Crosscut Sled V2.0

Here is my new crosscut sled. This new new sled has been on the “must do list” for sometime now. The build became necessary after my other one bit the back of my leg and ankle for the last time. When I would set the sled down and lean it against my bench it would have a habit of tipping back at me just as I turned and walked away. This “habit” needed to be cured in the design of V2.0 along with some added features I had not thought of in the first version.

V2.0 is 24”x24” and made from mdf and mahogany that I had left over from the blanket chest build. Front fence is mahogany and mdf laminated and the the rear is mahogany. One of the issues with the old sled was it only had a T-slot in the centre of the fence and I wanted it along the entire length of the fence. I also made the bump stop from mahogany and is designed to fit on both the upper and lower parts of the fence. The stop is gapped the thickness of my ruler so when I place it on the lower side of the fence and is turned around it will clear the table top. The cure for the tipping issue was to place the rear fence 1mm in from the back edge. This allows the sled lean forward without tipping over in either direction. No more sneak attacks on the back of my ankles!!!

The key I found to squaring the fence to the blade is to make sure the base is dead square and when attaching it to the runners you take extra care to make it square to them as well. By doing this I was able to attached the fence to the base along the edge and it was bang on the first time. I also milled the runners so they were just a hair tight but could still slide in the slots. By doing that it allowed me to fine tune them with a little bit of sanding once the sled was assembled. There is zero play side to side now and even if I push on it from either side with one hand there is no racking. I applied a coat danish oil to the fences only and a coat of minwax finishing wax to the rails and the bottom.

I’m super happy with how well this sled turned out and looking forward to making a truck load of sawdust with it. One thing I’m planning to add will be a extended auxiliary fence for longer stock. If you have any questions or idea’s for accessories that can be added to improve it’s function please feel free to ask or share.

-- "I've still got things left to do." – Walter White