depth of cut using cross cut sled

rdewinter · Post by **rdewinter** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 1:08 am

I find it difficult to determine the depth of cut when using the cross cut sled and a regular blade or a stacked dado set. The blade is too far from the crosscut sled to get an accurate measurement. I know I can use scrap wood and make test cuts to determine depth, but I was wondering what other people might do to get accurate depth of cut.
Thanks in advance for any tips.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 2:22 am

rdewinter wrote:I find it difficult to determine the depth of cut when using the cross cut sled and a regular blade or a stacked dado set. The blade is too far from the crosscut sled to get an accurate measurement. I know I can use scrap wood and make test cuts to determine depth, but I was wondering what other people might do to get accurate depth of cut.
Thanks in advance for any tips.

You do know the thickness of the sled do you not?

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 4:37 am

I wish I had set the depth before I took this picture but I do it the same way as when I am using the table saw.

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JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 11:42 am

rdewinter wrote:I find it difficult to determine the depth of cut when using the cross cut sled and a regular blade or a stacked dado set. The blade is too far from the crosscut sled to get an accurate measurement. I know I can use scrap wood and make test cuts to determine depth, but I was wondering what other people might do to get accurate depth of cut.
Thanks in advance for any tips.

I do not fully (accurately) understand - why IS there too much distance??????

Also what irregular blades do you use????

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 12:27 pm

JPG40504 wrote:I do not fully (accurately) understand - why IS there too much distance??????

Also what irregular blades do you use????

There is not a great huge gaping gap between the blade and the cross cut sled but there is enough distance that it is difficult to eye ball the depth of cut accurately.

That gap does not exist in the photos which I have posted to this thread but you can see where it would be if I did not use the Auxillary Cross Cut Sled.

Notice that I have mounted my auxillary table differently than shown in the Shopsmith documentation. I created a ZCI out of mine.

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One of these days, I am going to make a new Auxillary Cross Cut Table. The modification will be to extend it out beyond the outfeed edge of the main table probably a foot or so.

rdewinter · Post by **rdewinter** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:03 am

JPG...there is not a huge distance between the crosscut sled and the saw blade, I would say it's about 1/2" to 3/4" and yes I know the depth of the cross cut table. Looking at Dusty's setup really made me see that all I have to do is add the auxillary cut off accessory to the left of the blade and then If the cross cut table and the cut off accessory are the same height, I can use a gauge to measure the depth.
'
Dusty...I really like you ZCI setup
Thanks

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:33 am

rdewinter wrote:JPG...there is not a huge distance between the crosscut sled and the saw blade, I would say it's about 1/2" to 3/4" and yes I know the depth of the cross cut table. Looking at Dusty's setup really made me see that all I have to do is add the auxillary cut off accessory to the left of the blade and then If the cross cut table and the cut off accessory are the same height, I can use a gauge to measure the depth.
'
Dusty...I really like you ZCI setup
Thanks

Thank you. Necessity is the mother of invention.