Appalachia Tool Work Sled Review

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 1:36 pm

Lookie Looky Lookey!:)

http://www.appalachiatools.com/sunshop/

No SS version:(

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 3:27 pm

reible wrote:Hi,

I still love this sled!

When I got mine the guides were installed. At the time shopsmith was the only sled that came that way.

A lot depends on how comfortable you are with cutting the sled to fit the bars. The bar to bar dimension has to be right on so the slots cut in the table bottom have to be right on.

[ATTACH]18293[/ATTACH]

If you feel you have the skill set then save the money. If you are not so sure then spend the $20 and let him do it. (I would lean towards having them installed despite the added cost.)

Ed

Does the sled come from Appalachia already cut into two pieces? I ask because the sled I built needs some work and I have hesitated to do anything with it because it would end up in two pieces. I am uncertain just how good it would be when it went back together.

reible · Post by **reible** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 5:38 pm

dusty wrote:Does the sled come from Appalachia already cut into two pieces? I ask because the sled I built needs some work and I have hesitated to do anything with it because it would end up in two pieces. I am uncertain just how good it would be when it went back together.

It does come in two pieces. Some photos are attached earlier in the thread with pictures showing the parts if you care to check them out.

Ed

bcone1381 · Post by **bcone1381** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:52 pm

I recieved the ATW cross cut sled today in the mail. The seller is Rick Woodburn and his e-mail address is

rickwoody@gmail.com

All communications for pricing/ordering were done over e-mail.

I like the sled. It is exactly as you guys said. He has more in stock now if others are interested. I am a beginner woodworker. I am glad that I had Rick install the sled guides. I would have been pretty nervous doing that and getting it exactly right.

The sled came in four pieces, and was straight forward to assemble with good instructions. The sled allows for adjustment of the rear fence so that you can get it exactly square to the saw blade. I got mine within about 3 thousands after about six inches of a cut following Ricks instructions. I stopped there because it seemed satisfactory.

putttn · Post by **putttn** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 12:43 pm

Excuse the question and I don't mean to hijack the thread but I'm not clear on why we need a "Sled"!when we already have a
Miter gauge to advance material through the blade

algale · Post by **algale** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 1:24 pm

putttn wrote:Excuse the question and I don't mean to hijack the thread but I'm not clear on why we need a "Sled"!when we already have a
Miter gauge to advance material through the blade

Pieces much longer than the face of the miter gauge need support. A miter gauge extension is a simpler alternative to the sled. But with the miter extension, as you are pushing from the rear of the piece, the bottom of the work piece is encountering the friction of the table surface which makes it want to rotate and can make the workpiece difficult to control and can introduce imprecision.

With a sled, the bottom of the work piece is supported by the sled and there's no rotational force applied to the piece being cut as you push the work piece through the cut. So you have even greater control and precision.

Another advantage of a sled over most miter gauge for 90 degree cuts is that if you build it right and firmly attach the fence square to the blade, you never have to worry about whether the angle has changed (as you do with a miter gauge).

Al

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 5:42 pm

I agree wholeheartedly that the sled is easier, safer and more accurate to use when cross cutting or miter cutting long pieces.

However, I use my miter gauge (with and without an extension) just about equally with the sled. I tend to work on smaller projects thus less NEED for a sled.

curiousgeorge · Post by **curiousgeorge** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 8:38 pm

Dusty, I feel much more comfortable cutting smaller pieces with the sled than the miter. It just seems easier to control smaller pieces with the sled.

fredsheldon · Post by **fredsheldon** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:24 am

JPG40504 wrote:Lookie Looky Lookey!:)

http://www.appalachiatools.com/sunshop/

No SS version

Just received my sled last night and it is the SS version. Also has an improved ATW Miter Attachment. Had to go to their web site to figure out how some of the attachments work

They shipped without prepayment using the honor system of pay after arrival. Never have had anybody do that before.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:38 am

curiousgeorge wrote:Dusty, I feel much more comfortable cutting smaller pieces with the sled than the miter. It just seems easier to control smaller pieces with the sled.

If you feel more comfortable (with any process) by all means use that. Abide by what your gut tells you. Furthermore, if that is what you feel, advocate it.

I am short and being so, I do not have a real good view of the blade when using my sled and cutting small pieces on the table saw. On larger (wider) pieces, this is not a problem.

Maybe I should consider a differently designed sled because I do feel that a sled provides better control over the materials being cut.

Shopsmith Forums

Appalachia Tool Work Sled Review

Appalachia sled (Etc.)