Frame Maker

              One of the handiest tools in the wood shop is the table saw. When working with replicating multiple, small pieces of stock, a sled makes the job easier. Stock can be placed against the sled’s rear wall and then the whole sled is pushed into the blade. Clamp a stop piece of wood on the back wall of the sled and you are guaranteed consistent cut lengths.

            I made this sled from scrap 3/4 “ pressboard. The front and rear walls are 3/4 “ hickory. I had a stick of wood that was just about the perfect size to use as slide runners on the bottom of the sled. After passing the stick through the planer, its dimensions were perfect. To attach the runners to the bottom of the sled I sprayed the contacting side of each runner with 3M contact glue. I then put the runners in the table saw’s slots and aligned the sled on top. When I lifted the sled from the saw top the runners were in place and aligned. I clamped each runner while I secured it with a couple of recessed screws.

            When the sled had its runners I tested it on the table saw. It slid without any binding and it didn’t wiggle from left to right as it slid. A critical step in building the sled is to attach the rear wall so that it is at right angles with the saw blade. To do this, I placed the blank pressboard, with attached

runners onto the saw with its blade lowered. I then powered up the saw and slowly raised the blade through the pressboard. This action produced a blade reference line which I could then use a carpenter’s square to line up the rear wall. The two walls need to be attached on each side of the blade’s cut line in order to keep the sled from falling apart the first time the walls are run through  during a low profile cut.           

            A popular décor need is to be able to build frames. With a wood shop equipped with necessary tools, why would you need to purchase a frame? The frames can also come out of your shop having any odd dimension that is required. Now, to come up with a way to use the table saw sled to produce accurate 45 degree cuts.            

            I put together a templet that looks like half of a picture frame. This 90 degree piece was cut with equal leg lengths and the end of each leg was cut with a 45 degree angle. The templet can now be placed on the sled and it will form a back stop for cutting frame wood. I drilled a 1/4 “ hole in the middle of the templet’s reinforcing center piece. I then aligned the templet to the left and right edges of the sled’s rear wall. I drilled two 1/4 “ holes into the sled, using the templet hole as a drill guide. I then glued a peg into the templet which extended from the bottom by 1/4 “. The frame templet can now be pegged to the sled for either a right hand, or a left hand 45 degree angle cut. The mark on the wood to be cut is simply aligned with either the right or left edge of the sled’s blade slot. With the templet pegged to the far edge of the sled, the frame wood gets cut without any need for the blade to contact the templet.