Matchfit Sled for Grandpa's Saw

[gee-dub]

I plan to use this old Craftsman 113. saw (that Grandpa bought new) as a task specific cross-cut and joinery station.  I needed something that could hold all sorts of thing all sorts of ways.

I wouldn't have all these things on here at once. This is just for the pic .

The rear fence blocks one of the slots so I routed an easement that lets a clamp drop in at that location.

Here's a tip for any of you who use wood or UHMW runners.  For wood, I shellac the runners along with the underside of the sled.  Then I run a felt tip mark down both sides of both runners.

Slide the sled back and forth a few times.  The ink rubs off where the runners are tight.  A card scraper makes quick work of removing a little material in those areas.

I find getting to a smooth, well sliding sled goes pretty quick this way.

[pkinneb]

gee-dub that should come in real handy!! Question for you how did you cut the grooved and keep them straight? I have a jig where I need the same pattern albeit in a smaller foot print.

[gee-dub]

Cut the first one(s) [straight bit for hogging out and dovetail for profile] on the router table.  I then grabbed a piece of scrap I had been using as a backer for the drill press (I only mention this to explain all the extra holes in the pictures) and made a jig.  I cut a 1/4" dado (the hogging-out clearance slots are cut with a 1/4" bit) and let in a piece of stock to act as a guide rail. 

I carefully center the plate on my plunge router. 

I measure my distance (4" in my case) and drill a hole that fits the template collar.

I remove the router base, put the template collar into the hole, and use a transfer punch to locate the holes to mount the router to the scrap . .. er . . . precision jig ;-)

I make the holes fit the screws snug in the hope of maintaining, as best as possible, the centering alignment.  Having said that, it really isn't super important but, I was challenging myself . . . I get that way when I'm bored.

Cut your first clearance slot at the router table or with a straight edge.  Put the guide rail in that slot and use the guide rail to guide the cut of the next slot.  Rinse and repeat.

Once all the slots are cut, switch out the bit for the dovetail bit. 

Put the guide rail in the slot that is second from the edge farthest from you and route the dovetail profile in the "last" row.  I added a handle to the piece of scrap to give me a better grip where I needed it.

Back towards you one row using the slot to accept the guide rail and cut the dovetail into the "second to last" slot.  Back towards you another row using the slot to accept the guide rail and cut the dovetail into the "third to last" slot.  Rinse and repeat.  The last row will need to be done separately as you run out of slots to use as a guide.  This can be done at the router table with the fence or hand held with an edge guide.

If that doesn't make sense I can add more to it.

[pkinneb]

That's perfect!! Thank you so much I have been pondering this for months LOL

[gee-dub]

I am making a couple more of these and mentioned them in WDYDT.  I looked back at this thread and realized I really blew through it without a lot of details.  To try to add some value I will track the current effort here in more detail.

I plan the DT groove layout based on the ZCI and fence positions.  Using the contractor saw version above I learned that I would like the track pattern to start about an inch from the fence front to back and abouI an inch from either side of the ZCI moving out left and right.

This is the first drawing and close enough for discussion.  Things got adjusted slightly but that drawing is out in the shop and I am setting inside having coffee

In this case the dado in front of the fence position and the dados on either side of the ZCI that will go in get cut as reference slots at the router table.  I then use the hand held router with a guide to cut the rest of the dados using those starting points.

The dados are cut just a bit shy of full depth. 

I will then follow with the dovetail bit in the same guide jig taking extra care where the intersections are to keep the corners clean.  It is a lot of hand routing but worth the effort in the long run to me.  Here's where I am so far; just dados, no DT's yet.

The plywood strips will get laminated up for the fences.

 

[drzaius]

Missed it the first time around. That is brilliant. My sled has a  18mm BB base that would lend itself well to this. 

[gee-dub]

I think most of you have seen my take on the auto-adjust dado jig.

 

I can swap out the edge clamp depending on the length (or width) of stock I am working on.

The 'normal' use for this jig is for dust frames or shelves. In that case you use a piece of the shelf stock to set the width.

I will be cutting a 3" wide 1/4" deep dado so it will take me two setups.

The template collar rides the shelf in the jig opening and the bit cuts flush to the edge of the jaws.

 

After several passes and one repositioning, due to the maximum width of the jig opening, you get this.

 

Now for number two.

[gee-dub]

I decided to route the dovetails on the router table using the tablesaw fence for positioning.

Finished all the front to back.  Left to right will have to wait for tomorrow.

[gee-dub]

Lumbering along between yard chores .  I scrape the bulk of the squeezeout from the sides of the fence blanks with a carbide scraper.

This keep the glue from gumming up sanders and other tools.  I touch up one side of each blank on the edge sander to get a reference face/side to work from.

I'll leave those for a bit and take a look at the 'right off the machine' condition of the bases.

I grab a scrap and affix 100 grit sandpaper to two faces at 90 degrees.

This makes me an edge-easing sanding block.   I have gone ahead and ordered the router bit Micro Jig sells based on reports of how much less touch up is needed with their trick little profile on the dovetail.

For now a bit of hand sanding gets me here.

[wtnhighlander]

@gee-dub, how wide & deep are you making that sled? Hard to judge from the photos. Also, how tall do you like your fences?

[gee-dub]

This version will be 36” wide by ~30” deep. I will have about 25” between fences. The sled that this one will be replacing has 22” between fences. 

I have gotten very comfortable with sled fences 3 1/2” tall simply because that is the height I have used for years. It is tall enough for most vertical work without an auxiliary fence and allows for a good stop block surface.  Unless the sled is quite small I make the fences fairly thick, 1 1/2” to 1 3/4”.  I also like the fence closest to the operator (what I call the "back" fence) to run the full width of the sled.

The fence farthest from the operator position (what I call the "front" fence) I keep as narrow left to right as I feel is reasonable. This fence only acts as a bridge to keep the the separated base sections aligned.  It needs to be adequate to securely perform that job.  Beyond that the less that it is in the way the better :-)

[wtnhighlander]

Obviously, a cabinet saw table has a bit more real estate than my contractor saw, but do you find that you need infeed support for such a deep sled (front to back), ever?

[gee-dub]

@wtnhighlander - The sled  used for my contractor saw had a base that was 36" wide x 24" front to back.  This worked well for most things.  When I got my hybrid saw I decided to go from a router table wing to an actual router table. I made a large purpose specific sled to help me build that cabinet. 

The large sled is probably about 36" x 46" and I still use it. 

I will mention here that I have made the mistake of building some things for the 5% of stuff I might do versus the 95% of things that I actually do.  This leads to using an awkward jig 95% of the time so (learn from my mistakes) size your sled to your saw and your needs.

I hope that the 36" x 30" base will be manageable without but, I do use something like this . . .

These work well with heavy t-square type fences.

If your front fence rail is aluminum or lighter weight I would stick to an off-board support of some kind.  In short I would build your "main user" sled to fit what you do "most".  You can always have a special setup for odd ball stuff.  I have several odds-n-ends hanging up high out of the way that are used on a blue moon.

[drzaius]

18 hours ago, gee-dub said:

This version will be 36” wide by ~30” deep. I will have about 25” between fences. The sled that this one will be replacing has 22” between fences. 

I have gotten very comfortable with sled fences 3 1/2” tall simply because that is the height I have used for years. It is tall enough for most vertical work without an auxiliary fence and allows for a good stop block surface.  Unless the sled is quite small I make the fences fairly thick, 1 1/2” to 1 3/4”.  I also like the fence closest to the operator (what I call the "back" fence) to run the full width of the sled.

The fence farthest from the operator position (what I call the "front" fence) I keep as narrow left to right as I feel is reasonable. This fence only acts as a bridge to keep the the separated base sections aligned.  It needs to be adequate to securely perform that job.  Beyond that the less that it is in the way the better :-)

How long before someone starts a thread on which should be the front and back fence?

[wtnhighlander]

I don't know about that. My current sled design uses a single runner and 2 equal fences, so it can flip around and do bevels one way, straights the other. Limits the size, though. My next one will probably borrow some features from Glenn's. Maybe not quite as many clamping slots, but a replacable insert is a great idea.

[Mark J]

It just dawns on me that you could have different inserts for different blade tilts, e.g. 45*.

[drzaius]

12 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

I don't know about that. My current sled design uses a single runner and 2 equal fences, so it can flip around and do bevels one way, straights the other. Limits the size, though. My next one will probably borrow some features from Glenn's. Maybe not quite as many clamping slots, but a replacable insert is a great idea.

I did 1/4" MDF replaceable inserts on the bed and face of the fence, just like Glenn's. They are the bee's knees. I'm going to be putting in some of those slots as well.

[Chestnut]

Can someone answer me why my sled is always an inch to small for the panel i need to cut? I've made mine bigger a couple times but it always seems to be an inch too small....

Nice sled. I always wondered why this dovetail clamp systems were called matchfit. I just learned that it's because that's what microjig calls those clamps. It looks like a good setup.

[gee-dub]

On 7/8/2022 at 10:54 AM, Chestnut said:

Can someone answer me why my sled is always an inch to small for the panel i need to cut? I've made mine bigger a couple times but it always seems to be an inch too small....

Nice sled. I always wondered why this dovetail clamp systems were called matchfit. I just learned that it's because that's what microjig calls those clamps. It looks like a good setup.

One of the great mysteries of the ages .  I imagine the slots could be modified (or maybe not?) to work with track saw clamps one might already have.  My Makita track clamps do not fit but, I have a few Matchfit so I haven't thought about modifying.

[gee-dub]

Took a weekend getaway up to the high desert. Beautiful weather, good friends, and all that. Time to mount the fence. I use 1/4-20 t-bolts, washers and nuts.

I counter bore the top of the fence to allow me to reach the nuts with a nut driver. The through hole is 1/4" for a tight fit on the bolt.

I then use the fence and a long bit to make a dimple for each hole position on the base. These are just deep enough to use for registration.

Using some outboard support I drill the 3/8" through holes in the sled base at each position.

I then flip the base and drill overlapping Forstner holes to make an oval. This oval in combination with the 3/8" through hole lets the t-bolt do this.

 

With each of the four holes having this much adjustability I can align the fence easily.

The t-bolts come up through the bottom. The heads are recessed into the ovals so they clear the saw's table.

I slip the fence on, mark for the ZCI using the sled's base ZCI cutout as a layout. I cut the ZCI slot in the fence and set a sacrificial insert into it. I am using a couple of business cards to center the position. Many of my sleds use the same fence inserts screw pattern.

So close. The next steps are critical and I am burned out ;-)

I will pick it up in the morning.

[gee-dub]

More pictures than you'll ever need .  I flip the base and clamp the front fence in position.

Screwing into plywood edges follows the same rules as screwing into MDF; the pilot hole should allow the screw shaft to fit. Only the threads bite into the wood.  You do not want the screw's shaft to force the plys (or MDF) apart.

The hole should also be a bit deeper than the screw for the same reason.

Previous sleds have had the front fence glued and screwed.  I'm going with just screws for this one as a test.

I lay out the screw positions for the base ZCI.

Some stops at the DP make batching these out pretty quick.

Like the fence ZCI I use card stock to center the blank and drill the screw holes.

I make the ZCI dados a bit deep.  This lets me shim the inserts flush.

I use some straight grained pecan for the runners.  I machine them to rough size.

And block plane the final fit.

I use a counter bore and a washer head screw as opposed to a flat head screw that can swell the runner when tightened..  Again, stops at the DP make things quick.

I was surprised to find something in this top drawer of the TS cabinet.

(think Blazing Saddles) "... a blank load of dimes".

These are leftover from the last time I did a sled for this saw 3 years ago.  They raise the runners up just proud of the tablesaw top.  The runners have double stick tape on them.

I pre set the fence position and lean the right edge of the sled base against it . . . then lower it onto the runners.

I knew I left the wheels on that outfeed cabinet for a reason.  I slide the sled forward and backward with the runners still partially in the slots and add the screws.

Add the rear fence.

And the Dummy Block.

I re-purposed this block from another sled.  The new sled will have to age a bit before the colors match.

The two slots blocked by the front fence are actually dados, not dovetails.  This lets me set clamps into these slots.

Although this will probably become my main sled it really excels at holding odd ball stuff.

 

That's it.

 

[Von]

@gee-dub Looks like you are using a good quality plywood for the sled. Any lessons learned on what materials work well with the Matchfit system and what materials don't? TIA.

[gee-dub]

On 12/27/2023 at 8:58 AM, Von said:

@gee-dub Looks like you are using a good quality plywood for the sled. Any lessons learned on what materials work well with the Matchfit system and what materials don't? TIA.

BB ply or similar for things like jigs.  Plywood can delaminate under extreme pressure but the clamps are not designed for that anyway. MDF has also served me well.

[Von]

On 12/27/2023 at 2:22 PM, gee-dub said:

BB ply or similar for things like jigs.  Plywood can delaminate under extreme pressure but the clamps are not designed for that anyway. MDF has also served me well.

Thanks, I was wondering about MDF. BTW, thanks for this whole write up, it's very helpful.

[gee-dub]

On 7/8/2022 at 6:08 AM, Mark J said:

It just dawns on me that you could have different inserts for different blade tilts, e.g. 45*.

Yes. When I made these inserts, just like a lot of things related to jigs, I make a whole batch of them. They stand in a bin in the corner near the table saw. They get swapped in and out of service or replaced as required depending on what I’m doing.