Question of the Week

I'm starting to get questions from listeners of the video podcast and I thought I would pick out at least one each week and pass along the question with my answer.

This weeks questions comes from Rob. Rob asks, "I already have a miter gauge for my table saw but I keep seeing woodworkers use shop made crosscut sleds for their saws.  Why would I need a table saw sled?"

Here's my response:  Rob, often times you don't know what your missing if you've never tried it.  A table saw crosscut sled is one of those items.  I went a long time without one as well.  I used a little panel cut-off sled (a'la  New Yankee workshop) for a while but that was really all that it was good for.  I had a project to complete that involved cutting a lot of large panels and several small cross-cut parts.  I decided that now was the time for a cross-cut sled.  Now I wonder how I got along with out one.  Like a lot of jigs, after you build them you discover new uses for them that you hadn't thought of.  I now use my cross-cut sled to cut small parts that aren't safe with the miter saw, cross-cut large panels that the miter can't handle, and with a couple of 45 degree fences set on the sled, cut precise miters.  I'm also much more confident in the pieces coming out dead-on at 90 or 45 degrees.  The miter gauge that comes with most saws can be frustrating to get the angle you need and the fence is just too small to use except with a very small panel.  The key to an accurate sled is in making sure that the fence is perfectly square to your saw blade.  There are tricks to accomplish this.  If there's enough interest I'll do a video on how to make one.  I hope I've picked your interest in building one for yourself Rob, you'll be glad you did!

Craig