# Precision miter sled



## Holic46 (Dec 2, 2009)

This is my homemade precision mitre sled


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

I like it, John.


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## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

Looks to be very well made but for the life of me I can't figure out how it works.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Very good job! Gives me ideas.

Dennis-
Works? This is just what I see. Not really physics, but here goes an attempt at instructions for this type of jig:

The fence pivots on the metallic post/bushing in the right rear of the fence, At left rear of fence, a knob screwed onto a bolt (locking mechanism) that goes through the arch'ed slot & fence and locks the fence at a mitered angle. The bottom of the slot is probably rebated out for the head of the bolt to clear the top of the saw table. The scale is a graduation line. Under it on the face of the sled is marked with the angles following the arch under the scale. Find the angles and mark. Set to what is marked to get the fence set at that angle.

The track/scale on the top is an Incra track plus. You can use that scale and track for stop blocks.

Put stock against fence and optionally clamp it or set against a stock block. The sled moves parallel via miter bars mounted to the sled and traveling in the saw table's miter slot. Between that movement and the angle of the fence, you get your miter cut in your stock.

You can use this same design on a router table with a miter slot. It is not an original design, but it is a very good interpretation of that design and a very good build.

Need more detail? The OP might continue...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Mitre be or not Mitre be*



denniswoody said:


> Looks to be very well made but for the life of me I can't figure out how it works.


It's a homemade mitre gauge~sled hybrid. The arc in the sled is the same as the protractor on your factory made mitre gauge. The red handle device in front of the fence is a clamp. As we say up here, looks pretty skookum.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> It's a homemade mitre gauge~sled hybrid. The arc in the sled is the same as the protractor on your factory made mitre gauge. The red handle device in front of the fence is a clamp. As we say up here, looks pretty skookum.


"Skookum"? I was wondering how to use that in a sentence. LOL Live just a few miles from Skookum Creek, which is on the Res.


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## Holic46 (Dec 2, 2009)

*How it works*



MAFoElffen said:


> Very good job! Gives me ideas.
> 
> Dennis-
> Works? This is just what I see. Not really physics, but here goes an attempt at instructions for this type of jig:
> ...


This is a very acurate description of how it works.
I have made several of these before but they were not very successful, that is not precise enough. This one is as close precise as I can get it to commercially available sled. 
Here are some improvements on my previous built:
•	Pivot - M6 bolt screwed in knock-in metal insert firmly bedded in MDF sled base. Fence is pivoting on 6x20 ball bearing rebated in the fence base.
•	Viewing window - clear perspex rebated in underside of fence base. Please note that mark is in line with the centre of pivot not the edge of the fence base! The mark has two small holes drilled on both ends - probably not visible on pictures. These corresponds with two holes drilled at mitred angle marks on the base of sled at most commonly used angles – 15, 22 ½, 30, 45, 60, and 67 ½ degrees. These accommodate two small nails for exact positioning of fence. Note that two pins are more accurate than one.
•	Slide – I am using this sled on Makita table saw that have two sloths on fixed table and one slot on sliding table. I mounted the sled on two rails – one fixed to sliding table and one sliding in the slot on the table proper. Therefore, the sled is sliding on sliding table and is guided by the slot on table proper. This eliminates any sideways movement.
Note of advice: This is purposely build sled for my table saw and the sliding design may not suit your table saw. However, it is important to design your sliding method so that you eliminate as much as possible of the slack in sideways movement without making it too difficult to slide – to much friction. Only when you have your base sliding properly than mount your fence and mark mitred angles. Another mistake I made previously is that I marked all angles form 0 to 90 degrees. This is not necessary as you will never use it, cannot get it accurate enough and it clatters your base. Mark only most commonly used angles, and if you doing repetitive work, mark your project specific angles.
Hope this may help somebody to build an ultimate mitre sled and I would be grateful for any suggestions to improve my design.


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## neville9999 (Jul 22, 2010)

Holic46 said:


> This is a very acurate description of how it works.
> I have made several of these before but they were not very successful, that is not precise enough. This one is as close precise as I can get it to commercially available sled.
> Here are some improvements on my previous built:
> •	Pivot - M6 bolt screwed in knock-in metal insert firmly bedded in MDF sled base. Fence is pivoting on 6x20 ball bearing rebated in the fence base.
> ...


John this is a neat idea, I have posted just to link to your sled thread and to follow it for a while, I have made many jigs, many many jigs, and I am happy to say that there are always new ideas that come to me about what I should have done and didn't do so there is always room to improve any good idea. NGM


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## Mark55 (Sep 6, 2012)

This is great. I love to see home made tools and jigs like this.


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## JoeEngineer (May 6, 2012)

I'm guessing this cost you a few sheckles less that the $170 Rockler wants
Great job!


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## Wood Chip (Apr 10, 2011)

Fantastic job! My only suggestion would be to chamfer the foot of the leading edge of the miter fence. That will give sawdust a place to go so it doesn't affect the fit between your stock and the fence. It looks like it would be an easy retrofit on your design. Other than that it looks like you've designed all the features I need. Thanks for the inspiration.


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## BONNEAU (Feb 21, 2012)

nice unit....i can see this in use making small boxes...thanks


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## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

Sorry guys. Somehow I missed Image 5 the first time through. Now I get it. Having said that it seems to me the cut would have to leave chip-out on the unsupported bottom. If the sled were to be extended to the right (Image 5) like a cross-cut sled it would provide support for a cleaner cut. Does that make sense?


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