Morgan, as an owner of most Microjig products, I really appreciate this project! I’ve already downloaded the plans. One suggestion would be to make a fairly detailed video showing the use of each of the accessories. They’re easy enough to make using the downloadable plans; however, it really would be helpful to see how you attach them and examples of how you use them. The plans don’t necessarily make that clear and such a video would really help. By the way, on the 360 hold down fence, I was wondering what angle you cut the bevel at. Many thanks again for all you do!
the beveled edge of the hold down fence was cut at 30 degrees. And yeah that's a good idea - more detailed video about all the attachments. I'll add that to the ever growing to-do list haha
@@Microjig If you would read the message thread you should link to a video showing how to use this and the many features. It is a big time investment to build something an d not have a clear idea of how well it works. I appreciate that you did try to reply.
Morgan, I really enjoyed this video and I will likely build such a sled. I would however like to suggest an added safety feature. The front of the sled, closest to the operator would be better designed if it was extended toward the operator perhaps another 6" or so to allow the saw blade full travel. This could be tapered toward the outer corners, to reduce bulkiness. The reason for this would be to allow the sled to be pushed further into the blade such that the center of the blade comes up to the face of the fence, thereby permitting maximum cutting depth for thicker materials. Additionally a wooden block or box should be added nearest the operator to keep the blade fully enclosed when cutting that far. This allows allows for additional reinforcement of the base plate to compensate for the cutting of the base plate. To prevent over-travel of the sled, a removable stop block could be added to the bottom side to stop the sled travel once maximum cutting distance and depth has been achieved. Another nice addition would be to have a removable polycarbonate (lexan) shield attached across the top of the top reinforcing block, to prevent saw dust hitting the operator in the face. This protective shield could be inserted into a groove in the face of the support bar, for easy and quick removal/replacement when needed.
Great plans; great video. Lots to learn from this project. For instance: 1) Take your time: the Wood Sorcerer may not be an evil sorcerer, but he sure is good at making this all seem easy, and it isn’t really hard; if you take your time. 2) Measure 3 or 4 times; cut/boar/swear a whole lot less 3) Not all miter slots are the same…Even on the same saw table a. Some slots are wider than others …. Even on the same saw table b. Not all slots are the same distance from the blade .... measure them individually…. Even on the same saw table 4) Put the inserts in with the screws near the open end.
I'm making one of these sleds right now and I drilled the 3/8 holes on the zero clearance inserts as instructed but the mircojig hardware washer is bigger than 3/8 so you will have to drill a larger countersink hole so I am using a HSS Brad Point Bit, 29/64, this allows the provided washers to just fit without making to large a hole. I couldn't find a forester bit that was between 1/2" and 3/8" I guess 1/2" would have worked but I felt there was to much slop. It is Great crosscut sled design. Very Happy!
Morgan, why not use a rear fence to stabilize the rear portion of the sled. That way when you remove it from the saw it will have less of a tendency to split apart.
We are working on an updated version of these plans, and they will include a removable end fence. You want that support, but making it removable allows for making miter cuts on longer boards.
I've made this sled as outlined in the plans and I would DEFINITELY recommend using 3/4" plywood as the base, rather than the 1/2" recommended in this video. Once you cut the channels for the zero-clearance insert, you have 1/8" of material there and you are going to have to be SUPER CAREFUL doing the remaining steps before you put the back fence on, or your base will just snap in half. There's almost no wood there until it's reinforced by the fence.
Hey Charles, great feedback! I considered 3/4" ply for the base but decided on 1/2" to preserve some of the capacity of the blade height. I figured I'm already losing an inch of capacity with the sled, didn't want to lose another 1/4". So yeah you have to be gentle with the base until it's reinforced if you make it this way, but of course you can use 3/4" ply for the base if you don't mind sacrificing a little more capacity.
I should have read the reviews before I bought the clamps, router bit and dovetail hardware. I am not the greatest woodworker, but this sled has so many variables that you can't help but miss one. it's heavy, flimsy, goes out of square after you take it off and put it back on your T/S in as little as 3 times. I, like most hobbyists, do not have two table saws and use the same one for ripping and cross cutting. This sled only works if you leave it in place. MicroJig, mission accomplished, you conned me into spending $150 and wasting three days with your slick video.
CORRECTION - sorry I sent that before it was completed. I also wanted to say with there products being expensive in Canada they also have pretty severe supply and demand problems, so it is a big commitment.
My only regret with buying the Matchfit system is that I only discovered it after spending a fortune on t-tracks and accesories......... anyone after some t-track?
I LOVE this design. I'm working on a sled now that incorporates many of these features. One thing I'm confused about is how to accommodate multiple zero clearance plates? I can't get my mind around how these different kinds of cuts don't mangle the front and rear fences. Several RUclipsrs show the value of having these changeable plates, but they never show them in use and how they impact the fences. The only thing I can think of is to add a temporary spacer in front of the fence so a 45 deg blade never touches the fence, or just live with the fence having a 45 deg kerf in it (and possibly kerfs for other angles between 45 and 90). I don't mind the fence looking mangled from multiple angle cuts, but do those cuts ultimately compromise holding small stock against the fence for a simple 90 deg cut?
Yeah this is basically what I'd do... You have that dovetail groove in the face of the fence, so you can mount whatever sacrificial boards to it that you like.
Great question. Not the best detail in some of these videos but considering the price of the plans, and how versatile these sleds and jigs are, hard to complain. I'll be doing the five cut for sure.
Every time I look at this thing I think its super complicated. But this video is great and takes out a lot of the intimidation. Can't wait to build it.
I'm building both. The reason is, i think the 360 sled is better for panels than the ultimate sled. Though, for most jobs both would probably be just fine. Which way did you end up going, and did it work out well for you?
I’ve always made, and used crosscut sleds with a fence at both ends. This sled is held together only with a front fence. Since you’re essentially cutting this thing in half I can’t help but wonder if the one proximal fence is enough to keep everything square. What prevents the kerf from becoming narrower or wider over time? Am I missing something?
We recommend building it with a removable front fence. Under normal use the front fence stays on, but for mitering longer parts the fence can be removed.
Brilliantly done! I love the replaceable inserts because they often get chewed up. In a similar way a possible replaceable insert on the fence would give zero clearance as well. Once you use a dado the fence will have too wide a kerf to support a normal cut. I think this would have made it the "ultimate sled" with an infinite array of accessories. I have never been a match fit fan but I'm definitely coming around.
John, thanks for the kind words! If you use the Dovetail bit to form a wide slot in the face of the fence, you can make matching insert pieces that slide in from the top. Make them taller than the fence and you can cut the bottom away to reuse them as they get cut. You can also make new stock as needed.
When I screw down the inserts, the screws are long enough to punch through the plywood on the body of the slide. I remade the inserts, using the absolute minimum depth for the 3/8 hole. The screws still stick into the plywood. I've drilled holes to accommodate the screws in the bottom. I don't think I'm making the screws crazy tight. Maybe 1/2 inch baltic birch is thinner from my supplier than what you used. Has anyone else encountered this?
Same issue here. Do they sell ⅝", in going to check my store. Might go up to ¾ of i have to. I'll lose ¼ish inch depth of cut, but at least it'll be stronger at the joints, although but heavier too
We do, indeed! You can find it at most of our retailers, or order it on our website: www.microjig.com/products/relief-bit-14 Comes in 1/4" or 1/2" shank versions.
I have been wanting to build something like this for quite some time, particularly love the way the zero-clearance insert modular design is incorporated. Great design; thanks for the video and first-rate, downloadable instructions / plans. Great presenter; hot body, i.e., not fat; and why do you sometimes comb you hair to the left and sometimes to the right? • Some sled components / parts use MDF and some plywood. Is there a durability / performance difference between the two? • What is that green (base) material used in sleds? • What is the purpose of the holes in the center of green sled? Is that / could that be a sled weight-reduction function? • The individual “squares” on the sled are about 4x4. Is this based on the throat depth of the clamps? Would 3x3 squares be less or more functional / utilitarian? • The slots on the base of the vertical cutting jig do not appear to match what is shown in an instructional video. Is this a subsequent modification? Finally, seeds do not die before they grow: they ripen and go dormant before they grow and bloom in order to continue the cycle.
I wanted a smaller table 4 my drill press. What I did was once the grooves were made I cut it n half, and glued it back 2 back. Then I could use the dovetail grooves and clamps on the underside 2 mount and dismount my table.
I like the concepts that some of your products make possible but I live in Canada and can't help but notice that I need somewhere between $300 - $500 of your dovetail clamps just to make the sled you demonstrated. That is more than I paid for my table saw.
Of course they’re going to use tons of dovetail clamps in the build! These are marketing videos to show off the variety of ways their products can be used. There are obviously some benefits to clamping on an assembly table like they’ve done in this video, but it’s by no means a requirement for building this sled.
@@AndrePrudhomme I realize they are advertising their own products. My comments were regarding the fact that most of their products are very ecpensive in Canada.
Bevan Stuart Yeah, the clamps definitely add up - even at American prices that is $440 worth of clamps (22 clamps @ $20/clamp). I guess my point was it’s easy to build this project without using any microjig dovetail clamps and the jig itself only requires 2-4 clamps to use.
@@AndrePrudhommeAndre, sorry if I came across too strong. I have been looking at this dovetail concept for a while and I am having a hard time deciding whether to commit to starting a journey that I know will lead to needing more and more of their products. Thanks for replying.
Is this sled not secured at the front? Most sleds I see have a fence on both ends, wouldn’t this be totally unstable when taking it off your table saw? I’d be worried the two halves would break as the only thing holding them together is the rear fence
Likewise. Seems he is depending on the rather hefty hardwood fence to hold everything together. Might be fine, though I’d be tempted to add something on the front. How, I’m not sure yet. I do like the concept, and I’ve got pretty much everything I need for it. But whether I want to devote the time and resources to making yet another sled I don’t know.
I'm definitely planning to add a front fence to this design as I build it. You do have to make sure that you can still remove/insert the zero-clearance inserts.
I'm building this now and was wondering the same thing. But, I think I have a solution. Before I remove it from the table saw, I'll clamp a 2x4 across the front (using the matchfit dovetail clamps of course). I'll lose two clamps, but that should keep it held together. Will try to update after I finish it.
If I recall, the sled is designed at about 20 inches deep, but without the front fence, you can have parts overhanging the front. The actual cut width is largely based on your saw table, the distance between the front lip of the table and the front edge of the blade. With a 20" deep sled base, minus the 1-1/2" fence, you could have as much as 18ish inches on the sled plus several inches to the blade.
I'm overnighting the glue up and man was that initial routering frustrating. My router "table" is not big enough for the sub-project, I had to just clamp things down and struggle to get it all set up in that manner. I'm not super excited to do those routes on the top tomorrow, but we'll cross that when we come to it. Mostly I was here to comment that the cut list had those 6" sacrificial boards at 24 1/4" but then when I got to the glue up, they were magically only 20 1/4. I'm still not sure if I'm going insane or if that was a typo.
It is hard to do for sure. You need to have a drill press with a large capacity or find another way to drill straight to install the miter bars. Microjig's router table is also ridiculously large. Even with an extension fence, I could not easily route the dovetail tracks. I finally did-it with a squared straight edge. And lemme tell you that if you plan on glueing the laminated 1/2 inch boards like he did with dovetail clamps on a surface, you'll need to route yourself another work surface.
I’m confused. The zero clearance insert is 24.25” long, and the base layer is only 20” wide. There’s significant overlap that doesn’t show in the video. What am I missing?
You flush trim with a router afterwards to ensure a consistent edge. Helps against wasting time to no avail attempting to align a hydroplaning glue joint.
MDF is "strong enough" overall, but care would need to be taken when handling the sled putting it on and taking it off the saw table. When on the table, there is little stress, so be careful when picking it up and how you store it. A removable fence that can be connected to the front edge with dovetail hardware will greatly stiffen the sled base and can still be removed when parts need to extend beyond the front of the sled.
Silly question, but how square is your sled/fence to the blade? I want to make a crosscut sled and I’ve seen other people use the 5 cut method to do this.
Joe, Your rip fence should be adjusted to be square to the blade, so we use the rip fence to set sleds square as well. The ZEROPLAY guide bar is built to allow for some adjustment in the mounting as well, so that can help. But if you prefer the 5-Cut method, by all means use it. I personally prefer to square the fence using a trusted square.
Just saw this after responding to someone else with the same question. If you don't mind losing another 1/4" of the blade height's capacity, go for it!
Hopefully this reaches someone I know this video is old but I just bought the stuff for this the other day I realized my router only takes 1/4 bits can I still make this
You can, but it will heat faster, as I understand-it. So take your time and be sure to make relief grooves first, because if you don't, that's a lot of material to remove for a 1/4 inch shank...
I'm wondering this too. I'm going to try to make this as-is, and I'm assuming that since there is a miter bar on each side that it will realign each half when it goes back on the table, but I don't know if I will trust hanging this on a wall due to the front of the sled being unsupported.
I thought the same thing. I was thinking of making the center section longer so it hangs out on both sides. That way I wouldn’t cut all the way though the center section of plywood. I like the idea of having no front fence to get in the way.
But like Matt said once you lift it off the table saw it could be a little flimsy and that could throw it out calibration. I like the design I was just wondering how to make that aspect of the sled a little more stable.
I was thinking about a removable front fence similar to the back fence using same type connectors used on the removable zero clearance inserts. I assume I need to provide the longer threaded rod.
We do understand this! The good news is that you can buy them in pairs and build your collection at your own pace. In my own shop, I have far more invested in router bits than I do in routers!
@@Microjig Hehe - same here with the router bits. Actually I have a fair bit of MicroJig gear now and am building sleds and jigs like a demon. i love them! I have many clamps including the MatchFit ones - I just have to make sure they're delivered when the missus is out... I may rout a lovely dovetail right across the front of one of my my beloved workbenches tomorrow! Dovetail tracks are appearing everywhere. Almost routed a dovetail in my kids the other day so I could clamp them to their desks to do more homework! Cheers from Sydney - Dave
No one ever said that. Just whatever dovetail clamps you've got, and the rest use other clamps and weights like the rest of us do. In the end, of you don't have enough clamps, might consider that at the starting point
Kind of like the age old question of "how many licks does it take to get to the middle of the tootsie pop?". Similarly, how many clamps are enough? (Indefinite)
You do have to spend some time setting the saw up... blade, fence, etc. But once done, the saw is great. Fairly compact which is Nice ruclips.net/user/postUgkxXh-4_3-ZT1fFWP91ZV7iVqzElr0lEb-a I did get an Incra Miter Gauge which takes some setup as well. The stock miter gauge can be adjusted in the miter slot with a little painter's tape... this tightens up the side to side play a lot.
Disappointed in the ability to cut consistently square. The tracks didn’t hold the sled from moving around. Going to try a different rail system and the 5 cut method for placement of the rail. I do like the concept and am hoping to find lots of uses for the sled
Ed, please contact our tech support at "support@microjig.com" or by phone at (855) 747-7233. The ZEROPLAY should lock perfectly tightly once set and not allow the sled to move. We want to help you figure out the problem and replace the parts if they are not right.
This is not the same sled as the one that is in the kit. The sled in the kit instructions is much smaller. This sled uses 1/2" plywood because the sled has two layers of 1/2" plywood making the sled thicker. I built the kit sled today with 3/4" birch plywood. It is a nice sled but I like this one better.
Jim Hays Thanks Jim. I did figure it out later. Im on my 3rd attempt to build this one. Had a router bit come lose on the last run on my 2nd attempt. Didn’t have it deep enough. Third time a charm?? Appreciate the direction.
@Microjig Hi Morgan, I'm currently working on this project. I'm almost done, but I need you help with the spline and vertical cutting jig! If you look at the plan, there are just 2 dovetail tracks. In your video on here, there is 3 tracks which feels better to me. Could you please give me the measurements you use to space the tracks so I could make it like that? It feels like 2 inch from the bottom, then 5, then 8. Could you confirm this for me? Then there was a holder that goes on the jig that you apparently didn't give the mesurements. I'd love it if you could provide how wide, long, thick this holder is, how long and large the slot is and de distance of the slot from the end. And lastly, if you could specify if you assembled the mdf structure with just screws or screws and glue? I'd be very happy for these details and also to know if the attachment video made any progress towards the top of your "ever growing" list of to dos :) 😊
Mr Phil, Morgan has gone on to do his own content in his new home shop. I will try to answer your questions. Yes, you can certainly do the three dovetails on the vertical holder at 2", 5" and 8" from bottom to top. We generally recommend 4" on center between grooves, but that is not required. 2" is the least we recommend between grooves or from any edge, so your plan works. If by "holder" you are referring to the slotted rectangle briefly shown, It is probably 2" wide by about 6" long with a 1/4" slot up the middle. The triangle is in the plan and is really just copied from a plastic office triangle. Finally, we do have plans to do an updated version of the entire sled plan with more details and full content on the accessories. But no release date yet.
@@Microjig Thank you for the answers! Yeah, I saw that Morgan left about ten months ago. Woops. Do you know how thick the box joint attachment was? Did he use glue on the vertical jig in addition to the screws? For the vertical jig, what is the long slot's distance from the part with the tracks (in the bottom part)?
@@MrPhil1st Morgan's fence for the box joint jig was 3/4" but it can be 1/2" just as easily since it does not have any dovetail grooves in it. Always use glue on your constructions. The screws really are just there to hold things until the glue dries! In the vertical sled, the slots for the hardware are not critical. 1-1/2" from the front edge looks to be right.
Your video was probably the most informative. However slow the heck down, I had to rewind dozens of times to make sure I got it right. The people that know what they are doing which is why they wouldn't need you video. Now the ones that are new need a slow consistent and consice video. Slow down. I'm from NYC and when I'm teaching culinary arts I go slow and easy
They're are detailed plans available too. I think this was meant as the highlights. It was fast, and I've watched it a few dozen times more than you (enjoyably btw), but that was half the fun
We are actually doing so. It will take time to go back through existing plans and manuals, but all new things going forward will include metric dimensions and multiple languages.
William, if you are having any issues with the ZEROPLAY Miter Bars, please call us at (855) 747-7233 or email us at support@microjig.com. We will help you get this right, or refund your purchase. We stand behind our products if you reach out and give us a chance.
@@Microjig I didn't contact you folks because I know there will be no compromise. So why waste my time. The issue i have with you folks is the price gouging. Most of your products are made from plastic, but you folks feel you can charge as if the were made from gold. I also feel that your clamps, especially the dovetail clamps are over priced @ $31.00 each
Is it possible to talk more? Wood working is mainly practical not a exact science. There are always more ways if doing things. Man, isn't it about the idea instead of copying his version with the exact dimensions. Doesn't he think I could pull it off without the small forstner bit, without the plastic dovetail pieces or maple wood,...?
Is the sled only combining the two halves at the front fence or am I missing something? Seems like most sleds have a front and back fence, the back fence for stability as much as anything else, I noticed that this one seems to have only one fence.
We left the front fence off so miter cuts on longer parts can be made. The center insert can be used to hold the halves together if you do not cut through the front. (Raise the blade inside the sled before cutting) One of the best parts of making your own sleds is that you can tailor it to your specific needs. Add the front fence if you want. Make it removable!
I like the concepts that some of your products make possible but I live in Canada and can't help but notice that I need somewhere between $300 - $500 of your dovetail clamps just to make the sled you demonstrated. That is more than I paid for my table saw.
Bevan Stuart I’ve invested in a couple of their clamps but of course you don’t need their clamps to make the table! Just some regular clamps and maybe caulk, or cheaper yet, 4-5 heavy cans of paint on top will do the job.
![Microjig Matchfit Dovetail Clamps 8 months on [video 520]](/img/1.gif)
Morgan, as an owner of most Microjig products, I really appreciate this project! I’ve already downloaded the plans. One suggestion would be to make a fairly detailed video showing the use of each of the accessories. They’re easy enough to make using the downloadable plans; however, it really would be helpful to see how you attach them and examples of how you use them. The plans don’t necessarily make that clear and such a video would really help. By the way, on the 360 hold down fence, I was wondering what angle you cut the bevel at. Many thanks again for all you do!
the beveled edge of the hold down fence was cut at 30 degrees. And yeah that's a good idea - more detailed video about all the attachments. I'll add that to the ever growing to-do list haha
@@Microjig You should link to this video. Who would want to put the time into a project or even watching a build video without seeing how it works?
@@uhadonejob this video is literally linked on our webpage where you download the plans: www.microjig.com/post/ultimate-sled
@@Microjig If you would read the message thread you should link to a video showing how to use this and the many features. It is a big time investment to build something an d not have a clear idea of how well it works. I appreciate that you did try to reply.
I’m also looking forward to additional videos covering the add-on jigs in more detail!
Morgan, I really enjoyed this video and I will likely build such a sled. I would however like to suggest an added safety feature. The front of the sled, closest to the operator would be better designed if it was extended toward the operator perhaps another 6" or so to allow the saw blade full travel. This could be tapered toward the outer corners, to reduce bulkiness. The reason for this would be to allow the sled to be pushed further into the blade such that the center of the blade comes up to the face of the fence, thereby permitting maximum cutting depth for thicker materials. Additionally a wooden block or box should be added nearest the operator to keep the blade fully enclosed when cutting that far. This allows allows for additional reinforcement of the base plate to compensate for the cutting of the base plate.
To prevent over-travel of the sled, a removable stop block could be added to the bottom side to stop the sled travel once maximum cutting distance and depth has been achieved.
Another nice addition would be to have a removable polycarbonate (lexan) shield attached across the top of the top reinforcing block, to prevent saw dust hitting the operator in the face. This protective shield could be inserted into a groove in the face of the support bar, for easy and quick removal/replacement when needed.
dang, all REALLY good ideas. I'm sure I'll need to build another once in the near future so I'll definitely incorporate these mods!
I subbed to your channel because of your suggestions here
would be nice if you made a video of your ideas, please!
Great plans; great video. Lots to learn from this project.
For instance:
1) Take your time: the Wood Sorcerer may not be an evil sorcerer, but he sure is good at making this all seem easy, and it isn’t really hard; if you take your time.
2) Measure 3 or 4 times; cut/boar/swear a whole lot less
3) Not all miter slots are the same…Even on the same saw table
a. Some slots are wider than others …. Even on the same saw table
b. Not all slots are the same distance from the blade .... measure them individually…. Even on the same saw table
4) Put the inserts in with the screws near the open end.
I'm making one of these sleds right now and I drilled the 3/8 holes on the zero clearance inserts as instructed but the mircojig hardware washer is bigger than 3/8 so you will have to drill a larger countersink hole so I am using a HSS Brad Point Bit, 29/64, this allows the provided washers to just fit without making to large a hole. I couldn't find a forester bit that was between 1/2" and 3/8" I guess 1/2" would have worked but I felt there was to much slop. It is Great crosscut sled design. Very Happy!
I like the slop since it helps in awaiting up the sled before gluing the wings on
Morgan, why not use a rear fence to stabilize the rear portion of the sled. That way when you remove it from the saw it will have less of a tendency to split apart.
We are working on an updated version of these plans, and they will include a removable end fence.
You want that support, but making it removable allows for making miter cuts on longer boards.
I've made this sled as outlined in the plans and I would DEFINITELY recommend using 3/4" plywood as the base, rather than the 1/2" recommended in this video. Once you cut the channels for the zero-clearance insert, you have 1/8" of material there and you are going to have to be SUPER CAREFUL doing the remaining steps before you put the back fence on, or your base will just snap in half. There's almost no wood there until it's reinforced by the fence.
Hey Charles, great feedback! I considered 3/4" ply for the base but decided on 1/2" to preserve some of the capacity of the blade height. I figured I'm already losing an inch of capacity with the sled, didn't want to lose another 1/4". So yeah you have to be gentle with the base until it's reinforced if you make it this way, but of course you can use 3/4" ply for the base if you don't mind sacrificing a little more capacity.
I should have read the reviews before I bought the clamps, router bit and dovetail hardware. I am not the greatest woodworker, but this sled has so many variables that you can't help but miss one. it's heavy, flimsy, goes out of square after you take it off and put it back on your T/S in as little as 3 times. I, like most hobbyists, do not have two table saws and use the same one for ripping and cross cutting. This sled only works if you leave it in place. MicroJig, mission accomplished, you conned me into spending $150 and wasting three days with your slick video.
Stephen, have you resolved your problems with this sled design? BeI am quite interested in building one but concerned about the issues you raised
CORRECTION - sorry I sent that before it was completed. I also wanted to say with there products being expensive in Canada they also have pretty severe supply and demand problems, so it is a big commitment.
My only regret with buying the Matchfit system is that I only discovered it after spending a fortune on t-tracks and accesories......... anyone after some t-track?
I LOVE this design. I'm working on a sled now that incorporates many of these features. One thing I'm confused about is how to accommodate multiple zero clearance plates? I can't get my mind around how these different kinds of cuts don't mangle the front and rear fences. Several RUclipsrs show the value of having these changeable plates, but they never show them in use and how they impact the fences. The only thing I can think of is to add a temporary spacer in front of the fence so a 45 deg blade never touches the fence, or just live with the fence having a 45 deg kerf in it (and possibly kerfs for other angles between 45 and 90). I don't mind the fence looking mangled from multiple angle cuts, but do those cuts ultimately compromise holding small stock against the fence for a simple 90 deg cut?
Yeah this is basically what I'd do... You have that dovetail groove in the face of the fence, so you can mount whatever sacrificial boards to it that you like.
Would love a video on the vertical cutting jig. I need to make one to do bevel cuts.
You are gluing the fence to the sled. How do you adjust it? Is a five cut not needed?
Great question. Not the best detail in some of these videos but considering the price of the plans, and how versatile these sleds and jigs are, hard to complain. I'll be doing the five cut for sure.
see garage works and see how he does it He uses a dial indicator and a machinists square.......simple
Every time I look at this thing I think its super complicated. But this video is great and takes out a lot of the intimidation. Can't wait to build it.
I just bought the 360 sled kit. Which one is better? Do I need to buy another kit to
Make this?
I'm building both. The reason is, i think the 360 sled is better for panels than the ultimate sled. Though, for most jobs both would probably be just fine. Which way did you end up going, and did it work out well for you?
The intermission music is funny, guys. Outstanding work. I'm new to Microjig stuff and I'm looking forward to doing a workbench and a sled like this.
What about squaring the fence? Do you use the 5 cut method to square the fence?
Cool sled but this seems like a big omission to make sure the fence is an accurate as possible
Agreed. Plus, they have not replied to any of the comments asking about calibrating the fence for square. Very odd.@@quadcamera
I’ve always made, and used crosscut sleds with a fence at both ends. This sled is held together only with a front fence. Since you’re essentially cutting this thing in half I can’t help but wonder if the one proximal fence is enough to keep everything square. What prevents the kerf from becoming narrower or wider over time? Am I missing something?
We recommend building it with a removable front fence. Under normal use the front fence stays on, but for mitering longer parts the fence can be removed.
Brilliantly done! I love the replaceable inserts because they often get chewed up. In a similar way a possible replaceable insert on the fence would give zero clearance as well. Once you use a dado the fence will have too wide a kerf to support a normal cut. I think this would have made it the "ultimate sled" with an infinite array of accessories. I have never been a match fit fan but I'm definitely coming around.
John, thanks for the kind words! If you use the Dovetail bit to form a wide slot in the face of the fence, you can make matching insert pieces that slide in from the top. Make them taller than the fence and you can cut the bottom away to reuse them as they get cut. You can also make new stock as needed.
When I screw down the inserts, the screws are long enough to punch through the plywood on the body of the slide. I remade the inserts, using the absolute minimum depth for the 3/8 hole. The screws still stick into the plywood. I've drilled holes to accommodate the screws in the bottom. I don't think I'm making the screws crazy tight. Maybe 1/2 inch baltic birch is thinner from my supplier than what you used. Has anyone else encountered this?
Just had this issue. Im going to cut them shorter or buy some from a hardware store that are way shorter.
I used a caliper to measure how deep I drilled the holes so I know I didn't screw up.
Same issue here. Do they sell ⅝", in going to check my store. Might go up to ¾ of i have to. I'll lose ¼ish inch depth of cut, but at least it'll be stronger at the joints, although but heavier too
Only ~⅛ inch of material is left in the dovetails for the inserts 😳
This is the ultimate sled for sure! However, that’s way too much work for me lol! Now if you sold em I’d buy one though!:)
Thank you
do you guys offer a router bit for cutting the "relief grooves"?
We do, indeed! You can find it at most of our retailers, or order it on our website: www.microjig.com/products/relief-bit-14
Comes in 1/4" or 1/2" shank versions.
I have been wanting to build something like this for quite some time, particularly love the way the zero-clearance insert modular design is incorporated. Great design; thanks for the video and first-rate, downloadable instructions / plans. Great presenter; hot body, i.e., not fat; and why do you sometimes comb you hair to the left and sometimes to the right?
• Some sled components / parts use MDF and some plywood. Is there a durability / performance difference between the two?
• What is that green (base) material used in sleds?
• What is the purpose of the holes in the center of green sled? Is that / could that be a sled weight-reduction function?
• The individual “squares” on the sled are about 4x4. Is this based on the throat depth of the clamps? Would 3x3 squares be less or more functional / utilitarian?
• The slots on the base of the vertical cutting jig do not appear to match what is shown in an instructional video. Is this a subsequent modification?
Finally, seeds do not die before they grow: they ripen and go dormant before they grow and bloom in order to continue the cycle.
ragcell- a lot of questions there, please send me an email with them at "support@microjig.com" and I will gladly type out a full set of answers.
I wanted a smaller table 4 my drill press. What I did was once the grooves were made I cut it n half, and glued it back 2 back. Then I could use the dovetail grooves and clamps on the underside 2 mount and dismount my table.
The best part of building your own jigs, fixtures and tables is that you can make them to fit your needs. Nice work.
I like the concepts that some of your products make possible but I live in Canada and can't help but notice that I need somewhere between $300 - $500 of your dovetail clamps just to make the sled you demonstrated. That is more than
I paid for my table saw.
Of course they’re going to use tons of dovetail clamps in the build! These are marketing videos to show off the variety of ways their products can be used. There are obviously some benefits to clamping on an assembly table like they’ve done in this video, but it’s by no means a requirement for building this sled.
@@AndrePrudhomme I realize they are advertising their own products. My comments were regarding the fact that most of their products are very ecpensive in Canada.
Bevan Stuart Yeah, the clamps definitely add up - even at American prices that is $440 worth of clamps (22 clamps @ $20/clamp). I guess my point was it’s easy to build this project without using any microjig dovetail clamps and the jig itself only requires 2-4 clamps to use.
@@AndrePrudhommeAndre, sorry if I came across too strong. I have been looking at this dovetail concept for a while and I am having a hard time deciding whether to commit to starting a journey that I know will lead to needing more and more of their products. Thanks for replying.
Bevan Stuart No worries - I went through the same internal debate recently when deciding to buy the Matchfit starter kit!
Is this sled not secured at the front? Most sleds I see have a fence on both ends, wouldn’t this be totally unstable when taking it off your table saw? I’d be worried the two halves would break as the only thing holding them together is the rear fence
Any answer to this. Wondered the same thing.
Likewise. Seems he is depending on the rather hefty hardwood fence to hold everything together. Might be fine, though I’d be tempted to add something on the front. How, I’m not sure yet. I do like the concept, and I’ve got pretty much everything I need for it. But whether I want to devote the time and resources to making yet another sled I don’t know.
I'm definitely planning to add a front fence to this design as I build it. You do have to make sure that you can still remove/insert the zero-clearance inserts.
I'm building this now and was wondering the same thing. But, I think I have a solution. Before I remove it from the table saw, I'll clamp a 2x4 across the front (using the matchfit dovetail clamps of course). I'll lose two clamps, but that should keep it held together. Will try to update after I finish it.
Wondered the same. Anyone who built this sled have any issues with the unsecured front?
With the dimensions for this sled, what’s the general crosscut capacity? Thinking I might give it a go
If I recall, the sled is designed at about 20 inches deep, but without the front fence, you can have parts overhanging the front.
The actual cut width is largely based on your saw table, the distance between the front lip of the table and the front edge of the blade.
With a 20" deep sled base, minus the 1-1/2" fence, you could have as much as 18ish inches on the sled plus several inches to the blade.
Are these plans available in metric by any chance?
Adrian, not at the moment, but we are re-working them to reflect some new parts, and the new version will have both measurements included.
I'm overnighting the glue up and man was that initial routering frustrating. My router "table" is not big enough for the sub-project, I had to just clamp things down and struggle to get it all set up in that manner. I'm not super excited to do those routes on the top tomorrow, but we'll cross that when we come to it. Mostly I was here to comment that the cut list had those 6" sacrificial boards at 24 1/4" but then when I got to the glue up, they were magically only 20 1/4. I'm still not sure if I'm going insane or if that was a typo.
It is a typo but we cannot comment on your mental state! LOL.
A straight edge clamp does help a lot with some of the internal grooves.
Hey Morgan do you have a video to show how to make the attachments that you showcase for this sled? The spline thing, box joints etc?
@Microjig
@@MrPhil1st On nice!
Just watched the video. Went on the website provided for the PDF accessories and it doesn't exist. Where do I find it?
Yeah, Sorry, we need to update this video.
The plans are on our Projects page an include the accessories: www.microjig.com/post/ultimate-sled
Why raise the blade up through the zero clearance plate? Cant you just cut it normally?
I love how he uses like $800 worth of matchfit clamps lol
LOL most expensive sled to EVER exist 😂
Not to mention $300 worth of Grr-rippers to push the lumber two handed
Haters gonna hate, I guess…
@@ericbuller7079 oh don’t get me wrong, I love match fit and have almost all of their products. It’s just a hilarious amount of clamps.
Awesome looking sled, but too much for me to tackle..lol
It is hard to do for sure. You need to have a drill press with a large capacity or find another way to drill straight to install the miter bars. Microjig's router table is also ridiculously large. Even with an extension fence, I could not easily route the dovetail tracks. I finally did-it with a squared straight edge. And lemme tell you that if you plan on glueing the laminated 1/2 inch boards like he did with dovetail clamps on a surface, you'll need to route yourself another work surface.
Is there a metric version, all these crazy inch fractions are making my head spin.
Adrian, Not at the moment, but we are planning a major update of these plans and it will incorporate metric equivalents.
I’m confused. The zero clearance insert is 24.25” long, and the base layer is only 20” wide. There’s significant overlap that doesn’t show in the video. What am I missing?
You flush trim with a router afterwards to ensure a consistent edge. Helps against wasting time to no avail attempting to align a hydroplaning glue joint.
Mind...blown 🤯
Would it be ok to use mdf for the base material, the 20"x30"x1/2" piece ? Or is it not strong enough? Thanks for the great videos
MDF is "strong enough" overall, but care would need to be taken when handling the sled putting it on and taking it off the saw table.
When on the table, there is little stress, so be careful when picking it up and how you store it.
A removable fence that can be connected to the front edge with dovetail hardware will greatly stiffen the sled base and can still be removed when parts need to extend beyond the front of the sled.
@@Microjig thanks for the reply. I'll be going with plywood now.
Nice. I like the clamp-down system you use at 3:55 and other places in the video. Is this a the subject of another video or plans?
Great!
Good Video with great idea's
Thank's
Very nice! I'd like to see auto adjust clamps.
Silly question, but how square is your sled/fence to the blade? I want to make a crosscut sled and I’ve seen other people use the 5 cut method to do this.
Joe, Your rip fence should be adjusted to be square to the blade, so we use the rip fence to set sleds square as well. The ZEROPLAY guide bar is built to allow for some adjustment in the mounting as well, so that can help.
But if you prefer the 5-Cut method, by all means use it.
I personally prefer to square the fence using a trusted square.
Bravo
Great concept. Could you please also do these in metric? Thanks.
If you go to Google, there is an inch to mmm conversion program
@@daveklein2826 When converting from imperial to metric you get for instance 1.5875 cm for 5/8 inch. Good luck with that.
Anyone that can follow this video without rewinding it a thousand times probably doesn't need to watch this video. #waytoofast
@Morgan any thoughts about beefing up the base later to ¾". The thickness at the insert dovetail seems too thin.
Just saw this after responding to someone else with the same question. If you don't mind losing another 1/4" of the blade height's capacity, go for it!
I feel that the 3/8 dove tails in the half inch clearance area makes this flimsy.
Hopefully this reaches someone I know this video is old but I just bought the stuff for this the other day I realized my router only takes 1/4 bits can I still make this
You can, but it will heat faster, as I understand-it. So take your time and be sure to make relief grooves first, because if you don't, that's a lot of material to remove for a 1/4 inch shank...
Has anyone ever told you, you talk too fast? 😂😂
Enjoyed the video, thank you!
how does the front of the sled not flex open
I'm wondering this too. I'm going to try to make this as-is, and I'm assuming that since there is a miter bar on each side that it will realign each half when it goes back on the table, but I don't know if I will trust hanging this on a wall due to the front of the sled being unsupported.
I thought the same thing. I was thinking of making the center section longer so it hangs out on both sides. That way I wouldn’t cut all the way though the center section of plywood. I like the idea of having no front fence to get in the way.
It doesn't flex open because both sides of it are locked into the miter track slots with large black pieces of plastic. It's not going anywhere.
But like Matt said once you lift it off the table saw it could be a little flimsy and that could throw it out calibration. I like the design I was just wondering how to make that aspect of the sled a little more stable.
I was thinking about a removable front fence similar to the back fence using same type connectors used on the removable zero clearance inserts. I assume I need to provide the longer threaded rod.
Would this be ok to build using MDF?
Indeed it would. I personally prefer plywood, but MDF works just fine. You just need to be more careful about dropping/damage.
(4:01) A lovely view of approx $650 worth of MatchFit clamps! Better start saving I think... (Aust prices)
We do understand this! The good news is that you can buy them in pairs and build your collection at your own pace.
In my own shop, I have far more invested in router bits than I do in routers!
@@Microjig Hehe - same here with the router bits. Actually I have a fair bit of MicroJig gear now and am building sleds and jigs like a demon. i love them! I have many clamps including the MatchFit ones - I just have to make sure they're delivered when the missus is out... I may rout a lovely dovetail right across the front of one of my my beloved workbenches tomorrow! Dovetail tracks are appearing everywhere. Almost routed a dovetail in my kids the other day so I could clamp them to their desks to do more homework! Cheers from Sydney - Dave
You use 20 Dovetail Track Clamps at one point at $45 per pair. So, I have to spend $450 for the clamps to make this sled?
No one ever said that. Just whatever dovetail clamps you've got, and the rest use other clamps and weights like the rest of us do. In the end, of you don't have enough clamps, might consider that at the starting point
Kind of like the age old question of "how many licks does it take to get to the middle of the tootsie pop?". Similarly, how many clamps are enough? (Indefinite)
You do have to spend some time setting the saw up... blade, fence, etc. But once done, the saw is great. Fairly compact which is Nice ruclips.net/user/postUgkxXh-4_3-ZT1fFWP91ZV7iVqzElr0lEb-a I did get an Incra Miter Gauge which takes some setup as well. The stock miter gauge can be adjusted in the miter slot with a little painter's tape... this tightens up the side to side play a lot.
Disappointed in the ability to cut consistently square. The tracks didn’t hold the sled from moving around. Going to try a different rail system and the 5 cut method for placement of the rail. I do like the concept and am hoping to find lots of uses for the sled
Ed, please contact our tech support at "support@microjig.com" or by phone at (855) 747-7233. The ZEROPLAY should lock perfectly tightly once set and not allow the sled to move. We want to help you figure out the problem and replace the parts if they are not right.
This says to use ½" plywood, but the instructions that come with the parts says ¾" plywood. Can you clarify?
And, I had purchased the 360degree sled kit just to verify.
This is not the same sled as the one that is in the kit. The sled in the kit instructions is much smaller. This sled uses 1/2" plywood because the sled has two layers of 1/2" plywood making the sled thicker. I built the kit sled today with 3/4" birch plywood. It is a nice sled but I like this one better.
Jim Hays Thanks Jim. I did figure it out later.
Im on my 3rd attempt to build this one. Had a router bit come lose on the last run on my 2nd attempt. Didn’t have it deep enough.
Third time a charm??
Appreciate the direction.
Thanks Jim. Appreciate the guidance.
@Microjig Hi Morgan, I'm currently working on this project. I'm almost done, but I need you help with the spline and vertical cutting jig! If you look at the plan, there are just 2 dovetail tracks. In your video on here, there is 3 tracks which feels better to me. Could you please give me the measurements you use to space the tracks so I could make it like that? It feels like 2 inch from the bottom, then 5, then 8. Could you confirm this for me? Then there was a holder that goes on the jig that you apparently didn't give the mesurements. I'd love it if you could provide how wide, long, thick this holder is, how long and large the slot is and de distance of the slot from the end. And lastly, if you could specify if you assembled the mdf structure with just screws or screws and glue?
I'd be very happy for these details and also to know if the attachment video made any progress towards the top of your "ever growing" list of to dos :) 😊
Mr Phil, Morgan has gone on to do his own content in his new home shop. I will try to answer your questions.
Yes, you can certainly do the three dovetails on the vertical holder at 2", 5" and 8" from bottom to top. We generally recommend 4" on center between grooves, but that is not required.
2" is the least we recommend between grooves or from any edge, so your plan works.
If by "holder" you are referring to the slotted rectangle briefly shown, It is probably 2" wide by about 6" long with a 1/4" slot up the middle. The triangle is in the plan and is really just copied from a plastic office triangle.
Finally, we do have plans to do an updated version of the entire sled plan with more details and full content on the accessories. But no release date yet.
@@Microjig Thank you for the answers! Yeah, I saw that Morgan left about ten months ago. Woops. Do you know how thick the box joint attachment was? Did he use glue on the vertical jig in addition to the screws?
For the vertical jig, what is the long slot's distance from the part with the tracks (in the bottom part)?
@@MrPhil1st Morgan's fence for the box joint jig was 3/4" but it can be 1/2" just as easily since it does not have any dovetail grooves in it.
Always use glue on your constructions. The screws really are just there to hold things until the glue dries!
In the vertical sled, the slots for the hardware are not critical. 1-1/2" from the front edge looks to be right.
im confused ? , he says 1/2" plywood but the wood looks 3/4" thick
Laminated 2pcs of ½ on each wing of the sled
nada más que en sargentos tienes un dineral.
Hard to understand why so litle subscribers in this channel
Well, be sure to tell all your woodworking friends to subscribe! LOL
Your video was probably the most informative. However slow the heck down, I had to rewind dozens of times to make sure I got it right. The people that know what they are doing which is why they wouldn't need you video. Now the ones that are new need a slow consistent and consice video. Slow down. I'm from NYC and when I'm teaching culinary arts I go slow and easy
They're are detailed plans available too. I think this was meant as the highlights. It was fast, and I've watched it a few dozen times more than you (enjoyably btw), but that was half the fun
The other half being the process to build it
Try add metric too okey... usa is not the all world
We are actually doing so. It will take time to go back through existing plans and manuals, but all new things going forward will include metric dimensions and multiple languages.
Woodglut plans are amazing!
Lmao you’re using $500+ worth of clamps just to glue the top on
There are many ways to do the clamping, but we make the clamps, and have plenty, so of course we will show them off!
@@Microjig I’m clearly so so very jealous lol
@@ResinEssenceByCheri move to Florida, come work for us, you too can get lots of clamps@ LOL
@@Microjig LOL or maybe there’s a contest I can enter for some more jiggy gear 😁
@@ResinEssenceByCheri we have done it before! Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter so you will hear about all the new stuff.
Welcome to the freak show
The runners suck. Just get hdpe miter bars. They say zero clearance. But they’re more unstable than an ex wife.
William, if you are having any issues with the ZEROPLAY Miter Bars, please call us at (855) 747-7233 or email us at support@microjig.com.
We will help you get this right, or refund your purchase.
We stand behind our products if you reach out and give us a chance.
Microjig SUCKS!
Any particular reason you feel compelled to comment this here? Did you contact us to give us a chance to fix your issue?
@@Microjig I didn't contact you folks because I know there will be no compromise. So why waste my time.
The issue i have with you folks is the price gouging. Most of your products are made from plastic, but you folks feel you can charge as if the were made from gold. I also feel that your clamps, especially the dovetail clamps are over priced @ $31.00 each
Is it possible to talk more? Wood working is mainly practical not a exact science. There are always more ways if doing things. Man, isn't it about the idea instead of copying his version with the exact dimensions. Doesn't he think I could pull it off without the small forstner bit, without the plastic dovetail pieces or maple wood,...?
I did it with the Woodprix plans.
Is the sled only combining the two halves at the front fence or am I missing something? Seems like most sleds have a front and back fence, the back fence for stability as much as anything else, I noticed that this one seems to have only one fence.
We left the front fence off so miter cuts on longer parts can be made. The center insert can be used to hold the halves together if you do not cut through the front. (Raise the blade inside the sled before cutting)
One of the best parts of making your own sleds is that you can tailor it to your specific needs. Add the front fence if you want. Make it removable!
I like the concepts that some of your products make possible but I live in Canada and can't help but notice that I need somewhere between $300 - $500 of your dovetail clamps just to make the sled you demonstrated. That is more than
I paid for my table saw.
Bevan Stuart I’ve invested in a couple of their clamps but of course you don’t need their clamps to make the table! Just some regular clamps and maybe caulk, or cheaper yet, 4-5 heavy cans of paint on top will do the job.