moisture more reliably to compare it to your meters? How about comparing it to another high end meter?

@EveningWoodworker 10 ай бұрын

That's a good point. Cost does not always equal quality. In this case, in addition to the cost I'm basing my assumption off of recommendations from other woodworkers that I trust. Although, it wouldn't be a bad idea to borrow a few of these from friends to get a good comparison of higher end meters.

@unckle247 6 ай бұрын

What are the sized of the acrylic

@bryanchaney2572 2 ай бұрын

Couldn't you take some bees wax or something similar to put on the rails and maybe the underside of the sled at the rail.

@EveningWoodworker Ай бұрын

I tried it with some wax I had and it just made it sticky so the sawdust would stick to it. It seemed to work better just sliding on the bare wood

@davidcw10876 5 ай бұрын

What router bit are you using?

@EveningWoodworker 4 ай бұрын

Here's what I use: amzn.to/3yh8jRO

@tinysparky 10 ай бұрын

I think the dust collection is enough incentive to get the pro model you showed. How is the vendor??

@EveningWoodworker 10 ай бұрын

Yes the dust collection is a game changer! The vendor is the kind of guy that will bend over backwards to make sure you're happy with your sled and give you his personal number in the setup manual.

@v3ly6hk9f 2 ай бұрын

Dust collection is important Wood surface mold can be inhaled into the lungs.

@MONKEY-vi7hx 5 ай бұрын

What diameter are the libear bearing rails / rods

@EveningWoodworker 5 ай бұрын

The 8' ones are 12mm and the shorter ones are 20mm

@davidhabener5767 8 ай бұрын

There are a lot of DIY linear sled builds on KZbin, easier than I thought, I built mine 4x6 for less than $250, already had a router on hand. Any woodworker can do this, why buy an expensive kit ?

@EveningWoodworker 8 ай бұрын

Sometimes people just want it already done. There are lots of random pre-made jigs for sale out there that you could easily make yourself, but they seem to still do well!