carlbeck
01-05-2011, 09:23 AM
41156
I have read so many posts that I thought my sled design might have helped that I thought I would share my sled design,
The attached picture shows my sled. The base is 1/2 inch Baltic Birch Plywood. On top of that is 1/4 inch Hardboard. That allows cut through designs without messing up the base and can be changed when cut through projects mess up the hardboard to the point that it needs to be replaced. It will take a LOT of cut through designs before it needs replacing. It is secured to the base with screws close to each end. I use 3 5/8 inch spacers to allow for the 7 inch rule. The right spacer is secured with screws flush and square to the right end of the base. The left spacer is secured tight against the work piece. I make me designs in multiples of one inch length so that the left spacer has the possibility of using previous base screw holes. A couple pieces of double sided tape hold the work piece to the base.
The Baltic Birch base provided a very good surface riding over the measuring roller. So far I have not had to help it with masking tape. If it wears to that point I can always use the masking tape suggestion to make it last a little longer.
This design has allowed me several successful carvings of different lengths. I hope the description will help with some of the problem posts I have read.
Since I posted this, I have learned that no matter how good the material is for the base of you sled, if you use Cut-Through, you better add tape along the bottom edge that rides on the measureing roller. Apparently as the bottom of the sled gets indented by the measureing wheel, it will sometimes slip theyny causeing the transport of the work piece to lurch with will break the 1/8 inch cutting bit. To learn this lesson, it cost me $80 in cutting bits. USE TAPE
I have read so many posts that I thought my sled design might have helped that I thought I would share my sled design,
The attached picture shows my sled. The base is 1/2 inch Baltic Birch Plywood. On top of that is 1/4 inch Hardboard. That allows cut through designs without messing up the base and can be changed when cut through projects mess up the hardboard to the point that it needs to be replaced. It will take a LOT of cut through designs before it needs replacing. It is secured to the base with screws close to each end. I use 3 5/8 inch spacers to allow for the 7 inch rule. The right spacer is secured with screws flush and square to the right end of the base. The left spacer is secured tight against the work piece. I make me designs in multiples of one inch length so that the left spacer has the possibility of using previous base screw holes. A couple pieces of double sided tape hold the work piece to the base.
The Baltic Birch base provided a very good surface riding over the measuring roller. So far I have not had to help it with masking tape. If it wears to that point I can always use the masking tape suggestion to make it last a little longer.
This design has allowed me several successful carvings of different lengths. I hope the description will help with some of the problem posts I have read.
Since I posted this, I have learned that no matter how good the material is for the base of you sled, if you use Cut-Through, you better add tape along the bottom edge that rides on the measureing roller. Apparently as the bottom of the sled gets indented by the measureing wheel, it will sometimes slip theyny causeing the transport of the work piece to lurch with will break the 1/8 inch cutting bit. To learn this lesson, it cost me $80 in cutting bits. USE TAPE