Attempting to time how long it takes me to build a small table saw sled. woodgears.ca/de... The basic sled itself took about half an hour, but then I got fancy with the safety stop, varnished it and so on.
I watched this when it came out, then saw it on my feed again, and thought it meant 'how long [in length or width] should the sled be'. I was hoping to see Matthias make a 6 foot sled for cutting 2x4 studs.
My thoughts exactly! I guess the aim was to prove that it could have taken longer if less was prepared earlier and it could have taken longer if more bits were done beforehand 😀
Hey Matthias, just wanted to say thank you. While I've never done woodwork I always watched these videos with my father, who loved them. I will continue watching them, because you make fantastic content and it makes me feel a little closer to him now that he's gone.
My dad was an old school maker... always tinkering. He passed when I was 14 (I'm 55 now) and I definitely feel a link to him when I'm in my shop, especially when I'm using some of his old tools. You should take up the craft, even if only on a small scale.
So all together it took maybe an hour from start to finish. Pretty good, it takes me that long just to clean out my shed enough to uncover my table saw. Got to put it all away before dark, too, otherwise the rain will ruin everything. Been building my first sled for the past month and it's still not done. I'm not trying to break speed records, though, just make something that will not warp and be useful. No baltic birch available here, only luan plywood, but these videos help a lot so do keep them coming!
Continuing in his long tradition of quality table saw sled delivery. From a first in 2010 to "and now this one" 2018. Very nice Matthias. You will of course surpass in 2018 best to your family.
I'm going to make one of these. You're right about the big sled just being a little too much for a lot of stuff. Sometimes you want to take the Cadillac out for a drive, but sometimes you just need to get to work. P
I think the point is that, as you always demostrate in your videos, the little thought and effort invested in being organised and prepared always pays dividends. Depending on the amount and level of the work you do its always worthwhile to make at least some simple jigs and as the need arises more can be produced. Thanks to your videos you provide a catalogue of how to's for almost all ocassions. And you do so in an interesting intelligent and entertaining manner. Many thanks to you.
I really appreciate that you call out the speed that you use to fast-forward stuff. Its always nice to know if I want to replicate this I need to go MUCH slower and not fling stuff through my power tools... they tend to fling it back :-)
You’re the man. With a cave. Always been a fan of yours and Frank H. And Jeremy S. I can’t stand round things (lathes) too. Please continue with your fantastic videos. Love the engineering you include in some of your work.Notable that you remain unsponsored. Many Many thanks. Johnathan
I love your sleds, they are not overly exotic, and get the job done. I also love that you are able to find stuff that people have thrown away in the garbage. I wish I were that lucky. I remember over a decade ago seeing those NordicTrak machines going for next to nothing at Thrift stores, like 20 bucks or so. I should have picked them up, because I think they were made of some really good hardwood that would probably have worked great for making the runners for these sleds.
The only problem with those I found is that you have to be fairly particular with drilling holes for screws, as the screw can cause the plastic to bulge if the pilot hole isn't big enough. Though I suppose you could always use a little hand plane to shave the bulge back down.
That has happened to me. I was also using tapered screws (the non pan head style) and tightening those through the runner into the sled caused the runner to bulge out, but when I just screwed from the sled to the runner there was no more bulging and binding in the miter slots.
I made one to cut the ends of cedar shingles. We had to buy 8 bundles that were not finish cut at the ends like the rest of my house had, so I built a sled with melamine shelving and 2x4's. It took me about 30 mins to build it and it saved me so much time. The white melamine shelving slides nice on the table saw. The hardest part was making the small piece to go in the channel.
Matthias, I just built my first sled - but without a jointer or planer. It would be great to see you make one with limited tools. ...since you need at least one more.
here in argentina the framing squares are often times not square. how can i know if the square i'm about to buy is square or not? is there a neat way of figuring this out ??? thank you!
How did you use the framing square to square the fence after you added the bevel? It seems like the square will go into the bevel, and that surface may not be parallel to the front of the fence.
"I have great faith in framing squares. I've never had one that was out of square." I've heard you say that before. In fact, I hear you say that every time I look at both of mine that are out of square. Someday I should fix them.
I actually have had framing squares that were out of square. I learned a trick to adjust them: a center punch, whacked by the inside corner will spread the legs, and by the outside corner will close the legs.
Every video on this topic by other content creators use a very convoluted five point method to determine if sled cutting area is true. You’re the first I’ve seen to use a framing square and assume it is good.
For the runners, I buy T-track and cut a groove to inset it a bit and leave a little room for dust in the miter slot. But for your wood runner, there was no reason that you couldn't have glued it the first time - the screws would have kept it clamped in position. A stop is a good idea - but I made a leash of sash chain that clips to an eyebolt on the front of the saw.
This is a great idea and Excellent invention, I like it Although I am not a professional woodworker but I am very fond of woodworking, if you dont mind , I am 60 years old man and asked to you that normally what is the size of this kind of table, GOD BLESS YOU, ZAFAR from Quetta Pakistan
My stop for the sled is a 1/2" hex head bolt pushed into a round rubber door stop. It just drops into a hole in the outfield table and is attached to the outfield table with a nylon boot lace to stop it getting lost.
Oh I know you could 3d print the flip down piece! Hatch box wood filled pla! (Kidding, keep up the great work sir, congratulations on the new homestead and your family!)
The "how long" in the title definitely made me think this vid would be about the proper length of a sled, now how long it takes to make a sled. Boy, was I confused when the video ended and he still hadn't addressed it... lol
I saw a Japanese woodworker put an upside down U shape profile on the front fence to prevent any finger reach to the saw's blade. Essentially he raised the fence over the blade to stop wondering hands from gripping too close to the blade.
After 10 days .. i'm still building it : ( easier said than done unless you have a jointer or 100% flat materials to start with . When I say flat I mean FLAT (and square) . I bought plywood from two different places and discovered that is just not flat . Then I was really surprised to find out that I don't actually have any flat surfaces in our home , even the marble kitchen worktop is not flat.. A jointer is on the way
Etza grias de Gott Mathias du bisch wia ne sieh fleißig beim Schaffa wia gots dr au z Wangen im Allgäu isch scho wieder sauwetter wia de meischd Zeit em Wendr... Gruß and Frau ond Kender bleib gsond ond mach weider so... Fiate gott
I would say that if you've never had a framing square that was out of square, that isn't having 'great faith' in them at all! It's a very solid and evidence-based trust!
i have a question how big can a sled be? i mean can you make som kind of sled that would alow you to cut fiberboard or playwood 2 times as long as the table itself?. i know the fence is for that but on my saw fence can't move far enough for the thing i want to make. silly begginer mistake, and this is a big tablesaw too. i am kind of disapointed with it actually
What makes yours standout from the rest is.....it has a stop... to keep you going too far with the slide for the blade to come out on the back side. I always vision to make some kind of stop. Great Job Matthias........Your Buddy John Heist would be proud of you..LOL
Thought it was longer, but have been hooked on these simple mini specs since you showed us the first one, there is no hook spot on my mini outfeed table (i.e another woodgears inspiration) so I made the blade guard block longer. By the way, not being a videographer, I have always wondered why so many of you experienced RU-vidrs have videos that seem to end prematurely from battery life issues, aren't there AC adapters to prevent this? You and Mr. Heinz are my favorites, it's great to see you'll competitive banter.
I own two framing squares, one Stanley and the other unidentified, and they share a common problem. When I checked them with a long precision machinist's square I found that the outside 90° angles are correct but the inside angles on both are slightly less than 90°. Using either as you have, relying on both an inside and outside edge, I'm guaranteed a slightly acute angle every time. While this is not objectionable for small objects, I wouldn't use them to set the fence on a table saw sled. Maybe just pickets on a fence.
I really like the drop down safety device, I haven't got the frame on the back of my saw, just the bed, I could drill a hole and have a pin drop in the hole, tapered on the rearward face so it doesn't impede the backward motion, hmmmm, I have a plan!
good afternoon, are you satisfied with your table saw? I think I saw this for sale at a reasonable price. second hand. I am thinking about buying it after viewing. Regards.
You save brushes and time by just wiping varnish/polyurethane/shellac w/ a rag. I almost always use a rag (instead of a brush), even on finished projects like boxes, shelves, etc. I love your other (dropping dowel in a slot) safety stop (on your (DeWalt?).
excellent man!!! do you have a video explaining the way you did your table saw infeed platform?, thanks for all these yeas of teaching and understanding, God bless you and your family
Mini CNC or a 3Dprinter using the arduino, using as much wood as possible pls. loving 95% of you work...mouse holes and sound frequencies are the other 5%...Good work Matthias, as ever.
Yeah cool too do something the fast as u can in woodworking.. not dangerous at all for those that are new to woodworking.. woodworking is never a competition!
The crucial thing is to get a perfect right angle cut - I register mine off a crosscut fence which I know to be accurate. Not so sure about the glue - don't you need to readjust the runners some time ?
I have four framing squares, and one of them is wonky. I keep meaning to send it to you Matthias, since you keep mentioning the fact that you have never had one. :-)
To everyone complaining that he used a sled to make this one: the cuts he made with that sled don't have to be square at all. You could make that cut with the cheap miter gauge that came with your table saw... or a chop saw.. or a skil saw.. or hell even a hand saw. So no, he didn't cheat
I have been trying to make a working tablesaw sled off and on for 3 years. Im a newbee of about 4 years of woodworking and am doing it for jobsite saws. The rigid you see in home depot and the dewalt on the paulk total station. I forget the models. So far I have not been able to make one that works. There is always a problem in the end. Never square, wood in slot never works out and so on. I also have found that the making of the sled is more dangerous than the cuts it's supposed to protect me from. I just threw another one in the garbage. Im over sleds and wont be wasting my time and money on them again. Theyre overrated imo and im still able to get done what i want without them. Side note: Not doubting the usefulness to some and respect the skills here. Just my experience with them.
