Precision Bandsaw Sled

A bandsaw sled is great for cutting very small pieces. Some pieces are difficult to 

hold or not safe to cut. This sled  is very easy to setup and use. It can cut 45 and 90 

degree angles. It also has a stop block so it can make repeatable cuts. The sled is small 

so it won't take up to much room in the shop.

Base....Since this will be a small sled for cutting smaller pieces, I did not want to 

make a large bulky base so I just used some 1/2" Baltic birch plywood.

The Runner.....

The runner should be a hardwood so I was lucky and found a piece of oak that fit nice and tight in the slot. I just took it over to the table saw and shaved off a very small amount. I retested it and it fit fine.

I used my table saw clamp to make a precision  cuts for the sides and the depth of the runner.

The two pieces can now be glued together. I use some Titebond and did not put any screws in it because it was not necessary since the two pieces would not come apart.... unless you smash it.

Fence 
The next part is to make the fence and stop block. Here I am cutting a groove in the fence and that will be for the stop block.

Drilling the fence on both ends for the machine screws. This will be screwed into the base. One side is for a pivot and the other side to secure the fence.












An outline of the fence is marked on the stop block, this will be
cut on the bandsaw. I carefully cut it exactly but still used a file
 and some light sanding  and then got a very nice fit.

A small hole is drilled to fit a nob. I found a nob in my junk drawer

 with a threaded screw and just turned it in the wood. I did not put in 

an insert because I wanted the screw to turn tight.

I used a speed square and caliper to measure and make sure everything was square. After that I use some machine screws and attached the fence to the base. The stop block was tested and it slides along the fence and base really smooth.

 Now the next hole can be drilled. Again using the speed square I marked, clamped and drilled this hole, now the fence can be secured at 45 degrees.


Note, I did countersink the holes to fit the machine screws making sure everything was flush.







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                             First cut......

                     Above is my test and first cut and it turned out great......

                     These are a few of the first cuts I made, I am very happy with this sled 

                     and it will come in handy for future projects.

See also:

Oscillating spindle sander        Woodworking and pianos           Mitered half laps