The first thing any table saw owner should build is a crosscut sled.
They make using a table saw safer, easier, and they skyrocket the repeatability and accuracy of your woodworking.
There’s a million and one guides to building this essential jig — some with all the bells and whistles.
That’s not what you’ll find here.
This guide explains how to build a simple and solid crosscut sled that’ll give you dead-nuts accurate cuts time and time again…
Meaning you can build it in a couple hours — and move on to making the fun stuff.
We’ve also created a 5 Cut Method Calculator you can use to dial in your sled to perfection (without having to do any math at all).
Fred
March 20, 2022
Saw sled
A much easier way to set your fence than the 5-cut method is just to use one simple calculation from geometry. Fix the right side of the fence as close to square as possible firmly but so it can still be moved. Then, push the unadjusted sled through the saw the first time. Mark and measure along the left side of the cut from the fence to as close to the far end as possible. Use centimeters as accurately as you can measure, usually to the mm. Lay out the same distance along the fence to the left and mark that with a point. The distance between the points must be 1.414 the length of the first measurement to set the fence to precisely 45 degrees. Adjust the fence to make this so and fasten.
Using this method to make my sled results in cuts the full depth of my sled to within a mm of square. I used this for a miter sled too. Perfect.
Example: First measurement is 60.0cm, about two feet. Mark the fence to the same 60.0 cm. The calculation is simple: 1.414 × 60 = 84.84. Set the distance between the points as accurately as you can to 84.84 then fasten the fence. Done.
If the fence is too short to mark the second distance, mark the farthest point you can to the left along the fence and transfer that same measurement to the left side of the cut.
You can use multiples of a 3-4-5 triangle to do the same thing. Very easy using centimeters.