Ronnie Boyett Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 I am new at woodworking and am going to make a cross-cut sled. What is best for the sled, plywood or MDF? Also, what type o plywood and is 1/2 or 3/4 best? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Give Marc's video a look, may answer many of your questions.. http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/the-cross-cut-sled/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missioninwood Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 I have made several in everything from melamine to MDF. I prefer MDF. Solid, flat, and heavy. Also, the dust from it is delicious on a fresh salad. As far as thickness, it depends. I have a small sled used for tenon work that's 1/2" thick, but my main sled is a 3/4" monster. Just remember: it's a jig. Don't be one of those guys that spends all his woodworking time making jigs. That is, unless you are one of those guys that likes spending all his woodworking time making jigs. miw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Tarbell Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 I think that both plywood and mdf will work fine since they're dimensionally stable. My advice is to put some consideration into the size of the sled and where you're going to store it. While larger sleds will accommodate a wider range of cuts, it comes with some trade-offs. Large ones will be heavier, more cumbersome to move around, and more difficult to store. Whether you use mdf of plywood, if you craft a very large sled and end up having to store it by leaning it against a wall then it is more likely to end up warping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 If you can get some Baltic birch that's the way I would go. Most regular plywood won't stay flat enough. Otherwise the MDF will be fine. Plywood should last longer and hold fasteners better. On the flip side MDF is so cheap it can easily be replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 For me it depends on the sled... I build versions that expect to get heavy use from 1/2 or 3/4 Baltic birch, and eventually add a 1/4" MDF liner to the floor and rear fence as the kerf wears. I often build quickie sleds for specific uses, like making bandings or mitering boxes, which are designed to mate with a specific blade for a specific operation. These get built with whatever is handy and stable, often 1/4 or 1/2 MDF. My main criteria is the material just needs to be stable and not slippery where the work will touch it. The slippery part often makes melamine or prefinished ply lesser choices, as the work doesn't stay where you hold it without stop blocks. I like traction inside the sled... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Boyett Posted June 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Thanks guys... looks like to me it is more of a matter of personal preference. Main concern being stability of base...think I will go with a GOOD quality plywood for screwing on front and back fences for accuracy, medium size for storage concerns, and hope it lasts awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan S Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Ronnie, You might want to check out my last build series, as I just built a new sled. I outlined what I think is the best method for joining the fences to the base. http://www.dans-hobbies.com/project/tablesaw-crosscut-sled/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSparger Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 I liked this one. It takes a little while into the video for him to start the sled build but is ver informative. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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