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Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge

Craftsman 12" Bandsaw – Fully Rebuilt + Turning Blanks

Making a Miter Sled

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Making a Miter Sled

#1

Making a Miter Sled

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.



I need to miter the bottom trim piece as shown in Picture 1. I don't take great pains on some joints, but miters that show are an exception. I like them perfect. I have never been able to get perfect with the saw's metal miter. The registration length is too small.

PIC 2&3





Making a sled is easy. Cut 2 quarter sawn runners and fit them in the table saw channels. Add glue to the runners, then add a plywood top and a couple of bags of lead shot to "clamp" the runners to the top. Next add the back fence, again with glue and lead shot bag.



The front fence is the challenge. I have tried it all ways including geometry of constructing a perpendicular(fence) to a line (saw blade). Empirical works best. Fix one end with a screw. Drill a counter sink on the other end, then an oversized hole and secure fence with a flat head screw (Kreg or other). Make a test cut. Adjust the position of the fence as needed. When the miter is at 90 degrees secure the fence in place with additional screws. Done

Re: Making a Miter Sled

#2

PS the two kerfs

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

One is 45 degrees and the other 22.5 for the corner cupboard miters.

Re: Making a Miter Sled

#3

Re: Making a Miter Sled *LINK*

Hank Knight

Bill, your corner cupboard is coming along nicely. I've enjoyed following your build.

I have two comments about your crosscut sled issues.

First, I struggled with getting the fence square with the saw kerf until I found this YouTube video by William Ng. He shows how to calculate the error and correct it with a micrometer. It works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbG-n--LFgQ

Second, most crosscut sled plans call for drilling an oversized hole for the anchor screw on one end of the sled to allow room for adjusting for square. I found that in my trial and error attempts to square the fence, the anchor screw head sunk into the base of the sled and deformed the hole (I.E., made a depression), making subsequent adjustments difficult - the screw head always wanted to slip back into the original depression. I solved the problem by using an expansion washer from Lee Valley to keep the anchor screw head from imbedding in the sled base.




Expansion Washers

Re: Making a Miter Sled

#4

never heard of them.....

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

...but I will be getting some with next LV order. I have several plans for them.

The flat bottom screws I used are handy for all manner of things-fastening metal light fixtures to ceilings, tops to case goods, outlet boxes to studs, etc. The adjustment I need for the fence was readily accommodated by the oversized hole and flat backed screw. But had I had these washers on hand I would have used them.

Re: Making a Miter Sled

#5

Re: Making a Miter Sled

Bruce, a MN Galoot

I used Ng’s method, and can attest it works very well. My crosscut sled is within a couple thou on the fifth cut. It is fiddly, though.

Re: Making a Miter Sled

#6

Re: Making a Miter Sled

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

The Ng UTube video is 35 minutes long. It didn't take me 35 min to make the sled! Don't know what he does for 35 min. 35 min of video would exhaust my monthly allotment from T-Mobile.

Re: Making a Miter Sled

#7

Re: Making a Miter Sled

Bruce, a MN Galoot

I’ll copy it and send it to you.

👍 This page answered my questions

Your vote helps other woodworkers quickly find the answers and techniques that actually work in the shop.