Anyone use a coping sled?

[Bob Hallowell]

I am starting to make my kitchen cabinets, everytime I have made raised panel doors in the past I have just used a square peice of mdf with some sandpaper to push the end cuts through.
I got an email from infinity tools today with a nice looking coping sled and wondered if it would make life easier.

thanks
Bob

[Gary McKown]

Basically a flat panel that rides against the fence with a pusher handle, clamps and backer block setup (mine has more clamps than the usual offering, including one to hold only the sacrificial backer). I think the clamps are essential for precise coping of rails and stiles.

[John Carlo]

I use a Delta coping shed on one of my shapers and I like the clamping and release ease. I can clamp both the workpiece and the backer board and leave the backer in place for the next cut.

[Steve Clardy]

Self made sled with toggle clamp.

[Bill Huber]

Here is a post on them...

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ghlight=coping

I use mine now that I rebuilt it and it works great.

[glenn bradley]

Shop made. Quick to make, simple and very reliable.

[Wayne Cannon]

I've used a square piece of 1" MDF with an attached handle and been very happy with it for short lengths. It's too unstable for longer lengths, however.

I love the flexibility of Woodhaven's coping sled, and use it for much more than just coping cuts. Glenn Bradley's example has similar capabilities.

Caution: Sled-style jigs do require some additional collet extension (depth of cut) by the thickness of the sled (1/4"-5/8"), which some routers can't do.

My sled: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...4L._SL400_.jpg
Wodhaven's three sleds: http://woodhaven.com/search.htm?keyword=coping+sled

[Michael McCoy]

Infinity has one of their sleds on sale now for a bit less than $48. Just Google

infinity coping sled

and it should be the first hit. I have the big brother to the one on sale.

[John Lucas]

I have tried out three such commercial sleds and still go back to a square of mdf with a push handle screwed to it.

[Michael Heffernan]

I also have the big brother from Infinity to the one that is on sale. I have run a lot of panel door rails and stiles with it. This one (Infinity Pro sled) works great. Don't know about the one that is on sale.
IMO, I agree with others that whether it is bought or shop-made, a coping sled with hold-downs is quicker and more precise for repeatable copes, especially when building a lot of doors.

[Rod Sheridan]

I have a home made one that rides in the mitre slot, and one that rubs against the fence.

Both have DeStaco toggle clamps to hold the workpiece.

Regards, Rod.

[Brian D Anderson]

Yeah . . . shop made here too (about 3 weeks ago). I was going to buy one, but couldn't bring myself to do it based on how simple they are. I grabbed a toggle clamp from Harbor Freight, and some phenolic and a couple handles from Woodcraft. Grab some scraps and came up with this:



I think it ended up being about $30 in materials, most of which was for the phenolic.

-Brian

[Philip Rodriquez]

You are looking for a Darwin award without one. As you cope, the piece is not fully supported. This will allow the piece to shift or even get pulled in. I have a 3 hp shaper and I tried to cope without one. It pulled the entire piece in and spit out little chips. Thankfully, I only got a whack on my finger... but I'll never do it again.

[Randal Stevenson]

I have the Pinnacle one, storebought, secondhand. I was planning on building one, until I saw it on CL for less then the clamps to build one.
Recent purchase, haven't used it yet, but have tried dad's homebrew, after I sent him some links, pics, how to's.

[Noah Katz]

http://www.infinitytools.com/Safety-...tinfo/COP-200/