Project Information
Like most shops, I feel like my shop is limited. I have a fairly large garage, but I don't like having stacks of large jigs. So when I made this table saw sled, I wanted it to replace two of my other table saw sleds. This sled, I think, is unique in that it has a bed that folds into an angle on the right hand side. I did this because I got tired of tilting my blade for 45 degree cuts. I'm 43, certainly not an elderly man, but I have back problems as well as knee joints that don't like me. Bending down to crank my table is not fun.
Instead, I made the table fold in such a way that I could do not just 45 degree cuts, but even crazier angles, if I chose to. This allows me to keep my blade at a 90 angle and for me to quickly put it up or down. You'll notice in one of the pictures there's a knob and a latch I use that holds the angle where it needs to be. It's a custom made handle I call 'the debonaire knob'...because it just looks sophisticated.
So the folding table replaced the miter sled I use to use just for cutting angles (crosscutting).
My second sled had a box joint jig that I could remove and put in a track to use whenever I made box joints. It was severely limited to a kerf cut and could only make finger style box joints. With this sled, it had to change. I created a channel and added a mechanism on my sled that can make any size width box joints. It relies on a crank (you can see on the left side in the pictures) that's geared. For every twist of the crank, it rotates a pin that pushes the wood over for the next cut. I was so happy with this that I actually created a device that can be attached to any sled or miter gauge. Now it's not geared, but it just takes twice as long to do what this led does…which limits this sled to '2' turns joints.
In the first picture you can see all the attachments…attach to the front so I can use the sled normally.
I really feel like the pictures I've posted are limited to the overall feel of this sled. I have a video of this sled where I show how I made it but am extremely cautious about submitting it in this project space. You can, however, find it on my youtube page as one of my projects. It was a fun…different project not everyone will care for, but I had fun making it and really enjoy using it.
EDIT: Well it appears other project posts are posting videos? I'll post the video to this but will take it down if it's considered 'spam'.
Instead, I made the table fold in such a way that I could do not just 45 degree cuts, but even crazier angles, if I chose to. This allows me to keep my blade at a 90 angle and for me to quickly put it up or down. You'll notice in one of the pictures there's a knob and a latch I use that holds the angle where it needs to be. It's a custom made handle I call 'the debonaire knob'...because it just looks sophisticated.
So the folding table replaced the miter sled I use to use just for cutting angles (crosscutting).
My second sled had a box joint jig that I could remove and put in a track to use whenever I made box joints. It was severely limited to a kerf cut and could only make finger style box joints. With this sled, it had to change. I created a channel and added a mechanism on my sled that can make any size width box joints. It relies on a crank (you can see on the left side in the pictures) that's geared. For every twist of the crank, it rotates a pin that pushes the wood over for the next cut. I was so happy with this that I actually created a device that can be attached to any sled or miter gauge. Now it's not geared, but it just takes twice as long to do what this led does…which limits this sled to '2' turns joints.
In the first picture you can see all the attachments…attach to the front so I can use the sled normally.
I really feel like the pictures I've posted are limited to the overall feel of this sled. I have a video of this sled where I show how I made it but am extremely cautious about submitting it in this project space. You can, however, find it on my youtube page as one of my projects. It was a fun…different project not everyone will care for, but I had fun making it and really enjoy using it.
EDIT: Well it appears other project posts are posting videos? I'll post the video to this but will take it down if it's considered 'spam'.