Crosscut Sled Support Arm

Crosscut Sled
Support Arm
Taming tilt at the tablesaw
By Paul Anthony
T
he only problem with a
large crosscut sled is that it
tends to tip off the front of the
saw when pulled backward
to load a wide panel. You can
use an auxiliary stand for
support, but a less intrusive
approach is to craft a short
support arm that cantilevers
off the front of the saw.
Like many woodworkers, I
have a Biesemeyer fence. I’ve
found that a simple three-piece
wooden support attaches nicely
to it. The support consists of a
wooden arm that lays across the
fence’s guide tube while dadoed
into a crosspiece that �its snugly
between the fence tube and the
fence mounting rail. A cleat on
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the inside face of the crosspiece
presses against the underside of
the tablesaw wing, locking the
unit in place. The unit installs
and removes in a �lash and can
be modi�ied to �it many similar
saw/fence combinations.
June/July 2012
Make the crosspiece about 16"
long and just thick enough to
slide snugly between the fence
tube and its mounting rail. If
necessary, round over the bottom
edge to seat the piece against the
face and bottom of the L-shaped
Fence
tube
Support
arm
Mounting
rail
Crosspiece
A
B
Use small rulers or short, straight sticks to ensure the
top edge of the crosspiece sits flush to the saw table,
and the dado bottom aligns with the fence tube.
Thickness the support arm so that its top face
is flush with the top edge of the crosspiece
while resting on the fence tube.
Cleat
C
Notch the cleat to snugly wrap around the
fence mounting rail while firmly contacting
the inside face of the crosspiece.
mounting rail. Trim the top edge
to sit just a hair below the table
top; then cut a 3"-wide dado
whose bottom sits �lush with the
top of the fence tube (Photo A).
Locate the dado about 6" in from
the outer end of the crosspiece.
Make the 12"-long support arm to
�it snugly in the dado (Photo B),
but don’t fasten it yet.
Next, make the cleat that
bears against the underside of
Photos: Paul Anthony; courtesy of the Taunton Press
D
Hold the cleat firmly against the underside of the saw
wing; mark its position on the face of the center piece.
the saw. Mine is 7⁄8 × 21⁄2 × 11",
but suit your particular
tablesaw wing, ensuring
that the cleat bears solidly
against its underside edge.
Notch the long edge to
accommodate the fence
mounting rail, with 4" or 5"
solidly contacting the wooden
crosspiece (Photo C). Holding
the cleat in place, mark its
location on the crosspiece
(Photo D). Finally, glue and
screw the parts together and
radius the corners of the arm. ■
About Our Author
Senior editor Paul Anthony
is the author of Taunton’s
Complete Illustrated Guide to
Tablesaws, and Smart Workshop
Solutions (Taunton Press).
June/July 2012
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