11/22/2023 0 Comments Router sled plansI need to add the toggle clamp to the stationary fence. The sled is nearly complete! Just one more thing…. To successfully tighten everything down without cracking the polycarbonate, you should leave the cap screws loose and tighten the standoffs all the way, then go back with a hex wrench and tighten the cap screws snugly in place. These screws were 1/2″ long and also 1/4″ 20 threads to mate with the female end of the standoffs. I then installed the guide on top of the standoffs using hex drive cap screws. This will prevent annoying cuts to the knuckles down the road. I then peel off the protective film and chamfer the (very) sharp edges of the polycarbonate. These holes are offset 1/2″ from the side and 3/4″ from the back edge of the polycarbonate sheet. Next I need to add the guide and I’m using a 6″x12″ piece of 1/4″ polycarbonate (clear plastic) for my guide.įirst I need to cut it in half lengthwise to make a 3″x 12″ piece. The “female” end should be facing up for the next step. I had to add 1/4″ hex nuts to act as spacers because the male threads were too long and bottomed out before the standoff was tightened down fully. Male side goes down to connect to the tee nut. These little guys have a threaded “male” side and a threaded “female side”. Then add a knob to the top to tighten the fence in place when needed. Now drill a 1/4″ hole in the center of the sliding fence and slip it over the bolt. Add a washer here if you want (I didn’t) but it can make things slide better sometimes. Next add another 1 1/2″ bolt to the groove on the underside of the sled. This is achievable my making the holes in the fence 5/16″ in diameter, creating a little wiggle room for the 1/4″ bolts to move in. I’m using 1/4″ 20 threaded bolts for this project.īefore you fully tighten the fence down ensure that the fence is squared to the sled. Next I install the stationary fence using two 1 1/2″ hex bolts and washers. You can avoid this by drilling the counterbore for the tee nuts deeper than 1/8″ like I did. I did have to counterbore the spot where the handles go because the threaded stem of the handle wouldn’t reach the tee nut. Here’s the view from the back of the work piece where you can see these two elements more clearly.Īnd here’s how they fit together creating a seamless joint with a perfect profiled edge!īefore I move on, one note…. You have two parts, the “tongue” that will mate with the groove on the stile and the “cope” that will fit the contour of the inner edge of the stile. This helps eliminate blowout that can occur as the router bit exits the cut. A small scrap of wood can also be used to “back up” the cut between the work piece and the stationary fence. The woodworker holds the guide against the fence and from right to left smoothly guides the work piece across the router bit. You can see here the coping sled in action. The guide ensures that the work piece maintains the correct distance from the bit while making the coping cut. The base is 10″x 12″, the stationary fence is 3″ x 10″ and the sliding fence is 2″x10″.Ī good sled will also have two handles allowing the operator to safely move the sled and a “guide”, usually made of clear plastic that provides a straight edge to reference against the router table fence. Then there is a “sliding” fence on the left hand side that can lock in place to clamp the work piece horizontally and a clamp to hold the work piece down vertically. This fence should be squared to the sled/router table fence. The basic anatomy of a coping sled is as follows: A base or “sled” for the work piece to ride on across the router bit, a stationary fence on the right hand side to provide sturdy support for the work piece. The coping sled has but one purpose but it’s an important one! Helping the woodworker make a cut across the end grain (short end) of a work piece to create a joint that allows you to build frame and panel (also called rail and stile) doors.This is a precarious cut at best and without support to back up the cut, you can easily hurt yourself or at the very least ruin your work piece.
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