Making first crosscut sled


bushwacked

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My Makita circ saw is the one I prefer when not on a worm drive. The balance and light heft are just what I prefer. The base is not the best in the world. 90° works best. Worm gear are generally much heavier duty and last longer due to this, but are Big. I would frame a house with a worm happily. It is more than most will want for sheet goods.

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I've pretty much gotten rid of all my Dewalt tools as they've died and moved over to Makita.  I think it's a good brand.  It's not Festool by any stretch, but they're not bad.  I have a circ saw that I like okay, a biscuit joiner that works fine whenever I use it, which isn't often, an angle grinder that's a beast.  Mostly I LOVE the Lith-Ion drill and impact drivers.  Love them.  I do have a few Dewalts left that refuse to die, and I bought one of those little Dewalt plunge routers last year (can't remember the model).  It's a sweet little router.  As long as you stay away from Harbor Freight, Black and Decker, Craftsman and Ryobi (which ones am I missing here?), I think you'll do fine.

 

Message to sensitive types: That's MY opinion.  Don't get all pissed off if you love Craftsman or Ryobi, okay?  I think it's junk, and it's my right to feel that way. :)

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thanks! 

 

 

Yep it is awful doing it. I get up early no matter the day so on weekends I feel I waste 4-5 hours just waiting for an acceptable time to turn on the power tools and get some work done. Especially when I need to cut a few things before I start glueing and waiting the rest of the day. I cannot wait for a house! 

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I'm also still happy with my Bosch...

 

This will sound odd, but I actually use it on every project.   It lives at my lumber rack, as it's my favorite method for roughing out parts from rough stock.   Since rough stock usually has various curves and surface defects, using the variable speed jig saw is a safe and easy way to cut down large boards with no risk of kickback, getting the SCMS blade stuck in the stock (DAMHIKT), or having to move and maneuver large stock on the bandsaw.

My technique exactly.

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Good work so far.  My crosscut sled is about that same size, and I hate to tell you this but you are going to end up wanting to make another one.  The large size is great for those times when you need to cut something 20" wide, but I find that this doesn't happen very often.  My experience is that the majority of wood I cut on the sled is less than 6" wide, and I get really sick and tired of dragging my crosscut boat on and off the saw.

 

I think I'm going to end up making another that is about 24" wide with a cut capacity of around 10".  That will work for about 90% of what I use it for, and it'll be way easier to move around the shop.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ah gotcha ... What are some good jig saws I should look into?

Would a dewalt circular saw be good enough?

Sent from my old phone using Tapatalk

B & D Jig saw from home Depot.  $60 I wanted a nice jig saw but couldn't decide on which one so I bought a 'cheaper make do and finish a project' jig saw until I could decide.  It's been a nice one

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