The main danger with crosscut sleds is having your hands in the way of the blade’s exit point at the front of the sled. Many woodworkers attach a small block or box to the back of the sled to capture the blade where it exits. Here’s a simple way to stop the sled from pushing so far forward that the blade emerges dangerously from that block or box. If you have an outfeed table attached to your table saw with slots cut in it to allow the runners under your crosscut sled (and miter gauge) to pass over the table, you can simply drop a stick into one of the slots to stop the sled from pushing too far forward.
—Chris Durkee, Lake Oswego, Ore.
Drawing by Dan Thornton
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
The clear winner here is Festool’s CT 48 Dust Extractor. It has amazing capacity relative to its size, and unmatched suction power. It packs in a number of subtle but very helpful design touches, like a clever foot brake and easy hose and cord storage.
JessEm Mite-R Excel II Miter Gauge
The gauge has a quick and easy method for fitting the guide bar precisely to your tablesaw’s miter slot. This means the gauge can be recalibrated if necessary for continued accuracy. The face of the protractor head can be adjusted square to the table and also square to the guide bar. This ensures accurate cuts, and it, too, can be readjusted if the need arises. The protractor head has stainless-steel knobs and fittings and high-contrast, easy-to-read white numbers and increments.
Rikon 10-3061 10-in. Deluxe Bandsaw
The saw has two speeds: 3,280 sfpm (surface feet per minute) for wood and 1,515 sfpm for soft metals and some plastics.
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