Questions about making a sled for a router table.

[Wayne Jolly]

I have built this router table and in the process I decided that I did not want t-track in the top so I can more easily use the surface for other things. Like piling junk on. Anyway, in the photo, you can see on the right side of the photo that I made the fence to clamp along the edges of the table instead of using t-track embedded in the top. I have used it a few times and it seems to work great. I do need to remake the moveable portions of the fence. The black is just too hard to make pencil marks on.

Now I am working on a coping sled to help me cope with the decisions I ma . . . er . . . uh . . . I mean cope rails for raised panel doors, etc. I have a 15" square piece of 1/4" aluminum to start. Along one edge (left in the photo) I am going to attach an Oak runner that will slide along the front edge of the table top. In the picture, that runner is just temporarily stuck there with double sided tape. Then there is the fence that will hold and align the workpiece. That is the 3/4" x 4" maple in the photo.

So I hope I was clear in the description, and if not the photo should give you the idea. So -

1. Has anyone used a sled made this way? It seems like it otta work. Safety?
2. What clamps did you use to hold the work down? I wanted to use a double layer of the Maple to make the fence 1 1/2" thick, but I don't have any of the clamps that will go that far down. I could make some new "bolts" out of threaded rod, but the rubber foot would take some thought.
3. Is it necessary, advisable, good idea, bad idea, or discouraged to have a fence 1 1/2" thick
3. Has anyone had to cope pieces that are thicker than 3/4"? I'm not sure if I would ever need to do that, but if I did I would be out of luck using these clamps. The clamps in the photo I think will work in all thicknesses of wood up to 3/4", but not over that.
4. Not having ever used a sled before, or even had one in my hands for that matter, I am also not sure if these clamps have enough holding pressure. It seems like they should work, but how much pressure is enough to keep the workpiece from slipping? An adhesive backed sandpaper will line the fence to help hold things. What about covering the sled surface with it too?

Thanks,

Wayne

[Tom M King]

looks familiar. I guess I'm too simple minded to ever spend time thinking about all those details. I just do what it takes to get the job at hand done. This was special purpose for a $40k sash job. Sometimes you want to key off the fence, and others a track, but never both.

[Michelle Rich]

back in the wagon train days, we did not have t-tracks in router table tops & this method was used by most everyone.

[jack duren]

I would put the T Track in. Your best bet would be to get aluminum and make it correctly.

[Art Mann]

I would put the T Track in. Your best bet would be to get aluminum and make it correctly.

I built a coping sled about 10 years ago that is similar to Wayne's and it is still in use and still works great. I fail to see how your design is any more "correct" than mine. Yours is, however, more expensive and takes more work to implement.

[pat warner]

Use one every day. This one is on its own center guided track.

[Phil Thien]

For those of you guys using a miter track instead of just riding the fence, what advantage is there to a miter track over the fence?

[Wayne Jolly]

For those of you guys using a miter track instead of just riding the fence, what advantage is there to a miter track over the fence?

Or the Miter track instead of just riding the front edge of the table with no fence.

[Gene Takae]

I decided that I did not want t-track in the top so I can more easily use the surface for other things. Like piling junk on.

Wayne, not to worry- the t-track doesn't prevent you from piling on junk! Good luck on your coping sled though. I haven't found the need for one yet.

[Greg Sznajdruk]

Use one every day. This one is on its own center guided track.

What exactly is this device? Is it available or is it your creation?

Greg

[pat warner]

As stated: A cross cut center guided sled.
My creation, maybe an idea for others, not for sale.
Works is clamped and isolated on the sled.
The sled zips x the cutter and is profiled in a measured way.
The router and its carriage is on its dovetailed track, screw driven.
Can't tip, slip or squiggle.