Can I cut picture frames with my incra miter gauge?

[Tom Jones III]

I recently broke my homemade 45* sled, does anyone have experience cutting picture frames with a miter gauge on a TS? I've got an Incra 3000 miter gauge. I just tried a "5 cut test" and it is 0.03" off over a 13" length (although I suppose it is technically a 65" length) What do you think, should I rebuild the 45* sled or is the miter gauge good enough, or do I need to try and get the miter gauge more accurate?

[Bill Huber]

For me its the sled, then you don't have to worry if you are off .03" because they will still fit together perfect.

[johnny means]

I regularly use my Incra 1000 to cut 6 sided structures, two 90 degree corners and four 45 degree corners. This adds up to a total of 12 mitered cuts and I get pretty good results. When I don't , I can always trace it back to some error on may part.

[Brian Kent]

The Incra 3000 is fine adjustable. You can get it effectively perfect. That's how I cut a bunch of frames for Christmas presents a couple of years ago.

[glenn bradley]

The Incra should do it, a sled is just easier IHMO.

[Brian Kent]

There is something I am not getting. My Incra 3000 is a sled.

[Bill Huber]

There is something I am not getting. My Incra 3000 is a sled.

That must be the older numbers, the 3000 now is the miter gauge and the 5000 is the sled.

[Tom Jones III]

The Incra should do it, a sled is just easier IHMO.

You are probably right but with 3 toddlers in the house I end up looking for the fastest way to do things in the shop. I know the Incra can be super accurate and it would save me quite a bit of time. Probably I should just slow down and either get a longer setup square to get my miter gauge more accurate or just spend an afternoon making the sled and be done with it.

[Brian Kent]

Thank you Bill. I change my recommendation. I have the 5000 - the miter on a sled with hold downs and very accurate fine adjustments. That's the one that worked so well on the frames. I have not tried it without the sled.

[David Cefai]

3 toddlers in the house

Have you thought of putting them in the kennel? :-)

I can laugh now, mine are grown and flown. (And I miss them).

[Tom Jones III]

Have you thought of putting them in the kennel? :-)

I can laugh now, mine are grown and flown. (And I miss them).

They would probably love that. Thankfully my boy is 5 now and he loves working in the shop. It is the two girls that are the problem ... and the more I think about it this will probably be the case for many years to come!