What is the absolute accurate miter sled for a table saw?

[Mike Henderson]

Mike...they aren't too long but I have never been happy with the accuracy and repeatability of my Delta SCMS. It's great for general carpentry work. I have a great specialized dedicated blade on it. It's just a real pain to set up each time I want to do 45º miter cuts. That is why I am considering a sled for table saw.

After asking at another website, I realize that a sled probably won't work well for boxes but it should work for a lot of the molding on the furniture I build.

Okay. I have a 12" non-slider and find it gives me good miter cuts. I've heard that sliders are not as accurate.

Mike

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My next miter won't be a slider.

[richard poitras]

I have one of the Incra sleds and it works good but to use it on large panels as well it is limited. I think the William Ng's sled would be a good all around sled for box’s and panels or one of the Dubbys.

[Ron Kellison]

Okay. I have a 12" non-slider and find it gives me good miter cuts. I've heard that sliders are not as accurate.

Mike

If your "slider" is a Northfield, Wadkin, or other examples of old iron you wouldn't say that! :<)

Cheers,

Ron

[Mike Henderson]

If your "slider" is a Northfield, Wadkin, or other examples of old iron you wouldn't say that! :<)

Cheers,

Ron

I've heard that the Festool slider (Kapex) is very accurate. I've never heard of those slider compound miter saws you mention. I thought SCMS were fairly new inventions.

Mike

[Ed Griner]

Hey Ken hang in there you'll get it! I primarily make period furniture,but every now and then I take a crack at a modern piece using long miters. #1 the lumber has to be milled just about perfect to get perfect miters from a sled or a jig. My method making long miters or any miters,is cut em' close on your table saw and fit with a hand plane,like the old guys did. Works pretty well for me.

Good Luck/Ed

[Chuck Darney]

Using the 5-cut method. On my 5th cut I measured the top and bottom of the 14 inch piece I cut. There was a difference of .0004 inches over the length. I do realize it's very small and could expect some differences from changes in humidty, etc. I've checked it three or four times since I made it and the accuracy is the same.

...Chuck

How did you measure that Chuck?
You do realize just how small that is right?

A.W.D.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Using the 5-cut method. On my 5th cut I measured the top and bottom of the 14 inch piece I cut. There was a difference of .0004 inches over the length. I do realize it's very small and could expect some differences from changes in humidty, etc. I've checked it three or four times since I made it and the accuracy is the same.

...Chuck

What measuring device are you using to accurately measure 14" with a 0.0004" resolution?

[Chuck Darney]

I was using my fractional dial caliper with resolution to 1/64". I could tell it was easily within that resolution. I then used my Mitutoyo dial caliper (gift from my machinist brother) that has a resolution to .1000". Results were repeatable.

What measuring device are you using to accurately measure 14" with a 0.0004" resolution?

[Adam Diethrich]

I was using my fractional dial caliper with resolution to 1/64". I could tell it was easily within that resolution. I then used my Mitutoyo dial caliper (gift from my machinist brother) that has a resolution to .1000". Results were repeatable.

1/64" is only .016", and .1000" doesn't get us to less than "half a thou" either.
We're just curious Chuck, 'cause .0004" is very small.

A.W.D.

[Cary Falk]

I think there is some typos. I think Chuck meant 1/1000 which is .001. Isn't the difference from the top to bottom of the offcut of the 5 cut method suppose to be divided by 4?

[Chuck Darney]

I think there is some typos. I think Chuck meant 1/1000 which is .001.

I stand absolutely corrected. I did mean four one-thousands (.004) as opposed to four TEN-thousands (.0004).

@Adam - I should have realized this sooner when you said "We're just curious Chuck, 'cause .0004" is very small". It would indeed be VERY small!

That said, I'm glad I'm only working with wood and, although off by a factor of ten, the actual precision at that scale is negligible. Just don't let me make Mars lander parts!

...Chuck

[Ole Anderson]

Here is mine, made using a Woodpeckers 90 degree clamp jig. Overkill, but it works.

[Ed Aumiller]

Thanks to Jim Tobias and Glenn Bradley for pictures of there sleds....
Going to have to make one...

Keep sandpaper glued to my miter gauge to prevent slippage and have had good results
on corners if I made sure the blade was exactly 45 degrees...

But sled will encourage more projects since setup will be much faster..

[ron david]

. I can routinely achieve miters good enough for picture frames or molding. .

what is meant by good enough?
ron