added to the sled, as is a brace Introduction on the left side. This article describes making a table saw sled designed Using the sled to rip triangles is primarily for ripping equilateral described, as is converting the triangle segments for turning. It sled to ripping diamonds. has a built in angled fence that the piece cannot undershoot. Basic Sled The fence can be set with the Drawing1 An isometric view of the The sled is constructed to rip aid of the table saw fence, rip sled. triangle up to about 20 inches making it easier to set the fence long. It could easily be made parallel. There is also a hold longer by changing the down that can be quickly dimensions of the parts. Before adjusted for different beginning have a look at thicknesses of wood so that Drawing1, an isometric view of your hands don't need to be the completed sled, Drawing2, anywhere near the blade. an exploded isometric view of the sled, and Drawing3, a visual The rip sled can be modified to cutting plan of the parts. 3/4" Drawing2 An exploded isometric cut diamonds (as long as the plywood is used for the base of view of the rip sled. same angle is used), as the the sled. The runners are 3/8" x fence is reversible to an right- 3/4" UHMW. Most of the rest angled edge. Although of the parts are 5/4 Radiata Pine designed with equilateral from Home Depot. Substitute triangles in mind, it could be any reasonable strong wood you used to rip any single style of like, although if the thickness isosceles triangle. varies you may have to change some of the dimensions a bit. First a plywood base is attached to runners using the table saw fence as a guide. Then front Drawing3 A visual cutting list, and back supports are added. showing dimensions of the parts. The fence prepared and aligned, Download Drawing3 as a pdf separately. then beveled. The hold down and support are constructed then Begin by cutting two runners of fence so that the base is UHMW, 3/8" x 3/4" x 23". centered on the miter gauge Yes, you could make the slots and parallel to the blade as runners out of hardwood and in Fig01. Mark the center of wax them, but the UHMW is each miter gauge slot at the dimensionally stable regardless front and back of the base and of the humidity, and slides very draw a line connecting the nicely. It's even used for pillow marks. Then mark locations for block bearings in food service runner mounting screws 2" and applications. Then cut a ??" from front and back. rectangle of 3/4" plywood 23" Remove the base from the table long and 13" wide (alert readers saw and drill body holes and may notice the appearance of countersink for the screws at all the plywood changes in the later marked locations. Drop the figures. This is because I UHMW runners into the miter started with 1/2" plywood and slots even with the font of the found it wasn't strong enough saw. Place the base back on the Fig02 Mounting the miter gauge for this application. Cutting on table saw against the fence and running strips. a bevel with a hold down aligned with the front of the saw pressing in the middle tends to and the UHMW runners. Hold Measure the actual width of bow thinner plywood, leading everything in place with a your front and back parts. to inaccurate cuts). If your couple of clamps as in Fig02. Measure and mark that distance table saw miter slots are more Drive screw to hold the runners from the front and back of the than about 12" apart you may in place. Unless you over sled. Slide the fence out of the have to increase the width. countersunk the holes way and use a square to draw a tremendously, 1" flathead screw line across the base at the marks You should probably cut the should work fine. to guide placing the front and rest of the parts, except perhaps back as in Fig03. Spread some the hold down, at this time to glue on the bottom of the front prevent constantly rearranging piece and place it on the base the saw set up. Follow the aligned with the guide line. dimensions in Drawing3 to cut Bring the sled to the front of the the front, back, race and fence saw and use clamp the front to of 5/4" (mine was just under 1- the base and table saw as in 1/8") wood. Don't obsess over Fig04. If your saw doesn't the exact width of the pieces-- allow this you can clamp it off for the front and back I used 5/4 the saw, but be careful that the x 6 pine and ripped it in half, clamps don't bow the base. Use yielding pieces about 2-5/8" x a square to check the alignment 13". The brace is 2" x 23". The of the front with a square as in rip fence is the full width of the Fig05 before the glue sets. 5/4 x 6 after jointing and facing Repeat this procedure for the on the table saw by 20-1/2". back. After the glue sets you Fig01 Laying out mounting holes can reinforce the glue with Place the plywood base on the for the miter gauge runners. some screw driven up from the table saw. Adjust your rip bottom of the base, but stay well away from the saw line. height so that it's a little higher than the thickest wood you Prepare a fence extension so intend to rip and run the sled you can use your table saw through the blade as in Fig06. fence to align the sled fence. It should be 2" wide and 20-1/2" long. Joint one edge and skim rip the other edge so that the Fig03 Using a square to lay out edges are parallel. Return the the position of the front. blade angle to 60 degrees. Using your table saw fence and the fence extension as a guide, set the fence so one edge is aligned with the right edge of the blade slot of the base. Lock the fence in place with two screws and washers positioned about 1/2" from the right edge Fig04 Clamping the front to the Fig06 Cutting the blade slot with base. of the fence in the slots as in the blade set at 60 degrees. Fig08. Remove the fence extension and move the table If you haven't already done so, saw fence out of the way. Then return your blade to 90 degrees pass the sled through the blade to cut the fence to length. Joint to cut a bevel on the fence. as in one edge of the fence, and skim Fig09. Now flip the fence so rip the other edge so that it is that the bevel faces down as in parallel to the jointed edge. Fig10. Make sure the fence is flat, as if it is not it will tend to bow the Fig05 Checking the alignment of base. If it is not, find a flatter the front on the base before the glue sets. piece, or joint on face and then plane the other parallel. Mark Despite the fact that it's missing lines 6" from each end of the from some of the pictures, glue fence 4" long. Use your table and screw the brace across the saw, as in Fig07, or your band front and back at the far left saw to cut slots slightly wider side at this time. This will help than the screws you'll use to keep the sled flat. mount the fence to the base. Set your table saw blade to 30 degrees as accurately as you can. I suggest you use an Fig08 Aligning the fence with the accurate 30/60 triangle, or one right edge of the blade kerf to of the new electronic devices bevel the fence. The fence extension and your table saw rather than trusting the indicator fence make it easier to get the on your saw. Adjust the blade Fig07 Using the table saw to cut fence parallel to the blade. slots in the fence. or loosen the knob. The with a couple of long screws as bushing, which is just a little in Fig11. longer under the shoulder than the hold down thickness, allows the hold down to swing up and down with only moderate lateral play. Fig09 The fence after beveling. Drawing4 A cross section view of the support, bushing, bolt and hold down. Cut out the support using the Fig11 After attaching the support dimensions indicated in to the back. Drawing3. The slot is drawn Turn the bushing on your lathe. with square ends--that was a Mount a 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" x 1- convenience for the isometric 3/4” piece of hardwood, such as drawing--it's easier to drill two maple on between centers. 3/8" holes and saw out between Turn the piece round. Leaving them. If you have a scroll saw a shoulder full diameter, reduce use that to saw out the slot the rest of the bushing to 3/4". between the holes. If not, use Remove it from the lathe and your band saw to rip the support check the fit in the drilled hole even with the outer edges of the Fig10 The fence after flipping it in your hold down.