Crafting A Custom Crosscut Jig For Your Table Saw

A cross-cut sled is a great accessory for your table saw, making it easier to get consistently square and repeatable cuts than when using a miter gauge. It adds functionality to any table saw and makes delicate cuts safer. In this article, we will go through the steps to make your own cross-cut sled at home.

Use plywood for the base

Plywood is a great option for the base of your cross-cut jig. It is strong, resilient, and dimensionally stable, ensuring your jig remains accurate over time. Here are some tips for using plywood as your base:

• Choose a good-quality plywood: Look for plywood that is flat, with minimal warping or twisting. Baltic Birch Plywood is a great option and is commonly used for jig bases.
• Thickness: Go for a thickness of around 3/4" or slightly more. This will provide a sturdy base for your jig.
• Size: The size of your base will depend on the size of your table saw and the material you plan to cut. A common size for a cross-cut sled is around 36" x 24".
• Factory edge: When cutting your plywood to size, try to keep one factory edge intact. This will help ensure a straight edge for your jig.
• Cutting the base: Use a circular saw or a table saw to cut your plywood to size. Make sure your cuts are straight and accurate.
• Pre-drilling: When attaching the fence or other components to your plywood base, consider pre-drilling holes to prevent the plywood from splitting.
• Gluing and screwing: For a strong and durable joint, use a combination of wood glue and screws when attaching the fence to the base. This will ensure your jig remains sturdy and accurate.
• Clamping: When gluing and screwing the fence, use clamps to hold the fence firmly in place while the glue dries. This will help ensure accuracy.
• Square the fence: It is crucial to square the fence to the blade. Take your time with this step and use a combination square or a framing square to get it right.

Cut the wood to size

The first step in making a cross-cut jig for a table saw is to cut the wood to size. This will form the base of the jig and the fences. The size of the wood pieces will depend on the size of the jig you want to make and the size of your table saw.

For the base of the jig, you can use a sheet of plywood or MDF. The thickness of the wood can vary, but it should be thick enough to provide a stable base for the jig. Common thicknesses used are 1 cm or 3/4". You will need to cut the wood to the appropriate length and width to fit your table saw. Make sure to measure twice and cut once to ensure accuracy.

For the fences, you will need two pieces of wood. The length of the fences will depend on the size of your table saw, and you want them to be taller than the highest blade height. The width of the fences can also vary, but you want them to be wide enough to provide a stable surface for the jig. Again, measure and cut the wood to the appropriate size, ensuring accuracy.

It is important to use straight and true pieces of wood for the base and fences to ensure that your jig is accurate and square. You can use a table saw or a circular saw to cut the wood to size, depending on what tools you have available. Take your time and cut the wood slowly and carefully to ensure straight and accurate cuts.

Attach a miter bar to the base

Attaching a miter bar to the sled base

The first step in making a crosscut sled is to attach a miter bar to the sled base. You can buy a steel or aluminium miter bar from a woodworking supply store, which saves you the hassle of trimming a wooden one to fit and worrying about the wood expanding over time. You only need one miter bar, and this simplifies the process by removing the need to align two bars to the miter slots.

To attach the miter bar, you can use screws, glue, or both. Some builders recommend pre-drilling and countersinking the screws to prevent the wood from splitting. You can also use washers underneath the miter bar to raise it slightly above the table surface. Double-sided tape can be used to temporarily attach the miter bar to the base while you drill the holes for a more secure fit.

The placement of the miter bar is important. You want to make sure it doesn't interfere with any other components, such as the T-track or the blade. It's a good idea to use the fence as a reference for positioning the miter bar on the bottom of the base.

Once you're happy with the placement, secure the miter bar to the base. You can use screws, epoxy, or a combination of both. Make sure the miter bar is locked down securely and is aligned properly with the miter slot.

With the miter bar attached, you can move on to the next step of building your crosscut sled.

Secure the runners to the sled

The runners must be precisely sized and positioned. Take your time and mill the runners so they easily slide in the miter gauge slots without any binding or slop. Sneak up on the runner widths by ripping off small amounts of wood until you get the perfect fit.

When gluing the runners to the sled, you can use a combination of glue and screws. One method is to place washers into the miter slots of your saw, two in each slot. This will make it so your runners stand just proud of the saw's surface. Insert the runners over the washers. Now, place a strip of double-sided tape on each runner. This will help keep the runners attached to the sled base once you position it.

Setting the table saw fence to a distance that puts the edge of the base at the edge of the table on the left side of the blade, set the sled base onto the runners (up against the fence to ensure it's square). Press firmly to activate the pressure-sensitive tape.

Now flip the base over and your runners should be stuck to the base precisely where they need to be. Normally with wooden runners, this step is not needed as you can simply screw down from the top of the sled into the runner. However, with aluminium runners, the screw hole placement must be precise. Use a centre punch to mark the location of each hole. There should be six holes in total to drill. Drill out the six holes using a 1/4" brad point bit. Remember the side facing down is the top of the sled, so you don't want a lot of nasty blowout showing. Once the holes are drilled, flip the base over and countersink the holes. The screws need to sit flush or slightly below the surface so they don't interfere with or mark up your workpieces.

Now, if you haven't moved your table saw fence from when you placed the base on the runners, simply place the runners back in the slots and drop the base back down onto them, lining up the holes in the base with the holes in the runners. Using 3/4" long 1/4-20 machine screws with flat heads, attach the base to the runners. Use a screwdriver for this, you want firm attachment but don't want to strip out the soft aluminium by using an impact driver.

Now try moving the sled back and forth in the slots to make sure there isn't any binding. If you experience binding, you can adjust the set screws in the runners to compensate. You want to end up with nice smooth travel through the miter slots with no wiggle in the sled.

Attach a fence to the sled

Attaching a fence to the sled

The fence is an integral part of the crosscut sled, providing a straight edge to guide the wood as it is pushed through the saw blade. The fence should be taller than the highest the blade will be raised, and it should be attached to the front and back of the sled.

The fence does not need to be square to the blade, as its function is to hold the two halves of the sled together after the kerf has been cut through the base. The fence should be glued and screwed to the sled, with the screws driven from the bottom.

It is important to ensure that the fence is square to the kerf. This can be achieved by first screwing down one end of the fence, then using a combination square or drafting square to align the fence square to the kerf. The fence can then be clamped in place and checked for squareness before screwing down the other end.

To make the fence easier to adjust, carriage bolts, washers, and nuts can be installed from the bottom through oversized holes. This allows for easy access and adjustment of the fence if needed.

Additionally, the fence for the workpiece should be taller than the other two fences. This allows for the use of a spring clamp to clamp on stop blocks.

When attaching the fence, it is crucial to consider safety measures. The blade guard can be integrated into the design of the sled, and designated handholds or a windowed box can be incorporated to keep hands away from the blade.

For further safety, a riving knife can be used with the sled. The blade height should also be considered, ensuring it is not set too high, which could pose a safety hazard.

Some other methods for attaching the fence include using a hand plane blade, a hacksaw blade, a chisel, or an oscillating tool with a cutter. These tools can be used to cut a slot for the fence, ensuring a secure fit.

Overall, the process of attaching a fence to a crosscut sled involves careful measurement, alignment, and attachment, with a focus on safety and functionality.

Frequently asked questions