Cross Cut Sled and Dados

[Bruce]

This weekend I built some heavy shelves for the garage. I used 5/8" MDF ripped in half to make 2' x 8' and boxed that in with 2 x 4 material. I made 4 of these then the uprights were 2 x 4s with a 4-1/4" dados cut in them for the shelves to sit in.

Here is a picture:

cutting those dados was a bitch, especially the ends because there is way too much 2x4 hanging off the saw. I use roller stands with a board on top of them for support but there is still too much wobble moving back and forth.

I decided it was time for the cross-cut sled and and nearly finished with this one:

I need to do is add the stop block hardware, scale and wax the bottom. The runners are HDPE and slide really nice.

OK, here is the problem. The whole reason for building it was because of the dado problem. Now that I've built it, I don't want to run a dado through it and cut out a big section :)

What do you guys do in a situation like that? I really don't want to make another sled. Should I just hog 'em out with the router? I'm thinking that may have been easier in the first place.

[JackD]

If it were me I would have skipped the dado and just used some lag screws.

-Jack

[Lawrence L'Hote]

If I was making these supports, I would use a circular saw and cut out a series of cuts,between the dado end marks, and cut out the waste with a chisel or plane. Not that it matters to anyone, but I believe I've seen Norm do something like this. Also, one could argue that cuts like these are reason enough to keep your radial arm saw. Larry

[C Wood]

If I were to build these, in the same manner as yours.....

I think I'd slap a 1x2 on there with some screws & glues instead of doing the joints. After all, it is 2x4 art, might as well mix it up a bit.

After the 1x2 (or 1x2 x 2) is glued & screwed, it will be acting under compressional forces, not shear, since it's supported by the shelf & 1x2 underneath it. With some preparation on the 2x4, it's possible to actually do a good job making this look good too.

Ascii art example: (*no fixed font needed*)

0 = narrow edge of vetical 2x4 1 = MDF 2 = Wide edge of horizontal 2x4 3 = 1x2 (or 1x4) glued & screwed in place

00111111111111111111111

00222222222222222222222 00222222222222222222222 003 003 003 003 00111111111111111111111 00222222222222222222222 00222222222222222222222 003 003 003 003

-----

If I did it your way, I'd make a template for a handheld circular saw, and zip back & fourth 20 times, chisel the rest.

After all, a circ saw is lighter than a wet 2x4, easier to handle. Template would look like:

0010000000000000000000 0010000000000000000000 0010000000000000000000 0010000000000000000000 2222222222222222222222 0010000000000000000000 0010000000000000000000 0010000000000000000000 0010000000000000000000

1 is a str8 1x2 (on bottom) 2 is a str8 1x2 (on top) 0 is 1/8th or 1/4 ply stuff.

1 & 2 are perpendicular. If the left side of saw is against the guide (2) it will cut -->-->-->-->, which will be your cutting line. Place 2x4 against 1, and cut away.

[Upscale]

It looks to me like there's 24 dado cuts involved. I'd have made a cut out template guide made out of a piece of 3/4" plywood and used that with a router and a straight bit with a ball bearing guide.

[Jamie Jackson]

Speaking of which, I'm reading Jim Tolpin's *Table Saw Magic,* and he talks about a sled with a removeable insert for different kerfs, etc. His plans/descriptions leave just enough detail out so that a novice like me can't figure the details needed to construct his jigs. If one can tell me how he attaches this throat plate, I'd appreciate it. Otherwise, Bruce, I hope this post inspires you to create your own replaceable insert sled.

FWIW, I've quickly done those laps/dados in 2x4s with a circular saw and a speed square (?), and broke out the wafers between with good results. Not furniture grade, but it works well for projects like these.

Jamie

[Bruce]

I wasn't worried about the lag screw, I was worried about the screw splitting the wood because it focuses the load in one 3/8" spot rather than distributing it.

Well, I was originally going to do 3 at a time on the saw but that proved too cumbersome. I like this idea though.

Good idea. Yes, it was extra MDF from the same job.

[Bruce]

You've got me thinking about it. I'm about jigged out right now. If I do it, I'll post pics.

[Joe28]

"Bruce" wrote

I have a small sled to use with the dado. But with long stock I might use the big sled and make multiple cuts with the saw blade and finish it with a chisel. Or, make multiple cuts with a circular saw. Or, use the router.

I wouldn't run the dado through my big sled.

[My Old Tools]

I have several sleds in different sizes, including a dedicated dado sled.

[Rob V]

Make another sled only on 1 side of the blade and use that for the dados.

[Bruce]

I looked at them. They were $2.47 each and I'd need 16 so my $80 project just went up over $40 with tax. Not worth it too me. The dados weren't that hard to cut and the end result looks prettier, I think :)

[Jack-of-all-trades - JOAT]

Tue, Sep 16, 2003, 8:27pm (EDT+4) [e-mail] (Bruce) asks: What do you guys do in a situation like that?

Make drawers. Look at all that wasted space, and all that stuff that will collect dust.

JOAT Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

Life just ain't life without good music. - JOAT Web Page Update 15 Sep 2003. Some tunes I like.

[Bruce]

My honey-do list is too long for that right now JOAT. Someday.

[Morgans]

Make a fixed miter gauge, kind of like a sled, but use it backwards, so you are pushing the stock against the sled, with the stock resting on the table.

If you screw a sacrificial piece on the edge of the sled closest to the stock, it will give you a place to line up the mark of the dado to be cut. A good zero clearance shoe, and you will be set.

-- Jim in NC

[me]

I posted a copy of your ccsled picture to alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking with some additional lines sketcked on it and another crude "sketch" of a possible method of using multiple sero clearance inserts. Feeedback?

Opinions on Crosscut sled insert theory

[me]

That was supposed to be zero clearance inserts.

alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking

[Ramsey]

[Bruce]

Hmmm, I didn't seen them there. I saw one post from you but no attachments.

[Bruce]

After people started mentioning this, I remembered the "old" days when I was framing houses in the summer. We could dado out studs in a wall to flush mount a 1x4 diagonal to hold the wall plumb. We'd make about 10-15 cuts and then hack it out with a claw hammer. Good enough :)