Built this clip-on infeed support, and found it to be very handy when using sleds, , to stop the sled falling off the front of table saw. It provides most of the benefits of an infeed table, and still allows me to move my body right up to the front of saw.
Here is a video showing how it works and how to make one:
Very Cool!
Now work on your dust collection. ;~)
For those that don't want to make their own, Izzy Swan sells one for $70. (No affiliation, just tossing it out there.)
Grab your router and add a miter gauge slot.
Was thinking the same thing...or just keep the edge of the support board to either side of the miter slot...
You do not need a miter bar slot. Place on the outside of the miter slots or between.
It isn't a "need", it's more of a "might as well".
For the simple step of routing the slot, you get solid support for both sides of a miter gauge. You can set it on there and walk away.
Izzy Swan likes having one, and he uses a SawStop, so he's pretty smart. ;-)
I will have to disagree. Little support is actually needed unless you are cutting very wide, and in that case you don't need a sled.
I'm a bit confused by that response. I mentioned full support of the *miter gauge* as shown in the Izzy Swan image that I linked to. You mentioned the lack of need of a sled. I'm not seeing the connection between my comment and yours.
There have been times when I've wanted to cut a board, with my miter gauge, that was wider than the distance between the front of my TS and the front of the blade. The slotted infeed table that I linked to would mitigate that situation quite nicely.
As I said earlier, it's not a need, but I see no reason not to add the slot. It only makes the infeed table more versatile. I certainly don't see any downside.
I fully agree on the need for dust collection. I have settled on the DustRight 1250, but Rockler will not ship to Canada, so I have to wait until Covid has settled down and I can drive across the border to Buffalo to pick one up. ;-)
Go Bills!
Well. ;~) every miter gauge should have a decent length fence... But if you are not using a fence with your miter gauge I guess a slot might work out better. With that said, the OP was talking about a sled, not a miter gauge as you have now pointed out.
umm...I pointed out the miter gauge 2 days ago.
In any case, as long as I'm going through the trouble to make one, I'd probably just add the slot before sweeping up. I just don't see any downside...unless I screw up the slot.
Maybe I should add the slot first. ;-)
No reason not to make the slot, if you are so inclined. I would probably make the slot a little over-sized so the support need not be perfectly placed in order to perform its function...
That's not a lot of dust collection if you have any large, or many, tools. I don't see any spec on the particle size either.
Reading through this thread, that was the question had. Maybe support only the edges and have a 6" wide miter "slot".
I would very strongly advise to get the one with the canister filter.
I do quite a bit of building and I finally got the Jet 1100 CFM version almost 15 years ago.
You really don't want to have to be emptying a bag. A throw away plastic bag is soooo much easier and less messy. And you can use inexpensive black contractor bags. No need for clear bags. No, you cannot see through black bags but once the clear bags develop static electricity it is also hard to see how full it is. I just feel the bag to determine how full it is.
That canister is still doing just fine.
I must'a missed the miter gauge comment...
Anyway, this reminds me of the debate 15~20 years ago about the need for the out feed table miter slot. Does it need to be a precise fit or simply somewhere for the miter gauge bar to exit.
The answer is wider than the bar. The miter gauge is way past needing to be guided once past the blade.
On the front side however I think you need to have the slot as accurate as the miter slot on the TS slots, especially if guiding stock wider than the distance from the front of the saw table top to the front of the blade.
No down side other than having to do it and do it so that it indexes accurately to the TS slot.. ;)
I use a hybrid version of your bag theory. The clear bags are of heavier material and significantly more expensive/harder to find. Much like an innertube and bicycle tire, I use a disposable trash bag liner inside the clear bag. When full, remove and toss the trash bag and re-use the clear outer bag. Agree it is harder to see when the bag is full, but far from impossible to determine...
Longer bar? Particularly on a sled. I don't see cutting or lining up the infeed table as accurately as the miter slot is to the blade. Unless it is, I don't see the purpose of making it the same size other than to bind the bar.
Don't see it being accurate enough to matter and perhaps make the situation worse.
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