What coping sled NOT to buy.....

[Bill Huber]

Last week I posted a thread on rail and stile bits and how it was not that hard to set up and use.
Well................................ Part 2

I was using a coping sled that had been given to me my a friend. I have found out it was bought from PriceCutter (now Eagle America), it is a nice looking sled and it worked very well for all my set up and test joints.

I have seen this same sled sold at other online tool sites.
http://eagleamerica.com/Coping-Sleds/p/400-1249/

Now I am done with all the testing and making some real doors for a friends cabinet. It went fairly good but the joints were just not fitting together like they had in my test cuts. One side (or end) of the rail would be a little high, I could sand it right down but also had to sand on the back, this was just not right.

What was I doing wrong, I checked the height settings and made sure I was square with the fence but was still having the problem. Then I saw it, when I clamped the rail down the sled was bowing in the center. Which was making the cop cut somewhat diagonal and not straight across. Now I was not using a lot of clamping pressure, just pushing the clamp handle down.

Last night I fix it, I used all the parts on the original sled and mounted them on some 1/2 inch phenolic, the original sled was 1/4 in. light phenolic and was very easy to flex.

Today I made 3 doors and they all went together just like they should, the joints were smooth and fit perfectly.

So I would say that this is one sled you don't want to buy.

Here is the sled after I fixed it and it is working great.

P1010004.jpg

[Paul Fitzgerald]

I just got done making my own out of 1/2" MDF and 3/4" Plywood (see attachment). I haven't tested it yet, but I'm hoping it doesn't flex.

I wonder which of the commercial sleds are worthwhile purchases.

Paul

[Jack Ellis]

I don't have a photo but I made a very simple coping sled, if you can call it that, from a piece of 1/4 paper covered MDF, a scrap of ash and some sandpaper. In my case, the stock is milled face down on the router table with the coping sled on top. Perhaps not as good as the ones in this thread and if it's unsafe, please say so but it seemed to work well and my fingers were always protected from the cutters.

[Bill Huber]

I just got done making my own out of 1/2" MDF and 3/4" Plywood (see attachment). I haven't tested it yet, but I'm hoping it doesn't flex.

I wonder which of the commercial sleds are worthwhile purchases.

Paul

I was going to make one when this one was given to me, in retrospect I think I should have just made my own, I had to in a way anyway.

The one thing about the one you made is there is nothing to keep the rail from twisting. The block in front of this one slide back and lock to keep it and a backer board for twisting, I do like that.

[Bill Huber]

I don't have a photo but I made a very simple coping sled, if you can call it that, from a piece of 1/4 paper covered MDF, a scrap of ash and some sandpaper. In my case, the stock is milled face down on the router table with the coping sled on top. Perhaps not as good as the ones in this thread and if it's unsafe, please say so but it seemed to work well and my fingers were always protected from the cutters.

I would like to see that, could you take a picture of it. I am having a little problem seeing out it would work.

[Peter Quinn]

Well, for the router table I have never used more than a piece of MDF with a crude handle screwed to it. No hold downs, no gizmos, the block acts as a backer and a set up piece for future runs. Works pretty good too. Usually a piece about 8"X10" seems to do.

For the shaper I made a sled of 1/2" phenolic with a stout fence, a replaceable backer piece, a toggle clamp for hold down. I also incorporated a miter feature that does up to 50 degrees for angled work. Works great, cost about $40 in parts. I don't think anything less than 1/2" phenolic is stiff enough to handle the pressure of a toggle clamp. I looked at a bunch of after market sleds and none seemed to be worth the price or beyond my capability to design and build. I guess the sleds for sale will get you going quick assuming you find one that works but by making one I feel I saved money and got a product that meets my needs exactly.

[Karl Brogger]

I've got a Copecrafter from Reliable. It is flat out awesome. When you hit the clamp, it sends air through holes in the bottom, so it rides on air and there is not much resistance in the movement. I'd buy it again, and I'm sure I will. I don't remember what it cost, $650 comes to mind.

http://www.relcuttools.com/crafterfamily.shtml

[Jack Ellis]

I'm where my shop isn't and won't be able to take a photo for a week (by which time I will likely forget - senior moment) but I'll try a better description.

The base can be a square or rectangular piece of scrap sheet stock that stays flat (call it the base). I used a 1.5 inch wide by 12" long piece of ash (call it a "bar") that was jointed straight and attached perpendicular to the edge of the rectangle that rides against my router fence. There'e enough space between the bar and the edge edge of the base that's 90 degrees counterclockwise from the edge of the base that rides against the router fence to accommodate a 3" wide piece of stock and a 1" scrap backer board. Sandpaper on the face of the base that's on the same side as the bar keeps the stock and the backer from sliding around. It's used with the stock face down and the base on top with the bar side down. I built one that use for parts that require machining on the end grain (stock is againt the table) and another for parts that require machining on the face near the end (stock is against the fence). I got the idea from watching a MCLS video on using a drawer lock bit I'd purchased from them.

Very low tech, very cheap to build and replace, and it worked for a bunch of drawer sides and a frame-and-panel door.

[glenn bradley]

Mine's 1/2" BB ply and works well. I can see how the center clamp with the spread pads would flex that 1/4" material. Good fix and thanks for the tip.

[Dewey Torres]

I just got done making my own out of 1/2" MDF and 3/4" Plywood (see attachment). I haven't tested it yet, but I'm hoping it doesn't flex.

I wonder which of the commercial sleds are worthwhile purchases.

Paul

Paul,
Your sled will work just fine. You have constructed a fancy version of what i have.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost...58&postcount=8

[Dewey Torres]

Bill,
I love reading your posts BC of your unmatched ingenuity.

[Mike Robbins]

I actually just use a square 5" x 12" scrap of plywood and clamp the stile to it with the clamps running parallel to the router table fence.