The simplest table saw crosscut sled on YouTube. Essential woodworking shop project.
The simplest table saw crosscut sled on YouTube. Essential woodworking shop project.
ESSENTIAL jigs and accessories every woodworker needs. Free plans ► http://myshopjigs.com
I’ve made crosscut sleds before, but this time I wanted to strip out any frills and make this simple version that anyone can make in a couple hours in their workshop.
One of the most common cuts to make on a table saw is a crosscut. Unfortunately, the only tool for making crosscuts that comes with a tablesaw is a miter gauge. You can usually get by with these and make cross cuts that are good enough for most projects. But there are some problems miter gauges.
The biggest issue with miter gauges is accuracy. Since they are designed to be rotated at various angles, they might not always lock back in at a perfect 90 degrees for a crosscut.
An improvement would be an aftermarket miter gauge like the one I use from Incra.(https://amzn.to/3vEdmGa) It has a built in extendable fence and a pretty good system for locking it into place. But you can only support one side of your cut.
And finally, your cuts can be affected by any play that might be in the miter slot since it only uses one of your saw’s slots.
A crosscut sled addresses all of these concerns and is one of the most useful woodworking jigs you can make for your saw. With a well calibrated crosscut sled, you can be assured of perfect 90 degree cuts every time without having to adjust anything.
It has two runners, one for each miter slot to assure that there’s no wiggle. Both sides of your workpiece are supported, and its zero clearance kerf gives you much cleaner cuts with less tearout. You can safely cut small pieces without them dropping into your saw. And the best part is that you can clamp a stop block anywhere along the fence on either side of the blade for making repeated cuts.
Thanks for watching this series on woodshop accessories and jigs. Please see them all, and download free plans over at http://myshopjigs.com
Chapters:
0:00 Why you need a crosscut sled
3:27 Making the runners
5:00 Attaching the runners
8:27 Making and attaching the fences
14:30 Making the blade guards
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#woodworking #shopproject #tablesaw
I noticed that you didn’t true up your fence material making sure that it’s not convex or concaved. Integral part of being square is a straight edge
Great generous instructions.Appreciate it.
Thank you so much Steve for posting these videos. I have just made myself the cross cut sled and not only was it simple to build but your verbal explanations and instructions are very easy to understand. I’ll be making your push block and feather board next. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. Thanks again.
Excellent video. Clear and concise. And no silly music in the background. Just the facts.
This is so simple and amazing. Even all your thoughtful touches and detail. Thank you for this video!!!
Thanks much for the details to make this sled. Easy to understand. Next on my list. Thanks Steve.
I wish I had never gotten rid of my cheap little ole BnD table saw with an accurate sled. It worked perfectly fine for the majority of projects I had.
Anyone else notice the screw fall off and drop in to the saw blade slot when he turned over the sled?
I’m just curious,do you feel this is better then a compound saw..
why the front piece, doesnt it limit the width?
I noticed near the end of your video a screw fell into the blade area,, just wanted to share a little story,, we are working on building a bar,, my son was using the biscuit joiner, and when he started using it something hit my back when I walked by him,, he instantly stopped and we discussed what happened,, we concluded a screw must have fallen into the tool ( it had been stored in a bin and there were a few bags of screws, etc,, bad on our part) which flew out, so he checked it out and then continued to do what he was doing,, minutes later we heard a loud bang, again he stopped what he was doing and after investigating we discovered that something again must of flown out and it smashed one of the glass inserts in our french doors!! seconds earlier I was coming thru that door!,, we figured that screw must have fractured a blade in the biscuit joiner and the second time he started it, it broke off,, we found the pieces after inspecting the door,, hind site we should have checked the tool more carefully after the first instance,,, I instantly grabbed the tool and threw it in the trash,, it was a cheap no name used tool that was recently purchased,, lots of lessons learned that day! thankful no one was hurt as well!
awesome! no wasted motion with this guy… finally
Seasonal Humidity – Steve – i made this Cross cut sled back in July (Winter in Australia) and it works great! – tho, now we are in Summer, and its too tight.. Im concerned that if i shave a little off the runners, come winter, it will be sloppy again…. I used hardwood runners. Should i change them out for something else?
Thanks Steve for your video. I like your simple way to do the sled. I just buy the new table saw and want to make one. I am not sure how is the size of the sled. Is it 40cmx70cm as I saw on the screen?
What software do you use for making your plans?
I was thinking of looking at yard sales for old Miter Jigs, remove everything but the metal rail, drill some hole and attach them to the bottom of some plywood…
A good, stable, accurate crosscut sled. Thanks for showing how to do it.
I got a table saw from a neighbor and there are no slots for a sled. The crosscut ‘sled’ is built into the top, but your style of sled is way better. Any ideas on how to make a sled with no slots?
Very nice
Does this work for any table saw? I’m planning on buying the metabo 10”job site table saw. But I don’t want a table saw that you can’t make custom jigs for.
Steve, at approximately 08:29 when you discuss making the fences, you mentioned cutting FOUR 2 1/2" pieces. Is that 2 1/2" measurement correct? It seems that we might want the fences a bit higher than that. Just checking before I cut them (Measure–or ASK–twice, cut once).
Thanks for a very helpful video.
Great video as always. I have built several crosscut sleds and used the 5 cut method and also just squared with my squares. I never see enough of a difference to justify getting the sled down the 1000th straight.
Great video, thanks. One suggestion is to chamfer a sawdust angle on the front of the fence bar to allow a little room for dust collection. Thanks for the great ideas you have.
Enjoy your videos. I like the idea of this sled, and how simple it seems. I have a Dewalt 7480 table saw, and my issue with a sled is I only have about 6" from the front of my table saw to the blade. So, if I’ve got a board that is more than 6" wide, does it really make sense for me to build a sled? What I currently do is just hold my board against the fence to make my cuts. Thanks for your advice!
Is it just me that noticed a screw fall in the insert plate besides the blade? Yikes!! Is that dangerous? See 14:21 – 14:24.
– "keep sure I haven’t moved it…"
– @13:18 … Opss…
Thank you for not putting in too loud, repetitive, royalty free background music that blasts my speakers off my desk when your videos start.
hi steve great video, but ive come across a problem , i cant cut through the back cross piece because my riving plate is higher than the blade to accomodate the blade guard,
should i cut the riving plate down level with the top of my blade or just remove it while using the cross cutting jig?
Nice video very informative new subscriber here in Landers superstore alabang las piñas city philippines shout out Mr Steve Ramsey stay safe everyone gbph
What if you only have one slot on the right hand side of the blade?
14:21 Am I the only one seeing the screw falling into the saw?!
I screamed on the inside when I saw that screw fall into the table saw slot. 14:21
I’m hoping to purchase a Saw Stop with the dust collection arm. From the photos, it seems this sled would interfere with the dust collection. Can anyone confirm or deny?
I love the ‘safety rails’ on top.
On the size you built here what is the widest piece of lumber you can cut ?
7:54 ahahaha I was just relaxing listening to you and then I hear that along side the laugh I’m creasing 😂😂 I’m not the guy that laughs at YouTube videos but damn haha
Can I suggest painting the "safety block" at the end of the fence red or yellow as an additional reminder to keep fingers away? When its the same color and material as all the other areas your used to touching its harder to recognize as a danger area. I think yellow striped safety tape would be ideal here
If your not planning on flipping the sled then a cheaper material such as pine 2*4 for the front fence would be ok wouldn’t it? Decent 3/4" ply is over $200 a sheet in my region now!
I’m still in my woodworking beginning stages and just got a table saw. I noticed immediately that I really need a crosscut sled. The miter gauge is not accurate, and has too much play, especially when you’re trying to cut pieces that may pull the miter gauge out of the table. This will definitely be my next project. Thanks for sharing!
The only problem I see with your set up are the two reinforcing strips. If you’re cutting off small, repetitive pieces you have to reach under there to remove them and the strips obscure your view of the spinning blade.
Hi Steve. I just finished making the table saw crosscut sled. Your instructions were great. Easy to make. Works great. Thanks again for this video.
I only post this so it may help another woodworker, as you,Steve, are a professional with extremely honest approaches to assist others. AND most likely don’t give a RRRR (ROYAL RED RATS RECTUM) whether I approve or not. I am unsure of our comparative experience but somewhat confident I was working wood when you were born. Now all BS aside I watched you yet again go through your spiel and almost totally agree with each aspect of this video. That got me to wondering just why is it that you are such a trusted source of information and then it just popped up…..earnestness. After all theses years of watching and I have yet to see any greed, only some great FREE advice. Thank you for your service to our woodworking community. If there was such a thing as The Norm Abram seal of approval you would be a recipient.
Very nice.
I recently purchased a table saw to use while renovating my home. The riving knife that came with it, seems to sit as close to the blade, but is much taller than yours appears to be. When trying to build a sled and cutting thru the far support, since I’m not cutting thru the entire board, the knife catches the board. Should the knife be able to rotate back so that the top of it, is in line with the top edge of the blade?
Holy Cow ..after MONTHS of watching video’s, FINALLY a sled that is really and truly simple enough that I, an actual newbie, can make. THANKYOU! Now can you tell me how to fix my router table LOL !
Nice job..
Question: every time I go to the website I submit my name & email but never get the email. ?
Thanks Steve, this will be my first project on my first table saw.
Nice video. Kindve funny though u need a cross cut fence to make this 😁
Muchas gracias!
Thank you very much for your instructional videos 🙂 I’m gonna build one of these^^