I made a new adjustable sled

[Router-Jim]

This one uses screw inserts and adjustable end boards. It worked real well on it's maiden voyage.

[DocWheeler]

Router-Jim,

Nice design, is it full-width (14.5")?
My concerns with some of the concoctions that I dream-up is their weight.

[Router-Jim]

Yes it is 14 1/2" wide. The base is 48" long. It is made of MDF and is kind of heavy, but I use roller supports.

[bjbethke]

Looks like a two part board, what does the bottom board look like. That holds the screw inserts? Looks great

[mtylerfl]

This one uses screw inserts and adjustable end boards. It worked real well on it's maiden voyage.

Hello,

Are the screws countersunk so they don't "bump" the pressure rollers as it passes under them?

[Router-Jim]

I'll have to take some more pic. The bottom is 14 1/2" x 48" Each end has 6 inserts that are 4" in from each side and spaced at 4", 8", and 12" from the end. The top (white) pieces have a 5" long slot so it gives me a big range to hold various panel sizes.

[Router-Jim]

Hello,

Are the screws countersunk so they don't "bump" the pressure rollers as it passes under them?


Yes they are 1/16" below the surface. They are actually bolts.

[mtylerfl]

Yes they are 1/16" below the surface. They are actually bolts.

That's a great system!

[bjbethke]

Is the length of the board measurement always 48 inches, and the width 14.5 inches? Or is the measurement equal to the placement of the two 5 inch white peaces plus the carving board?

Looks like to me the CW machine takes the length measurements when the rollers are relaxed. (Not compressed).

Does the width of the carving board need to be 14.5 inches, the width of the sled?

Example; if I use a 10x10 inch carving board, will the length be 20 inches or 48 inches? (10 + 5 + 5=20)?
Will the width be 10 inches (with the carving centered), or will it be 14.5 inches?

I’m not sure where the start of width measurement is. I always use fillers on my sleds, would be nice if you do not need them. I think the end of the width is always the edge of the top side of the board. I may be wrong. Thanks for the post.

[Router-Jim]

Is the length of the board measurement always 48 inches, and the width 14.5 inches? Or is the measurement equal to the placement of the two 5 inch white peaces plus the carving board?

Looks like to me the CW machine takes the length measurements when the rollers are relaxed. (Not compressed).

Does the width of the carving board need to be 14.5 inches, the width of the sled?

Example; if I use a 10x10 inch carving board, will the length be 20 inches or 48 inches? (10 + 5 + 5=20)?
Will the width be 10 inches (with the carving centered), or will it be 14.5 inches?

I’m not sure where the start of width measurement is. I always use fillers on my sleds, would be nice if you do not need them. I think the end of the width is always the edge of the top side of the board. I may be wrong. Thanks for the post.

The only measurement that I change in designer is the thickness.

I place my project board so that it's centered for length and flush with the keypad side of the sled. I load it in the machine so that the middle of the project board is under the bit. The first thing the machine does is measure the width, so a 10" board will measure 10". No filler need.

The machine then measures the total length which is of course longer so I choose center to length.

[bjbethke]

Thanks; I wasn’t sure if the start of the carving board width measurement was always flush with the keypad side of the sled. That’s a great and simple sled design, Thanks for the post. Easy to setup.

[mtylerfl]

Hello BJB,

You asked if the sled needs to be 48" long. Answer is - not necessarily.

The purpose of the sled is to simply provide a length (as far as the machine is concerned) that is at least 7" longer than the project layout in Designer.

So, if your board is 10" long, the sled only needs to be at least 7" longer than that (i.e. 17" in this example). A 48" long sled certainly exceeds that criteria by quite a lot, but that doesn't matter. All that is important is that the sled "fools" the machine into thinking that the project board is at least 7" longer than the project as it was laid out in the software.

As far as width, the sled width usually is made so the the width matches whatever the project board width is. So, the 14.5" width is not a measurement set in stone either.

Make sense?

[Steven Alford]

I'll have to take some more pic. The bottom is 14 1/2" x 48" Each end has 6 inserts that are 4" in from each side and spaced at 4", 8", and 12" from the end. The top (white) pieces have a 5" long slot so it gives me a big range to hold various panel sizes.

Jim,
Have you been able to come up with some pics of your sled yet, with dimensions and few instructions??
Thanks,
Steve

[TIMCOSBY]

Hello BJB,

You asked if the sled needs to be 48" long. Answer is - not necessarily.

The purpose of the sled is to simply provide a length (as far as the machine is concerned) that is at least 7" longer than the project layout in Designer.

So, if your board is 10" long, the sled only needs to be at least 7" longer than that (i.e. 17" in this example). A 48" long sled certainly exceeds that criteria by quite a lot, but that doesn't matter. All that is important is that the sled "fools" the machine into thinking that the project board is at least 7" longer than the project as it was laid out in the software.

As far as width, the sled width usually is made so the the width matches whatever the project board width is. So, the 14.5" width is not a measurement set in stone either.

Make sense?
i read somewhere that at certain times the bit will go and touch the sliding plate when using a certain bit or doing a certain operation. if using a 10" board it would touch the sled instead??? don't know if this would be a problem
or not and can't remember where i read it but it was within the last 3 days.

[mtylerfl]

i read somewhere that at certain times the bit will go and touch the sliding plate when using a certain bit or doing a certain operation. if using a 10" board it would touch the sled instead??? don't know if this would be a problem
or not and can't remember where i read it but it was within the last 3 days.

If the sled is the same width as the project board (and less than 14" wide), then the cutting bit will lower itself into the "u" shape of the slding plate.

[Router-Jim]

Jim,
Have you been able to come up with some pics of your sled yet, with dimensions and few instructions??
Thanks,
Steve

Steve, here are a few additional photos:

The sled has a carving range of 8"s to 33 1/2"s.

[MikeMcCoy]

I was going to PM you Jim but my question might be occurring to someone else. I'm assuming (maybe incorrectly) that the piece to be carved can be smaller than the sled as long as you set the work up properly in Designer? If that's the case, the only restriction is that the target piece cannot be wider than the sled???

I'm finally getting away from plaques and coin racks so I'm ready to try something new.

[Router-Jim]

Mike, your assumptions are correct. With this sled I can carve a piece as short as 8" long. The key is to choose the "center to length" option. I am referring to surface carvings. For cut throughs or 4 sided edge routes, I'd probably choose a different (more expendable) sled.


Jim

[MikeMcCoy]

Gotcha Jim and thanks. That's what I assumed but that word (assumed) has bitten me more than once. :)

[Steven Alford]

Thanks for the update of the pics Jim.
Steve

[TIMCOSBY]

If the sled is the same width as the project board (and less than 14" wide), then the cutting bit will lower itself into the "u" shape of the slding plate.

he could use a board less than the width of the sled ...like a 10" or 4". in that case it would go 4" over and try to go down to find the ushaped slot and hit the sled and didn't want him to get into trouble with the machine trying to go thru the sled to get to the u shaped slot in the sliding plate. probably just give you an axis error.

[Lin]

Doesn't the machine only do that check (inside the u shaped slot next to the slider plate) if you have a cut path in the design?
I would think as long as you do not have a cut path you could use a board that is not as wide as the sled (carrier board) and it will work fine?
Lin

[Router-Jim]

Doesn't the machine only do that check (inside the u shaped slot next to the slider plate) if you have a cut path in the design?
I would think as long as you do not have a cut path you could use a board that is not as wide as the sled (carrier board) and it will work fine?
Lin

Lin, you are correct.

[TIMCOSBY]

was something that caused it to do it but just had crs disease.