Blame this post on FamilyWoodworking. I was over there trolling for good article ideas and stumbled on a thread called “Most Used Jigs.” I started adding up the results and it turned out that the crosscut sled won by a landslide. (What is a crosscut sled??)
And so I started researching and cataloging some of the incredible crosscut sled resources out there on the web. Let me know if you have any additions to the list!
Top 5 Outstanding Crosscut Sled Resources:
1) Crosscut Sled Design Guide (pdf)
This is the queen mother of them all in my humble opinion. It includes some drawings on the last page that will help you plan out your required sizes, plus the 3 page article before the drawings describes all the ins and outs. It’s a PDF so you can print it off if you need to.
2) CrossCut Sled for Table Saw
This Q/A tutorial from Joe Lyddon captures all the FAQs of building crosscut sleds. He suggests his favorite books, dimensions, base thicknesses, suggests 5 different processes for attaching strips to the sled and a detailed list of do’s and don’ts. Read this one closely.
3) Double Runner Cross Cut Sled With Blade Guard by Paul Comi
This write up, again with fantastic illustrations, provides a no-nonsense tutorial for building a long lasting and highly accurate crosscut sled. In the opening paragraphs it provides links out to influences and theory. This is worth reading through just for the little build ideas.
4) Cross-cut sled – different way
This incredible write up and illustration by Nikki Avrahami of FamilyWoodworking will help you with little pointers and big ideas. It’s in the top 5 because of its outstanding pictures with yellow print on them describing each step of the operation.
5) Building Crosscut Sleds
http://www.geotekds.com/sled/index.htm – link removed… visit at your own risk… apparently the site has been hacked!
Great write up and great pics. Very general but very detailed at the same time. Another great starting point if you’ve never built your own.
Other Crosscut Sled Resources:
Make Your Own Crosscut Sled
Crosscut Sled a la Mehler
Crosscut Sled Plans
Table Saw Cross Cut Sled
What is a Crosscut Sled?
Sturdy table saw crosscut sled (steel runners)
Special Purpose Crosscut Sleds:
Large Crosscut Sled
Small Crosscut Sled
Crosscut Sled for Wide Panels
Zero-Clearance Crosscut Sled
Crosscut Sled Stuff From the Forums:
Building a crosscut sled. Need advice…
Who has the best cross cut sled?
Does the base of the sled have to be square?
Sliding table or crosscut sled?
Crosscut Sled Usage:
Using a Crosscut Sled (Fine HomeBuilding)
Crosscut Sled Maintenance
Squaring Up a Cross-Cut Sled
Tune Up Your Crosscut Sled (video)
Other Ultimate Guides from ToolCrib:
Ultimate Guide to Free Router Table Plans
Ultimate Guide to Free Woodworking Workbench Plans
Ultimate Guide to the Top Ten Most Dangerous Woodworking Power Tools
Ultimate Guide to Over 4,000 Free Woodworking Plans
Ultimate Guide to Online Home Remodeling DIY Resources
I just ran into this site and love it. Has a lot of great tips that everyone can use on the old garage project.
the link numbered 5 is I think contaminated with a trojan horse – my anti virus programme just went nuts and blocked it when I clicked on the link. Can you remove it or advise the owner?