Table Saw Sled by Adam Henley – Woodshopessentials.Club

Table Saw Sled by Adam Henley – woodshopessentials.club

The perfect table saw companion. This sled handles longer narrow boards like rails, stiles, aprons, and legs. It’s also deep enough for cutting panels up to 20” wide. With the toggle clamp assembly you can safely cut small pieces too. The miter guide is great for cutting quick and accurate 45s. The fence t-track and stop- block makes accurate measurements and repetitive cutting a breeze. Designed so you can build any attachments you need using the t-track system.

(2) Table Saw Sled

Contents Exploded View ...... 4 3 Dimensional Isometric Views ...... 5 2 Dimensional Plan Views ...... 6 Dimensions ...... 7 STEP 1 – Prep the Fences ...... 8 STEP 2 – The Sled Base ...... 8 STEP 3 – Finish and Attach the Fences ...... 11 STEP 4 – Accessories ...... 13 Finishing Up ...... 16 Using the Accessories ...... 17 APPENDIX A – Cutting dados on the table saw...... 19 APPENDIX B – Cutting dados with a plunge router...... 20 APPENDIX C – Working with acrylic (plastic) ...... 22 APPENDIX D – Creating hardwood miter slot runners ...... 23 APPENDIX E – 5-cut squaring method ...... 24 APPENDIX F – Cutting your 45° Miter Guide ...... 26

(2) Table Saw Sled

BITS & TOOLS HARDWARE & MATERIAL

• 1/16” drill bit (1mm) • (x5) 1/4”-20 x 1-1/2” (40mm) hex bolt • 7/64” drill bit (2.5mm) • (x5) 1/4”-20 wing nut • 3/16” drill bit (5mm) • #8 x 1/2” (12mm) wood screws as needed • 9/32” drill bit (7mm) • #8 x 2” (50mm) wood screws as needed • 5/16” drill bit (8mm) • (x2) #6 x 1/2” (12mm) pan head wood screws • Countersink bit • 1/4” flat washers as needed • 3/4” spade or forstner drill bit (20mm) • Toggle clamp • Drill press, or drill • 3/4” aluminum t-track for 1/4”-20 hex-bolts • Table Saw • PVA Wood glue as needed • Hack saw or band saw (to cut T-track) • Plunge router • 1/2” straight cut router bit • Jig Saw • Card scraper (or sanding block) • Miter saw (optional)

2. CUTTING LIST Part Material Qty. Dimensions (inches) Dimensions (mm) A – Sled Base 3/4” birch plywood 1 48” x 23-1/8” 1200 x 578 B – Front Fence 3/4” birch plywood 2 22” x 4” 550 x 100 C – Main Fence 3/4” birch plywood 1 48” x 5” 1200 x 125 D – Main Fence 3/4” birch plywood 1 48” x 5” 1200 x 125 E – Runner 3/4” oak or hard maple 2 23-1/8” x 1/4” 578 x 6 F – Clamp Platform 3/4” oak or hard maple 1 4” x 2-1/2” 100 x 63 G – Stop Block 3/4” oak or hard maple 1 3-5/8” x 3” 91 x 75 H – Miter Guide 3/4” birch plywood 1 12” x 12” 300 x 300 I – Blade Block 3/4” birch plywood 2 5-1/4” x 4” 131 x 100 J - Stop Block Gauge 1/8” acrylic 1 2” x 1” 50 x 25

CUTTING DIAGRAM - PLYWOOD

(2) Table Saw Sled

Exploded View m

(2) Table Saw Sled 3 Dimensional Isometric Views

(2) Table Saw Sled 2 Dimensional Plan Views

(2) Table Saw Sled Dimensions

(2) Table Saw Sled STEP 1 – Prep the Fences

Cut pieces C and D according to the cutting list, and laminate them together. Use plenty of glue and cover the entire surface before clamping. It can be helpful to leave each piece 1/4” wider and longer than the final dimensions, so after the pieces are glued together, you can clean up the edges by ripping and crosscutting the laminated final fence down to the proper size.

Do the same thing for the front fence with both B pieces. And also for both I pieces (the blade block).

While the glue is drying, set these aside and move on to Step 2. STEP 2 – The Sled Base

Cut piece A according to the cutting list, if you haven’t already.

The offset section is added to reduce the weight and overall bulkiness of the sled, while still supporting longer pieces to the right.

Mark the offset section according to the image here, and add the curves as shown. This offset can be cut out using the jig saw. Sand everything smooth with 120 grit sandpaper.

Lower the table saw blade so it’s flush with the top of the table saw.

Mark a line on the back of the sled, 17” (425mm) from the left edge. This is where we want the blade to line up.

Lay the sled on the table saw and align the blade, with your 17” (425mm) mark. Now you can mark the locations of the miter slots on the back edge of the sled. The image below only shows one miter slot, but go ahead and mark both.

(2) Table Saw Sled Using a square, extend these lines to the top, and lightly mark lines across the top of the sled to the front. This is where the grooves will be cut for the aluminum t-track. They will be in line with the miter slot runners so the screws holding the t-track in place will reach into the runner, instead of protruding out the bottom of the sled.

Using a plunge router, bushing set, 1/2” (13mm) straight cut bit, and a simple jig, you can now mark out and make the grooves for the t-track. If you get t- track that is 3/8” (10mm) deep, make your grooves just slightly over 3/8” (10mm) deep. The final width of 3/4” (19mm) for the grooves should allow for a snug fit for the t-track. See Appendix B for details.

Square off the back of the groove using a sharp 1/2” chisel. This back end of each groove will support the t-track firmly, while the front end of the groove will extend 1/2” past the t-track to allow clearance for the heads of the hex-bolts. This way you can easily insert, and remove the attachments.

Do not screw the t-track in place yet. That will have to wait until the runners are installed.

(2) Table Saw Sled 2C

Extend your lines to the front edge. Now you can place the sled on the saw and mark the miter slots on the front edge. At this point you should have 4 marks on the back edge and 4 on the front edge that are in line with the miter slots, and are also in line with the dadoes you did on the top. We’ll call these your miter slot marks.

Cut E pieces (miter slot runners) from oak or hard maple. It can help to cut them 2” (50mm) longer than the final dimensions, so they extend past the front and back of the sled by an inch. This makes it easier to line them up when gluing.

These runners should slide freely thru your miter slots, without any slop side to side. See Appendix D for tips on making your runners.

Once they fit just right in the miter slots, they should NOT protrude above the top of the table saw. If they do, they are too thick. For attaching them to your sled, you’ll need to place 4 or 5 coins (or washers) down in your miter slot, and put the runners on top. This should make the runners protrude just above the table saw surface.

Lay the coins in the slots, lay the runners on the coins, and put a little wood glue down the middle of the runners (you don’t need so much that it will have any squeeze out on either side). Now lay the sled base on the runners, so that the runners are in line with your miter slot marks on the front and the back of the sled base. Set weights on top of the sled, over the runners. Allow 2 hours to dry.

After the glue has dried, using a hand saw, cut the excess length from the runners on both ends of each, flush with the edge of the sled base. Flip the base over, pre-drill 3/16” (5mm) clearance holes in the hardwood, and countersink for #8 x 1/2” wood screws. Do not insert screws into the underneath side of the dadoes. Only insert screws where you have the full thickness of the plywood to screw into.

Now you can insert the t-tracks on the top, and mark your mounting holes. Drill 7/64” (2.5mm) pilot holes down thru the plywood and the hardwood runners. Now attach the t-tracks using #8 x 1/2” wood screws.

If at this point your sled is tight and doesn’t move freely in the miter slots, you’ll need to remove some material from the sides of the attached runners using 120 grit sandpaper and a sanding block, or a card scraper. Remove just a little material at a time, test the movement, then remove more if needed. You don’t want to remove too much, as this can create side-to-side wiggle room which is not what we want.

To help find the tight spots on the runners, color the sides of the runners with marker, and push it back and forth thru the miter slots. You should be able to see where the tight spots are from the rub marks in the marker. This is where you’ll sand or scrape away material. This process may take some time, but it’s important to get this right, without overdoing it and causing side-to-side wiggle room of the sled.

(2) Table Saw Sled STEP 3 – Finish and Attach the Fences Unclamp the laminated fences. They should now be 1-1/2” (38mm) thick. If you left them slightly big, go ahead and cut them down to final dimensions now.

Mark out the offsets of the main fence according to the diagram. You can cut most of the offset waste away by using a table saw, just stop short of the raised section (be careful to account for the curvature of the table saw blade). Finish the cuts with a jig saw and sand smooth.

At this point you may want to put a 1/8” roundover-edge along most the corners and edges of the top of the sled base and of both fences. Do not roundover the edges where the fences come in contact with the sled base. Optionally, you can add a slight chamfer along the bottom front corner of the main fence (where the work piece is supported). This allows for sawdust to collect under the chamfer instead of getting in the way of your work piece.

Once complete, sand all the surfaces and roundover-edges with 220 grit sandpaper.

Using a dado blade set on your table saw, cut the dado into the main fence according to the diagram above. This should be similar to the dados cut in the sled base, in that they should be deep enough so the t-track sits just below the surface. The width should be so the t-track fits snugly in the dado. For more info see Appendix A.

If you do not have a dado blade, this can be done with a standard blade, making multiple passes. This can also be done using a router and a router table and fence. Do not make this dado cut with a router in a plunge base.

Flip the sled upside down and mark the layout of the fences so you can gauge where to put 3/16” (5mm) countersunk clearance holes.

(2) Table Saw Sled As you can see in the diagram, the clearance holes should double up at each end of each fence, and also make sure you have them close to the blade alignment (but NOT where the blade will get into a screw). Go ahead and clamp the front fence in place and insert #8 x 2” wood screws in all the clearance holes, to firmly attach the fence to the sled base. For the main fence, as square as you can get it to the blade alignment line, clamp it in place and put 1 screw (from underneath) at each end (2 screws total at this point). Now you can set the sled upright and in place in the miter slots, turn on the table saw, and slowly push the sled thru the blade (with it raised about 2”). This creates the kerf slot thru your front fence and the sled base. You can go ahead and extend the kerf thru the main fence as well, but BE VERY CAUTIOUS – YOUR SAFETY BLADE BLOCK IS NOT ATTACHED YET SO THE BLADE WILL BE EXPOSED FROM THE BACK OF THE FENCE. Now continue with Appendix E to apply the 5-cut method. Once the fence is squared to the blade, insert the remaining #8 x 2” wood screws to firmly attach the main fence to the sled base. If at any point the table saw becomes tight when sliding thru the miter slots, you’ll need to sand or scrape away more material from the runners to fix. This can happen as we attach the fences because the process may slightly shift or bind the sled base, which can very slightly change the position of the runners, making one tighter than it was before. But once the fences are attached and the runners are running smooth, you shouldn’t have any more problems. Cut 2 pieces of t-track for the main fence. These should be about 16-3/4” (419mm) and 30-3/4” (769mm). You just want to make sure the blade will not get into the track. They also do not need to be really close to the blade, so you can make them another 1/2” shorter if you want. Go ahead and attach the t-track to the main fence using #8 x 1/2” wood screws. Now attach the Blade Block (I) using wood glue and clamps, see the 2-Dimensional Plan Views page for proper layout of the blade block. You really just need to make sure it’s square, and it’s centered on the kerf slot cut in the fence during the squaring process. The purpose of this block is so the blade will run into it instead of being exposed behind the fence as you push the sled thru. CAUTION - Leaving the blade running and exposed behind the fence is dangerous – DO NOT DO IT – BUILD AND ATTACH THE BLADE BLOCK – This step is critical for safety! If you have all 10 fingers today, let’s make sure you have all 10 fingers tomorrow!

(2) Table Saw Sled STEP 4 – Accessories Cut pieces F, G, and J (refer to Appendix C for tips on cutting acrylic plastic).

Drill the clearance holes for the 1/4”-20 bolts per the diagram:

Drill clearance holes and scribe a line in piece J as shown in the diagram:

(2) Table Saw Sled

Attach J (as shown) to piece G using #6 x 1/2” pan head wood screws. Drill pilot holes in piece G using a 7/64” (2.5mm) bit before inserting screws. You can now attach the stop block to the fence using a 1/4”-20 x 1-1/2” hex bolt and wing nut. The bottom of piece G should be touching the sled base.

Attach the toggle clamp to piece F as shown here, mounting with #8 x 1/2” wood screws. Drill 7/64” (2.5mm) pilot holes in hardwood for #8 screws.

Refer to this diagram (for piece H) for the following instructions:

(2) Table Saw Sled

Once you cut the 12” x 12” (300mm x 300mm) square, then mark a line corner to corner and use your table saw’s miter gauge to cut the 45. You’ll want to attach an extended fence to the miter gauge for better support. See Appendix F for more on this process.

Once the 45 degree angle is cut, mark the center triangle cutout by offsetting a line 2-1/4” (56mm) from each edge. Drill holes in the corners, then cut this out with the jig saw and sand smooth.

The 5/16” (8mm) clearance holes’ locations will vary depending on what your left miter slot location is relative to the blade. Position your Miter Guide (H) so it’s around 1/2” (13mm) away from the blade kerf slot of the sled. Then mark and drill your clearance holes so they are centered over the left t-track. See Appendix F for more on this process.

For the measuring tape on the Main Fence, you’ll want to cut a section from the tape, starting at around 2-1/2” (63mm), to about 25-7/8” (647mm). This may vary depending on your final dimensions of the fence, and your fence’s offset curves, and your roundover edges. So you may want to gauge this based on the following step:

Take a scrap board that is flat and square. Mark a line exactly 6” (150mm) from the edge. Now hold the board against the fence with the line at the right side of the kerf slot of your fence. Move the stop block so it touches the board, and lock it in place with the wing nut.

Now mark a line on the top of the main fence right under the scribed line of the acrylic. This is where you’ll have the 6” (150mm) line of your tape measure when sticking it on the fence. From this you can now hold it in place and gauge where you need to cut the tape measure at both ends.

(2) Table Saw Sled

Finishing Up

Sand the runners and the bottom surface of the sled smooth with 220 grit. Apply paste wax to the runners and the base. This will make the sled slide very smoothly along the table saw.

Drill 3/4” to 1” (19mm – 25mm) holes in the sled base near the front fence, be careful not to hit the runners. These can be used to hang your sled on the wall. Most studs of a standard wall are installed at 16” centers, so if you center your hanging holes 16” apart, you can then install hangers or large screws on your wall to hang the sled using studs for support. Depending on when and where your shop was built, this will vary, so you should locate studs first, then determine where to drill the hanging holes.

You can build other attachments if needed to make additional use of the installed t-tracks. The track on the short side of the main fence can also have its own stop block and tape measure, but I personally haven’t found a need for that. Occasionally if I need a stop block on that side, I’ll just move my main stop block to that side and tighten down after marking and holding the board in place.

The miter accessory can be improved by putting a strip of sandpaper to the 45” support surface with spray adhesive. This helps hold the work piece against the miter support surface without sliding.

(2) Table Saw Sled Using the Accessories

Small-piece hold-down clamp Stop-block set for 24”

Miter-guide accessory

When using the miter guide, tighten the wing nuts down with the guide pressed against the fence to square it up. If at any point for any reason, the Miter Guide is not cutting a perfect 45, or if you need a slight change to the angle, you can use playing cards as shims. Place a card between the fence and one end of the Miter Guide to adjust the angle.

Due to the size of the sled, and the lengths of the fences, this setup will only support up to a certain length of a board, before the board needs to extend back beyond the main fence. If this is the case, you can lay an additional board (with parallel sides) between the fence and the Miter Guide, so the cut-piece can hang off the left side of the sled.

On the following page, the first picture is the standard setup using the Miter Guide. In the second picture, I’m using the method to allow for longer boards.

(2) Table Saw Sled

APPENDIX A – Cutting dados on the table saw.

A dado is a square or rectangular slot cut from one end of a board to the other, and technically it goes across the grain, while the slot is called a groove if it goes with the grain. However, many times this is still referred to as a dado.

A stopped dado is when the slot doesn’t extend to the end of the board. This should be done with a plunge router only. And a rabbet is when that slot runs off the end or the edge of the board.

You can use a dado blade set to cut most dados, grooves, and rabbets. This allows you to cut it in one pass. Be sure to test your final blade width by cutting scrap material first, and checking that the final dado is perfect.

You can also cut dados, grooves, and rabbets with your regular blade. This is handy when you only have a few to cut, and it may not be worth the time to set up and test your dado blade set. When using a regular blade, you’ll make multiple passes between 2 marks to create the groove, slightly moving the fence over with each cut.

When cutting dados and rabbets across a wide board (when it would be unsafe to use the fence), you’ll need to use your miter gauge with an auxiliary fence attached to it to better support the work piece as it passes over the blade. This auxiliary fence can be a straight piece of plywood, mdf, or solid wood. Make sure it’s securely attached to your miter gauge so it will stay at a right angle to the blade thru the entire cut.

When cutting grooves along the length of the board, use your fence as normal. For rabbets, you’ll want to build a sacrificial fence. This can be as basic as attaching a board to the side of your main fence.

Once the sacrificial fence is created, position it directly above the saw blade with the blade lowered into the table. Be sure your actual fence is not in any danger of getting into the blade.

Turn the table saw on and slowly raise the blade into the sacrificial fence, until the cut-away material is higher than what you’ll need to cut the rabbets. You should do this a few times, going into the fence a good 1/4” (6mm).

Now when you run the work piece along the fence, part of the blade will be under the fence, and the cut will run off the edge of the board. This creates the rabbet.

If you need additional training for cutting rabbets and dados, please refer to youtube, as it is a great resource for learning basics such as these, and as a woodworker it’s definitely worth understanding and doing properly.

(2) Table Saw Sled

APPENDIX B – Cutting dados with a plunge router.

For an explanation of what a dado is, see Appendix A.

Cutting dados with a plunge router is a method most useful when it’s not practical to use a table saw. Sometimes the work piece doesn’t have a flat edge, has an irregular shape, or maybe it’s already joined to another piece and can’t be safely ran thru a table saw.

Another time that using a router to cut dados is handy is if the dado doesn’t need to extend all the way to the end of the work piece. This is a stopped dado, and is useful in some joinery and jig-making. The router leaves a rounded end, but that can be dressed up if you like using a sharp chisel.

To start, you’ll need a plunge router, a guide bushing kit, and a 1/2” (13mm) straight cut bit (can be smaller, and also can be an up-spiral bit).

Make a quick adjustable jig using scrap 3/4” plywood. The diagram here shows the simple jig.

When you use a 3/4” bushing, and you use a 1/2” bit, you’ll have to add 1/8” on both sides of the dado location when lining up your guide-jig. So on the work piece I draw lines to show the 3/4” dado I want, then I draw another set of lines 1/8” outside of the first lines. This shows where I’ll clamp down my jig, which will guide the router as I run the bushing against the edges of the jig.

This is a quick, inexpensive dado jig, but it is adjustable and gets the job done. I used pocket joinery to attach the back stop to the right edge guide, and the clamp arm to the left edge guide.

To use this jig, just clamp the pieces down on top of your work piece, directly on to your work bench. Align the Right Edge Guide and Left Edge Guide 1/8” outside your dado location (this will vary if you’re using a different sized bit and/or a different diameter bushing). Make sure the Back Stop is 1/8” past the end of the dado (this will stop your router when the bushing runs into it).

More illustrations on the next page.

(2) Table Saw Sled

APPENDIX C – Working with acrylic (plastic)

You can buy acrylic sheets at some home stores, or you can order them online. They come in various thicknesses and with a paper backing on both sides. Some brands use a plain brown backing that you can easily draw on, others use a clear backing with print, but it can still be marked on with a pen or fine-tipped marker. Be sure to leave this paper on until all the milling for that piece is complete.

Using your standard woodworking tools will work fine when cutting and drilling acrylic. Be sure your blades are sharp, and when cutting on the table saw, raise the blade up about 3/4” (19mm) above the top of the plastic. The saw dust is sharp and will be hot, BE SAFE.

After cutting plastic, either round-over or chamfer the edges. You can do this with a router, or with sandpaper on a sanding block. This will remove the sharp edges. If you want an even cleaner look and feel, you can sand away the saw marks on the edges. You won’t end up with a clear edge, but it will look professional.

When drilling, it’s best to use your drill press. Use a center punch to create a dimple at the hole location before drilling. You should always use a backer board, and with a fresh area of the board for every hole. Without this, you will likely chip out a section of the plastic as you complete the hole.

When drilling larger holes, you’ll be melting the plastic as you drill. Be sure not to let your bit get too hot and take breaks to remove the waste as you go. Drilling a single 1” hole thru 3/8” plastic for example, may take several minutes. Use good ventilation to remove the burning smell from the area.

After holes are drilled, it’s good practice to slightly chamfer both ends of the hole. This reduces the chance of a future crack, and also makes for a cleaner look and feel.

When you need to scribe a line in acrylic, do this while the paper backing is still on. Simply hold a straight edge against the acrylic and run a utility blade, exacto blade, or scribing knife along the straight edge. 2 passes will make the line plenty deep to be easily seen once the paper is removed.

(2) Table Saw Sled

APPENDIX D – Creating hardwood miter slot runners

A hardwood runner should be about half to 2/3rds the depth of your miter slots. I usually make mine 1/4”, and my miter slots are 3/8” deep. The grain should go up and down the thickness of the runner. If it goes side to side, then slight expansion or contraction could make the runner stop working properly. Oak or Hard Maple are ideal for this. When you cut thin strips of wood, you’ll want to use a special push block. This set of plans should have came with my Thin Strip Jig for the table saw, and it works great for safely cutting runners. Be sure to also use a zero-clearance throat plate, or the cutoff could fall down into the table saw along the blade, which could be dangerous and may cause kick back. When cutting the width, which I show as 3/4”, you’ll make your runners whatever width is needed to snugly fit your miter slots. Be sure to use push sticks when cutting, as this is too narrow for using fingers! You’ll first rip this piece along both sides so they are straight and parallel. Leave it just a bit too wide for your miter slots. Go ahead and do this for all the runners you want to make at this time. Then release your fence lock and tap the fence over just a bit, and lock it back down. What you’re doing is shaving off a little at a time and testing the fit. If it still doesn’t slide freely in the miter slot, take off just a hair more. You want to go slowly like this so you don’t overshoot it and leave any movement room from side to side. The runner should not wiggle, but should slide freely front to back. This could be the difference of a couple thousandths of an inch. Once you’ve got the fence just right and the runner fits how you want, then leave it where it is and rip the remaining runners. I usually make several runners at a time when I have available scrap hardwood for them. This way I have a couple runners laying around for any future sleds I may need to make.

(2) Table Saw Sled

APPENDIX E – 5-cut squaring method

When attaching a fence to your table saw crosscutting sled, you want the fence to be as perfectly square as you can get it to the blade. The 5-cut method helps us do that by making a series of cuts on a relatively small piece of wood, yet still showing us the error from square over a much longer distance. This allows us to determine if there’s an error from square say of 1/16” over 48” (1mm over 1200mm). This error would be harder to determine and fix if making a single cut on a small piece of wood and using a square to gauge the error. Here’s the method: 1. Secure the fence to the sled base with 2 screws. 1 on the left end (the pivot screw), which stays in place throughout the process. 1 on the right end, which will be your adjustment side and this screw will be removed when adjusting the fence. Make additional clearance holes on this side under the sled, as you won’t use the same hole when adjusting. 2. Get a flat piece of wood (plywood works fine). I usually use 1/4” or 1/2” plywood, about 12” (300mm) square, or rectangular is fine too. 3. Mark each side sequentially 1 to 4, counter-clockwise. 4. Holding the wood against the fence on the left side of the blade, turn on the table saw and cut off about 1/16” (1mm) from the edge marked “1”. This doesn’t even need to be the entire kerf of the blade, so long as the cut removes material the entire length of that side. Turn off the table saw. 5. Now rotate and place the cut edge against the fence, and do the same for side 2. Repeat this process until you cut all 4 sides. 6. Rotate once more so side “1” is aligned with the blade again, and cut off about a 1/2” strip. Turn off the table saw. 7. With the cutoff laying on the sled, mark front (leading end) “A”, and the back (trailing end) “B”. 8. Measure each end with a caliper. Then calculate “A” minus “B”. If the error (difference) is a positive number (A is wider than B), that means the fence is leaning into the blade from the left and needs to be rotated counter- clockwise to fix. If the error is a negative number (B is wider than A), the fence leans away from the blade from the left, and needs to be rotated clockwise to fix. 9. You’ll leave the left screw in place, remove the right screw, and adjust the right side of the fence to close this error. Be sure to use a different screw hole to secure the fence down at this point. If you use the same screw hole, the previous hole will pull the fence back to where it started. In my example of using a 12” (300mm) square piece, if I have an error of +1/64” (+0.5mm), I’ll move the right end of my 48” (1200mm) fence forward 1/64” (0.5mm). 24

(2) Table Saw Sled

To simplify the process, you can just slightly budge the fence the rotation needed to fix the error, and make another test cut using the 5-cut process, repeating all the steps above until you get within what I call a square fence, which is 1/64” over 48” (0.5mm over 1200mm). This process can also be searched online. It may be helpful to watch a few videos on the 5-cut squaring method before beginning, just so you completely understand the process. Once you understand it, the process is really easy and fairly quick. NOTE: If you are needing to make the 5-cuts from the right side of the blade, the sides will be numbered clockwise instead of counter-clockwise, and the main takeaway is that if end “A” is wider than end “B” of the cut-off, the fence is leaning into the blade, from the side the wood is on. If “B” is wider, the fence leans away from the blade on the right side. This is how you determine which way to rotate the fence, in order to fix the error.

(2) Table Saw Sled

APPENDIX F – Cutting your 45° Miter Guide

You want your Miter Guide to be as perfect of a 45 degree angle as you can get. This way you can always trust the guide to cut your 45s without needing to micro-adjust and fine-tune every time you use it. So let’s make this attachment for your table saw sled spot-on at 45 degrees so you can crank out some great picture frames! (or anything else that needs 45s). This starts with a nice square piece of plywood, cut at 12” (300mm). This can be done using the table saw sled, once the Main Fence is squared-up with the 5-cut method, and secured to the base. Now remove the sled and we’ll use your table saw’s miter gauge to make this 45 degree cut. Alternatively you can mark the 45 degree line as perfect as you can get it, then use a jointer/straight-edge jig to cut it. If you don’t have one, the miter gauge is the next best option. Attach a flat board (plywood, mdf, or hardwood is fine) to your miter gauge. There should be threaded holes or clearance holes in the miter gauge for this purpose. This board will be your auxiliary fence for the miter gauge and provides support to the work-piece all the way to the blade. Angle your miter gauge to 45 degrees by holding a speed square against the fence, and against the blade. Tighten down the miter gauge and now we’ll make a few test cuts to see how close it is, using the picture- frame method. 1. Cut one end off a piece of scrap wood (should be a few inches wide by a few feet long), at 45 degrees using this auxiliary fence. 2. Clamp a stop block to the fence. 3. Cut off 4 identical pieces against the stop block. Flip the board between cuts to achieve this. 4. Lay the 4 pieces together to make a picture frame, and determine if there’s a gap between the pieces. If there is a gap and the pieces do not easily lay together, make minor adjustments to the angle of your miter gauge and repeat. Do this until the gap is gone. 5. Now your miter gauge is set up for a perfect 45, and you can remove the stop block (leave the auxiliary fence) and cut your Miter Guide from corner to corner.