Project Information
This post describes a small project-within-a-project. For my Floating Serpentine Shelf project, I needed to bevel the ends of many thin plywood strips (1 3/4" wide) and panels (about 12" wide), some over 6 feet long.
In the past, I've tried to avoid bevel cuts and, when I couldn't, used a table saw and miter gauge for short cuts and a circular saw and guide for longer ones. I didn't think either approach would work for the shelf project, so I needed a better solution.
I built a crosscut sled for my table saw (Ridgid R4510) a few years ago (based on a William Ng video). It's 36" wide and has a cutting capacity of 21". It's made of 1/2" MDF and Incra slides and has a stop block riding on a T-Track on the fence's inside edge. This sled has been great, but I always regretted not building it with a replaceable insert (in case I wanted to use it with different blades, to replace it when the kerf got a little sloppy, etc.).
I considered building a new sled for bevel cuts, but I didn't want to take the time, and I don't have space for another sled. I decided that adding an insert to my current sled would eliminate my regrets while solving my bevel-cutting problem. With some trepidation, I took the plunge. I adjusted my circular saw's cutting depth to 1/2" and used the sled's slides and an MDF strip to guide the saw to cut an opening in the sled's base.
With that done, all I had to do was cut a few 1/2" MDF inserts to fit the opening. One is a template for drilling mounting holes, another is for 90-degree cuts, and the last is for 45-degree cuts. I counterbored the holes and used pocket screws to attach the insert. (If the holes ever get stripped, I can always install metal inserts later.)
Cutting the kerf in the insert splits it in two, but it's easy enough to replace the two halves when I change the blade angle.
The next-to-last photo above shows the new sled in action. The last photo shows my test results. In it, you'll notice slight gaps in some corners, but that's because I have the four sides sitting on the sled without tape or glue to press them together.
Here it is in action beveling the end of a long shelf panel.
Here's a stack of beveled panels. (I used a router and chamfer bit to bevel the long edges.)
Finally, here's the sled hanging on a French Cleat setup for storage.
(I'm sure someone will mention it, but I know I need to install a blade exit guard on the back of the fence. I used to have one there, but it fell off and I never replaced it. It's on my future to-do list.)
The conversion worked out well for me, and now I won't fear 45-degree cuts anymore.
In the past, I've tried to avoid bevel cuts and, when I couldn't, used a table saw and miter gauge for short cuts and a circular saw and guide for longer ones. I didn't think either approach would work for the shelf project, so I needed a better solution.
I built a crosscut sled for my table saw (Ridgid R4510) a few years ago (based on a William Ng video). It's 36" wide and has a cutting capacity of 21". It's made of 1/2" MDF and Incra slides and has a stop block riding on a T-Track on the fence's inside edge. This sled has been great, but I always regretted not building it with a replaceable insert (in case I wanted to use it with different blades, to replace it when the kerf got a little sloppy, etc.).
I considered building a new sled for bevel cuts, but I didn't want to take the time, and I don't have space for another sled. I decided that adding an insert to my current sled would eliminate my regrets while solving my bevel-cutting problem. With some trepidation, I took the plunge. I adjusted my circular saw's cutting depth to 1/2" and used the sled's slides and an MDF strip to guide the saw to cut an opening in the sled's base.
With that done, all I had to do was cut a few 1/2" MDF inserts to fit the opening. One is a template for drilling mounting holes, another is for 90-degree cuts, and the last is for 45-degree cuts. I counterbored the holes and used pocket screws to attach the insert. (If the holes ever get stripped, I can always install metal inserts later.)
Cutting the kerf in the insert splits it in two, but it's easy enough to replace the two halves when I change the blade angle.
The next-to-last photo above shows the new sled in action. The last photo shows my test results. In it, you'll notice slight gaps in some corners, but that's because I have the four sides sitting on the sled without tape or glue to press them together.
Here it is in action beveling the end of a long shelf panel.
Here's a stack of beveled panels. (I used a router and chamfer bit to bevel the long edges.)
Finally, here's the sled hanging on a French Cleat setup for storage.
(I'm sure someone will mention it, but I know I need to install a blade exit guard on the back of the fence. I used to have one there, but it fell off and I never replaced it. It's on my future to-do list.)
The conversion worked out well for me, and now I won't fear 45-degree cuts anymore.