The 5-cut method made easy | Squaring a Table Saw Cross-Cut Sled in 5 minutes
The 5-cut method made easy | Squaring a Table Saw Cross-Cut Sled in 5 minutes
Check out the simple 5 cut method table saw sled calculator:
Coda | Everything evolves, the evolution of documents.
In this video, I will show you the easiest way to do the 5-cut method for squaring up your table saw crosscut sled fence. Squareness is so important for the crosscut sled fence because it determines the accuracy of your layout, cutting, and assemblies in woodworking. Materials on the 5-cut method haven’t been user-friendly in the past, which is why I’ve built this simple calculator that I can use on my phone in the shop. It gives me perfect 5 cut method results every time.
I created this calculator with Coda, which is like a supercharged Google Doc, Google Sheet, and app making program wrapped up into one web-based tool.
⏳ Timestamps
0:00 – Introduction
0:32 – Building the table saw crosscut sled
1:18 – The downside of the 5-cut method
1:45 – Attaching the front fence
1:59 – Attaching the rear fence
2:22 – The 5-cut method explained
2:59 – Calculating the error
3:10 – Using the 5-cut method calculator
3:36 – Micro-adjusting the fence
4:18 – Second 5-cut method + reading
4:26 – Securing the rear fence
Check out the simple 5 cut method table saw sled calculator:
Coda | Everything evolves, the evolution of documents.
🛠️ Tools and materials
▸ UHMW miter bar runners: https://amzn.to/3tsen3I
▸ Digital calipers: https://amzn.to/36YJJrp
▸ Feeler gauges (similar): https://amzn.to/3hzUZwo
▸ Bosch 12V MAX Drill/Driver combo: https://amzn.to/3C5YhB3
▸ SawStop 1.75-HP Contractor Saw: https://amzn.to/3db9cv3
▸ Bosch Router: https://amzn.to/2DbmL1l
▸ Zetsaw Japanese Pull Saws: https://amzn.to/2ZwJMTS
▸ More tools: http://bit.ly/bikecity-shop
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👋 Who I am
I am Brian, a content creator and founder of Bike City Woodworks. I love learning about woodworking and enjoy sharing my knowledge in my spare time.
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🎶 Music in this video
▸ Don’t Talk to Me That Way – Victor Lundberg
Can someone please explain to me what the pivot point is. Thanks.
I would love to use this but can anyone explain to me what the distance to the pivot screw means?
If your fence is in the front of the sled, would you reverse the correction amount?
what’s this "screw" distance part?
A great video on this topic, mate.
Thank you.🤘
Excellent video on the 5 cut method! Covers everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes which is very impressive.
Great video! To the point and simple! I will have to check out your calculator!
Where calculator please?
Great video & app. Thanks!
Cheers mate, big help. Champion!👍
Thanks for the calculator and the guide. It’s a great script!
However, after multiple attempts I found that the end adjustment calculation could only get me to about .003” Seems to do with the length from the pivot point.
How I got within .0008” was using the actual length of the 5th cut (in my case it was 12 3/8”) vs 22”. Then applying that adjustment number to the adjustment length point at 22”
Doing this gave me the same result/adjustment as compared to doing the actual Ng’s calculation method.
Thanks man…This worked out great.
For others that want to do this, a few tips. Something I learned. The pivot screw needs to be snug but not too tight as it will distort the fence or the bottom plate when you adjust it. Also when making the cuts on the test piece, push on the sled only where the screw locations are, or again you can distort the fence and or the base which will screw up the cuts and input dimensions. After doing it 3 or 4 times I realized what was happening and followed the above procedure and got it perfect under a thousandth. It’s also important that the 2 sides of the fence be square to each other, and absolutely straight for the best results.. I did this with a jointer but it can be done on the table saw being sure that your blade is perfectly square to the table saw top. This is pretty critical, that the fence be straight and 2 square faces. Also be absolutely sure to predrill all your holes. If you don’t the screw will shift the fence. That’s all I got.
Stupid question… what does this mean?
"Length of distance from pivot screw to correction"
I definitely will have to give this a try, I recently built a kumiko jig and skipped 4 of the cuts, but still using a micrometer and feeler gauges to get everything in place.
"Length of distance from pivot screw to correction" I have no idea what this means. Is this the distance from the pivot screw to the kerf, the far edge of the sled or something else?
Great video, great calculator, 2 thumbs up!
Very confused of “the pivot screw” and how this relates to 22”.
Are you just pulling a number out of the air – 22 in this case – and only using this as your reference on the back wall to do your adjustments against to move back or forth? It has nothing to do with the actual two screws we’ve put into this back fence up to now?
This is awesome man! I’ve used William ng’s video in the passed, but often get myself in a muddle?! I’ll be using this tomorrow for my new sled..great work and thanks! 🙂
YOUR CALCULATOR IS WRONG !!!!! IF THE NUMBER TO MOVE IS POSITIVE THEN YOU MUST MOVE THE ARM BACKWARDS..
SAME IF NEGATIVE MOVE THE PIVOTING ARM FORWARD !!!!! BECAUSE THE FENCE IS 0 – 90 DEGREE’S FORWARD AND 90 TO 180 DEGREES BACKWARDS…
How would this work for a sled that is offset to one side, like not completely even amount of the sled base on both sides? For example I I am making my sled so they there is more space on the left side than the right because I can cut longer pieces to the left whereas I’m limited to the length that I can cut on the right just because of the way my shop is setup. So the screws on either end of my sled aren’t the same distance from the cut line. Thanks for any advice on that.
Thanks. The calculator site is awesome!!
great coverage in a short time!
Hi, please can any one explain 4. Length of distance from pivot screw to correction in the calculator?
Does this mean distance from pivot screw to the end of fence or the other screw in the fence in the opposite side.
Or does this mean from the pivot screw to the cutting line of the table saw blade?
Or is this just the length of the sled / fence?
Thanks.
I just added some T track and a new rear fence to my C sled, and the new fence was way off. Your calculator + feeler gauges worked like a champ. Thanks!
I had the hardest time getting this to work. I think I’m realizing my problem was I was trimming the right side of the piece and rotating clockwise. This cuts the left and rotates counterclockwise. I think this made the calculators suggestions opposite. It took me a while to realize this.
I’ll be asking about the USHW runners for the shop! Great idea
Isn’t the material your cutting supposed to by on the fence.. makes no sense that your cutting the material and its sitting in the middle of your sled
What a great video and calculator method for squaring my saw.
I have a DeWalt job site saw and the crosscut results in a lot of plat in the cut.
I built my sled exactly like instructed in your video and after (1) adjustment and correction of .012…, my result is now .0005”…. This is a great video, very well presented, and super helpful….. Great Job! LIKED & SUBSCRIBED!
So… Adjustment = ( screw distance ) x ( ( A – B ) / ( cut length ) )
Why didn’t you just say that in the beginning?
How did you calculate the distance from the pivot screw to the correction?
Thanks for putting together the calculator. I dialed in my crosscut sled to a .004" tolerance, which is fine for my purposes. However I must point out that the metric version is off. I tried a few times to dial in my fence using your calculator, but the "correction amount" was very off, as in 11-16mm (equivalent of roughly 1/2"!) while the same piece of wood remeasured in imperial was in the thousands of an inch tolerance neighborhood. Not sure if you got a decimal point off in the code or something? Otherwise great video and great (inches) calculator!
Also, tip for everyone: Don’t use plywood for the temporary pointed "calibration board" that you clamp down in front of the fence. The plys are too soft and compress/break at the tip, compromising your measurement. Better to use hardwood.
Tools used: Sawstop 36" Contractor Saw; ‘igaging" brand digital calipers from Rockler. Pivot point was in the 25" neighborhood.
Tried the calculator 8 times and not one answer was correct, I did it once manually and got to 0.07mm on the first try.
There is "definitely" something wrong with your calculator!!!!
This was very helpful. Thanks!
The calculator and feeler gage make ALL the difference. Now bookmarked.
great video, and the calculator worked great. easy to do
Wow. Thanks for the calculator! This made it so much easier!
I love your video. I am rebuilding my sled soon and appreciate the calculator. Thanks
Many thanks for your very informative video and App. It was extremely useful in helping me make my first table saw sled. I was surprised but pleased that in my first attempt I reached an inaccuracy of 0.005098 which was within the tolerance offered in the App (0.001 and 0.01400).
However, I didn’t want to known as ‘The (enthusiastic hobbyist) woodworker of imprecision’, therefore I narrowed the inaccuracy of the sled to 0.00081355, after buying some inexpensive feeler gauges. As we say in the UK, “I’m right chuffed”. Thanks so much for your advice.
Can somehow explain what you mean with the 22inches? Would be so helpful
TIPS-
1) BE 100% SURE YOUR BLADE IS ALIGNED (for me a deviation of .003 was tolerable) WITH YOUR MITER SLOTS (there are countless YouTube videos on how to do this but what worked best for me was a combination square placed against inside edge of miter slot to set distance to a marked blade tooth, then rotated that tooth 180 degrees and measured deviation with automotive feeler gage)
2) THIS CALCULATOR IS BEAUTIFUL BUT ONLY WORKS IF THE WORKPIECE IS LOCATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BLADE (as viewed from the operators position).
AFTER EACH CUT THE WORKPIECE MUST BE ROTATED COUNTER CLOCKWISE SO THAT THE NEWLY CUT EDGE IS PLACED AGAINST THE FENCE.
2:39 into the video, and I just caught something. You’re cutting on the opposite side of the blade from every other 5-cut video I’ve seen. However, your pivot point is on the same side you’re cutting vs. opposite side. I wonder if that matters.
I used your method and calculator today. I spent a lot of time with my first alignment using my square to the saw blade. My first results was 0.0004. So I re-executed the process and came up with the same results so I screwed the fence down where it is.
Thank you so much for your video and your great calculator. You time is greatly appreciated.
Thanks. I knew the method, but the calculator made it so much easier.
But you only need 1 cut…
One stupid question, you’re supposed to start with a perfect square piece, right?
Thanks for the video!
First time watching one of your videos. I can’t tell you how many 5 cut videos I’ve watched and something was missing. watching yours and everything came together. Thank you! I think it was your use of a feeler gauge for some reason opened my eyes. Will check out your channel
when doing the 5 cut method, does it make a difference which side of the blade you cut on?
Dialed in to .001 in just 3 adjustments with the calculator. Awesome tool. Thanks for making it available.
A great calculator and well explained! I was just wondering if I can use this on my miter saw which has a one piece fence?
Bro that worked perfect just made my first sled with micro jig zeroplay rails and after one adjustment I had it to perfect