I'm so bored that I built a tablesaw sled that is accurate to .00001 of an inch (as accurate as I can measure) over it's 15" capacity... If you are familiar with how these fences are calibrated, it took six adjustments off the pivot and about two hours of fiddling to get it that square. And yeah, it's pointless to have a sled that accurate for the work that I do... but Covid boredom does weird things to a man.
Tablesaw sled...
- Thread starter Ryan
- Start date
Holy ****, Ryan, the wood fluctuates with humidity more that that! LOL
OP
Yeah, it's probably totally out of spec already...
LeeG
Well-known member
If you ever have to make another sled, check out this video from William Ng on tuning a sled with only 2 cuts. I used this technique on several sleds I made. I have one for 45’s, one for a dado blade, and a couple more for general use.
OP
That’s the video I used actually. It took me so many tries only because I was curious how accurate I could really get it.
William is a genius.
Bigblockyeti
Banned
COVID boredom does do strange things. I've made jigs for so many small projects that I've created a need for where normally I'd just grab a miter gauge or router or whatever and freehand. Knowing that I'd be well within spec without using a jig doesn't stop me, misc jigs are starting to pile up and I need to label them and somewhere catalog detail explanations of the intended use for some that their use is less obvious. Unnecessary precision isn't a bad thing but often not so efficient but again, boredom.
cycle61
Well-known member
Timely thread, I just picked up a saw yesterday and building one of these is gonna be my first project with it. 
OP
Now that's funny.
3pedal
Well-known member
I just built one too, though mine isn't that accurate.
y'sguy
Well-known member
I use 1/2" acrylic to build my sleds. Glues up Super fast with MEK and as accurate as I need. Sorry I can't find a pic of the runners, but they work the same, cut to fit guides, glue, drop the sled on - your done. These are made from scrap acrylic drop from my friends shop. (Yep, that helps!!) but if you think about the price of any good material it wouldn't be so bad to outright buy this stuff anyway. Very stable and accurite. Do not lean it up against the wall in the shop when doing other things and allow the wind to blow it over and crack it into two sections where the saw blade passes thru. 
Oh, well make another quick!
Oh, well make another quick!
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Why do you want a front and back vertical ?
The blade is going to cut the sled in half - the only thing holding it together is the vertical pieces that are higher than the blade cut
turbowoodworker
Well-known member
Hey Ryan,
Question about your backstop/blade guard with the Diver Down emblem. It looks smallish to me. I had a small one on one of my sleds and was cutting rather thick stock. I was horrified to see the blade exit near the palm of my hand.
I ended up making mine out of 8/4 material that is just glued on. Now pictures don't always do it justice, and you may only plan on cutting 4/4 boards, but watch where the blade exits with thick stock. (Or correct me if my eyesight is off!)
Rick
Question about your backstop/blade guard with the Diver Down emblem. It looks smallish to me. I had a small one on one of my sleds and was cutting rather thick stock. I was horrified to see the blade exit near the palm of my hand.
I ended up making mine out of 8/4 material that is just glued on. Now pictures don't always do it justice, and you may only plan on cutting 4/4 boards, but watch where the blade exits with thick stock. (Or correct me if my eyesight is off!)
Rick
rlitman
Well-known member
Good point. Which is why it's got the markings. On the box jointing sled I recently made, I went with an open space behind the rail, with pieces to keep my fingers safely away from the blade.
For box jointing, I probably won't actually cut through far enough back to get into that space, but having it still makes me happy. On a sled I remember my father making, he closed off the back of that box, and then put a piece of plexi on the top, because when the blade does exit, it throws dust toward your face.
Of course, if you keep pushing, you can still run the blade out the back.
A solution I made for my father's sled was to have a steel hook that hung off the back and caught on the end of the table, stopping the sled before it goes too far.
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theoldwizard1
Well-known member
bubinga
Well-known member
l didn't read the whole post,
But what is he measuring to thousands of an inch"
I have already used a Dial Indicator at my Table-saw To make repeated width pieces of stock.
It's not that difficult. Think about it, 1/32" is .031" and is easy to measure with a tape measure. Stack 4 of those parts and remeasure, divide by 4, and now we're down to .008', without using calipers.
I don't break out calipers often but I stack parts to check the dimensions anytime it's practical.
MBfreak
MEMBER EMERITUS
Tottally off topic.
Albert King, Crosscut saw
" I`m crosscut saw, baby drag me cross your log"
Corona boredom makes me do strange things.
Ola
Albert King, Crosscut saw
" I`m crosscut saw, baby drag me cross your log"
Corona boredom makes me do strange things.
Ola
I think you guys are confusing thousandths (3 places over) with hundred thousandths (5 places over)
Ryan indicated he was in the hundred thousandths .00001 Fcvapor05 asked what he was using to obtain that fine of a measurement in a home shop environment
