my improved sled

[unitedcases]

My first few sleds were of Melamine. Had to use tape and eventually the tape gums up and just makes a mess, plus they are heavy. I use the 15 inch wide aspen boards from lowes. I rip a 1/2 off and have the machine do all the holes and the grooves in the top. I then go back with a T track bit and cut the slot for the rectangular nut. Works like a champ for me. Then the measuring tape, (width wise), helps when I want to do a more narrow project. When I load the project I put the actual project piece under the sensor. For my design I dont use the sled. Just the actual carving and then close as necessary digital board.

[karossii]

Floyd (et al), if the rails of my sled are slightly higher than the project board, from 0.025" to 0.11" higher (based on my experiences with bix-box dimensional lumber thickness variances), will that cause issues when I carve/cut? I know the base of the sled would cause the machine to think the whole thing is thicker than it is, and I will have to do any cutouts to project (designer) thickness rather than board (with sled) thickness.

Just concerned about the tops of the rails not matching the top of the project board.

[unitedcases]

I know your asking Floyd but the answer is your fine as long as you jog to touch the actual board itself.

[karossii]

I was just replying to Floyd's reply to me - the question(s) are open to being answered by all who know! Thanks!

[unitedcases]

For some reason my lumber yard could never give me 3/4 material. So I put 7/8 rails on my sled. Of course after I made that mod they started getting it right.

[fwharris]

I know your asking Floyd but the answer is your fine as long as you jog to touch the actual board itself.

Correct!

[bergerud]

I do remember that there is a limit to how much lower than the side rails one can go to touch the board. Not much more than 1/4" if I recall. The machine knows about how much lower the board surface should be below the bit plate. If the bit dives too low before touching the board, you get a reload bit (or some other such) error.

Remember the problem of trying to touch in an already carved region?

[carrothers]

I built the 3/4 inch MDF with the two T tracks with 3.5" boards on either end. I have two "sets of 3.5 boards"...one is half inch thick and the other is 1/4 and they are designed so that I can stack them in case my carve board is .75 thick. I have a question on how the CW finds the depth when I'm using the sled...if the z drive comes over to the key pad side it will not find my carve board. I see some comments about jogging to position to find the depth...when do you jog, how do you jog. thanks.

[unitedcases]

When I load mine I put the back tail under the sensor. So it always measures 14.5 as all my sleds are max width. I just center the board and tell the machine to center.

[carrothers]

Here is a picture of the sled I just finished...it's 48 inches long and 14 inches wide. I built the 3.5 ends in two thicknesses...one is 1/4 inch thick and the other is 1/2 inch thick. I designed it so I could put the two together in case I have a 3/4 inch carving board. I used quarter 20 threaded with a phillips flush head to hold down the end pieces into the embedded tracks. Making another one that will be 36 inches long and 10 wide for smaller carves.