I've been watching videos about making tables and other things and seeing people using router sleds. Watched a few on how to make a sled and the rails and all looked good but but cost a bit more than I'd want to spend since I'm just wanting to get my feet wet. The other videos were also a bit complicated. Glad I clicked on your video. Being retired and on a fixed income and just looking to begin with smaller things to start like cutting boards, your sled was what I was looking for. Saved me some time figuring out how to build one myself and not spend much money. You did a good job making it simple and easy to follow.
Made your slide and it worked GREAT. Flattened a 39 inch wide by 3-5 inch high/thick cookie. Ended up using drawer slide 1/2in tape which we put on both lips of the angle iron. Router slid easily. Will put it on router plate tomorrow to flatten other side of the cookie. Thanks for your great suggestion and video. OUTSTANDING!!
Your rail system planted a seed in my head. I ended up building a sled that incorporates not only the rails, but also a tracked rail roller setup. Used it for the first time today, and it left a finish on hard walnut that any self respecting quality drum sander or helical planer would be proud of. This thing is awesome. Thank you for the video and the inspiration!
THANKS a lot for the tutorial...been looking for one simple router sled and couldn't find a simple step-by-step guide that goes straight to the point...till I found this video!!
I think you will find the router base will get damaged running up and down the metal after time, the addition of some thin teflon sliders will alleviate this
telfon sliders have apparently been replaced with teflon tape now. not as sturdy gor something like this but it will work. having to buy and make a slider from teflon sheet is the only other option i found today.
you? My good man, I just built a sled just today, I bought aluminum to do my sled and it actually worked really well and it's a lot lighter to handle. Thanks for the information that you have provided. Thanks buddy
I’ve been looking at the “EASY SLED BUILD” “SIMPLE SLED BUILD” UA-cam videos for months. They just made me keep looking up the definition of simple and easy. Some people made cuts with no dimensions. No step by step instructions. No specifics. Your video is AWESOME. Simplicity at its best. !!!
I need to make a better sled than the one I have - and this reminded me that I do have two bedframes in the garage that aren't being used. Saves me a trip to the store.
Thanks. I love the build can't wait to make one. One tip when drilling your holes go to Harbor Freight and get a graduating drill bit it's the best drill bit you'll everone for steel. I had to drill holes in a steel boat trailer quarter inch thick. It flew through the steel like it was soft Pine I couldn't believe it. Thanks again
Best fucking video I have seen on this bro. I thank you so much. There are guys using the metal that you used with welders and or they're not explaining things well and their videos are a lot longer than yours. Your explanation is superb and I love how you added the mdf board and showed the whole set up. You are a life saver man. Thank you so much.
@@philiposborne5603 can't visualise what you're referring to.. - but with a router, the bit would be facing the wrong way to the wood / cut ??? But using the same sled concept with a hand held circular saw would work 🤷♂️
Good idea You! Couple of suggestions. You can usually find old angle iron bed frames at resale shops for a fraction of what the metal would cost from a hardware store. Also if you screwed the vertical wood piece to the horizontal wood you can save drilling holes in the metal.
@@derekdavis1652 at the time I acquired my dad's old table saw. I have no idea who made it, God knows I've looked all over. Anyway the tabletop was approximately 24×30. I needed to greatly expand the table. So I used a combo of angle iron from old bed frames, 2×4s and a sheet of MDF , and a couple of casters. I just built the extensions that came naturally. I was able to go 30 inches to my left, 24 to my right and 14 to my back edge . I first framed the edge with the 2×4 s bolting them using the holes already there. Leaving space so that when I placed the MDF on top it was flush with the tabletop. Everything else was then bolted or screwed to this. This worked for me for many years . As crude as it was it worked.
this might seem nit picky but honestly i find so many little ways to mess myself up and i am trying to avoid it...when you drill the initial holes into the end blocks and you then drill small pilot holes into the angle iron, how do you know those pilot holes are centered in the holes you drilled into the wood? would it be better to first take your metal pilot hole bit and drill it straight through the wood until it marks the metal? i am ultimately trying to ensure that the holes in the angle iron and the wood perfectly line up for the bolts to go through ? thanks!
I'm used to larger, corded routers ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxfQ5_mgwq6PcudJvAH25t-I4D-3cTPz4z so this was a different experience for me. Basically, this is an incredibly sweet machine, fits well in the hand, etc. It has slightly less power than I'm used to, but that's understandable. Maneuvering freehand takes some practice. These days, it's especially nice to be able to avoid power cords. This is above the level of a hobbyist but below a pro level.
I like the way you simplified it a lot of other people over complicate the whole project when really it’s just enough to get the job done like it a lot
building this now . . . thank you. i only switch out the pine spacers with welded flat bar. this rig is perfect… will hang this on the wall to store. cheer mate.
Good video, I like this concept. I’m gonna substitute aluminum angle for the angle iron but pretty much copying this. And I could see sides that have dowels out the bottom that fit into your work table clamp holes
I was thinking aluminum too, a little more expensive but lighter (I plan to hang the contraption on my limited wall space) and easier to work with, as far as drilling and cutting. otherwise this is a great plan, I'll be going to get what I need tomorrow, I have several slabs too big for my planer, including a beautiful white oak crotch, and a smaller walnut one, which I plan to make an end tables out of. Great concise video.
Thank you! Was trying to figure out how to rout a hammer/side plate configuration into a previously rounded rifle stock, for my Springfield Trapdoor Rifle! This might work! Thanks again!
What do you use to stop things sliding about? I made something similar with a wood sled rather than angle stock. But my slab under moves. I've tried two different types of clamp but I have to remove them to do the ends which causes everything to move, so I get an uneven surface.
Awesome brother thanks I’ll be building this tonight after a trip to the HomeHardware. Again thanks and stay safe in this deceptive Time. Peace brother
I used router to shave old oak window frames to instal new pvc windows. The hands down best tool to quick and esey wood leveling, and i have tried more than 3 methods.
For my rails I took 2 2x4’s ran each end through my plainer so it was perfectly flat and I have a rolling table that is solid and flat and just screw it to the table. It’s good and solid and you are able to work on long pieces.
Very nice, will probably make one of these though why did you drill the wood first and then the metal? seems like it would have been easier to put the holes in the metal and then drill through them into the wood or just used lag bolts
Any reason you mounted the guides to the angle-iron separately? I was thinking the innermost bolts on the angl-iron spacers could go into threaded inserts in the end of the guide piece... Also - is the angle-iron smooth enough that it won't wear out the router sub-base every few uses?
Angle iron isn’t that smooth but it’s not a file either. You’re probably gonna want to make a base plate for this jig so you can chamfer the edge because angle iron has an internal radius in the corner that would act like a half pipe ramp on your router base. If you’re doing so many slabs that you think you’re going to wear out base plates you probably want a better more permanent solution for flattening. This is a good occasional use easy to make solution for people doing their first slab project.
These are good plans for building a sled, like myself. I’m taking 3 4x8x3/4” plywood sheets and making slat boards for Christmas presents. After that who knows when I will use it again. Thanks
I think if you slotted the angle iron. You can have an adjustable rail the slide rides on. Also. You can make the base two pieces with each rail side. Easier to store that way. You can just find a piece of mdf to fill the void as needed for each project. This would be useful for wordsmiths with limited space.
Thank you for the lesson, I’ve been looking at a lot of videos to make a sled and I like yours the best, like a previous post I will use aluminum angle but holy shamokin this is an easy accurate build.
I’m working on building out my first shop. I want to work with both metal and wood. Using each where/when most useful. I agree that this use of a router is more beneficial and cost effective than purchasing individual tools. I plan on using bed frame angle iron for my sled sides and wood for the bottom of the sled. I also plan on using metal for the rails and melamine to attach the rails to.
Hi Jesse. I am having to build a router sled at the moment and like this idea of yours a lot as It does not put too much space between the router base and whatever it is you are trying to flatten. I am a little concerned however that the steel will eat into the base of the router eventually and therefor put the angle off and not flatten as it should and of course cause damage to my router base. I see this vid was posted 10 Nov 2020 and wanted to know if you noticed any heavy wear to the bottom of your router base by the angle iron the last three years? Look forward to your reply! Thanks for the great content!
Consider using the smaller drill bit first through the wood into the metal for your marks. Then remove the wood and over drill the pilot holes. That way alignment will be perfect when you drill out the wood. May not be important to you since your project looks perfect as is.
I'd just drill through with the right sized bit to start with. No advantage in predrilling with the smaller bit in the steel with that difference in bit size.
At 6:47, we can se that the rails are quite a bit wider than the bed sides. just wondering if, rather than screwing the pine vertically to the underside of the rails, maybe use those long bolts to fix your pine pieces horizontally. On one side, simply fix using 4 holes but on the other side, maybe consider drilling, then connecting, the 4 holes and fitting a longer piece of pine. This way, when you lay the rails onto the bed, you can move that second, longer, pine block inwards to make the rails a better fit and cut down on any lateral movement of the rails? (I noticed at 7:02 that your rails were wandering before you had completed a pass.
i made a version of this today with aluminium angles and some mdf, was amazed it worked after my n00b ass made it. thanks for the video (cost under £50)
super detailed, super simple! the only thing I'm gonna change is using slotted angle iron so it's easier to adjust the wood between the iron in case I change routers or need to adjust the size for whatever reason. Next is figuring out a small bed since I need to flatten smaller live edge cookies.
i had a bunch of 2020 aluminum and a small 4" wide bench sander. ordered two 12x12x1/4 thick steel plates and some m6 0.5mm washers. plates sit on the aluminum, one 1mm ±0.5mm above the other. a bit of careful placement gets the sander up between em and makes a 12x26 platform i can run boards across and take a 1mm ±0.5mm shaving from. i have to organise a roller to keep the height locked down, its going tp be a 12" conveyor roller or perhaps just a rod with a couple of bearings on for the sides (also looked at rolling pins 😂).
Loved the video, super informative, great idea for a router sled. I like the other comments to use bed frames. I was thinking of using bar clamps as rails. They should be straight and smooth enough. Clamp them to the work bench. I look forward to building a sled and putting it to use.
Two suggestions When drilling holes thru steel. Put a small amount of oil into a cap or other container , then just dip the drill bit into it before drilling each hole. . Much easier , cleaner , faster. Angle iron is NOT 90* at inside corners so round over or bevel cut the spacer wood that butts into corner. If you look close you will see that’s why your wood is not sitting tight to sides.
I made two of them (a 16" cross cut and a 52" cross cut) out of salvaged aluminum office cubical parts forty years ago. They were hinged so I could flip them out of the way easily.
I'm considering using some adjustable stock rollers (harbor freight) so that I can move the slab through a 3'-4' router work section. I have some lengthy 10-12' lengths that I'd like to roll through/feed into a smaller milling area. Like a huge human powered planer. Hoping the harbor freight rollers come with a cam lock height adjustment (like a bicycle seat tube) instead of pin lock holes every 1". 4 roller tubes should allow me to feed long conference tables through my plane-station. I could even tack some poly decking runners to the bottom while doing the first pass for the top if there are drying irregularities to get a smooth first run feed. Thoughts? I'll only be limited in length by what fits "in through the out door" (LZ)
Hi, thank you for the video. What is the bit that you use on the router called, please? I've looked for one here in South Africa but no one seems to know what I'm talking about.
This is an excellent video presented in a clear, complete way. I really like the tips you plant along the way, such as using the paste wax and, especially, the bed. You might want to consider another video on a storable bed. Keep up the good work. Love your videos.
I'd add smoothing down the contact surfaces with 600 grit sanding paper and some WD40. Step bits are way better than large drill bits, they don't catch into the hole. IMHO, I'd rather use angle iron for the whole sled and weld the thing together, keeping the bed a wood/ply assembly.
Glad I found this video! Great idea for what I doing. Cutting dado mortise joints in uprights for a bookshelf. Just have to remember to set the depth of the router from the angle iron, not from the router base itself. Great video!! 👍👍👍
I've been watching videos about making tables and other things and seeing people using router sleds. Watched a few on how to make a sled and the rails and all looked good but but cost a bit more than I'd want to spend since I'm just wanting to get my feet wet. The other videos were also a bit complicated. Glad I clicked on your video. Being retired and on a fixed income and just looking to begin with smaller things to start like cutting boards, your sled was what I was looking for. Saved me some time figuring out how to build one myself and not spend much money. You did a good job making it simple and easy to follow.
Made your slide and it worked GREAT. Flattened a 39 inch wide by 3-5 inch high/thick cookie. Ended up using drawer slide 1/2in tape which we put on both lips of the angle iron. Router slid easily. Will put it on router plate tomorrow to flatten other side of the cookie. Thanks for your great suggestion and video. OUTSTANDING!!
Thanks for not over engineering/complicating this build. I love it! Following 👍
Your rail system planted a seed in my head. I ended up building a sled that incorporates not only the rails, but also a tracked rail roller setup. Used it for the first time today, and it left a finish on hard walnut that any self respecting quality drum sander or helical planer would be proud of. This thing is awesome. Thank you for the video and the inspiration!
I'd like to see your roller idea too ! Than sounds like a great addition to this build.
@Barrett Hamilton ua-cam.com/video/BY-UAUOaapk/v-deo.html
A year later and still no picture?--big hat, no cows 🙂
@@rdw3171 there’s a video linked above. I don’t have a way to post a still picture on here.
I would love to see a vid/pic of your setup, I am about to build my second sled here this weekend
I'm brand new to woodworking. THIS is the sled I can build. Thnx.
I liked the rapid-fire instruction on top of the video. Clear and succinct. Thanks 👍✌🥃
No problem!
THANKS a lot for the tutorial...been looking for one simple router sled and couldn't find a simple step-by-step guide that goes straight to the point...till I found this video!!
I think you will find the router base will get damaged running up and down the metal after time, the addition of some thin teflon sliders will alleviate this
Avoid teflon. Probably single worst chemical for us ever made
You can alternatively attach another metal angle iron on the wood slabs
telfon sliders have apparently been replaced with teflon tape now. not as sturdy gor something like this but it will work.
having to buy and make a slider from teflon sheet is the only other option i found today.
you? My good man, I just built a sled just today, I bought aluminum to do my sled and it actually worked really well and it's a lot lighter to handle. Thanks for the information that you have provided. Thanks buddy
Hello, newbie here, question how do you control the height adjustments for how much you want to cut off ?
@@pedroamezcua8249I believe you set the depth of the cut you’re making on the router itself.
@Bigevilfishy koo thanks
I’ve been looking at the “EASY SLED BUILD” “SIMPLE SLED BUILD” UA-cam videos for months. They just made me keep looking up the definition of simple and easy. Some people made cuts with no dimensions. No step by step instructions. No specifics.
Your video is AWESOME. Simplicity at its best. !!!
Agreed with this commentor. Thanks for this
I made a sled based off this video and it has worked so well. Thank you so much
Awesome! Glad to hear it!
Great idea. I had some old bed frame lying around and I cut that down. It made perfect size angle iron to work with.
I need to make a better sled than the one I have - and this reminded me that I do have two bedframes in the garage that aren't being used. Saves me a trip to the store.
I’ve had two sitting in the corner of the garage for 15+ years. Finally going to put them to good use!
Thanks. I love the build can't wait to make one. One tip when drilling your holes go to Harbor Freight and get a graduating drill bit it's the best drill bit you'll everone for steel. I had to drill holes in a steel boat trailer quarter inch thick. It flew through the steel like it was soft Pine I couldn't believe it. Thanks again
Best fucking video I have seen on this bro. I thank you so much. There are guys using the metal that you used with welders and or they're not explaining things well and their videos are a lot longer than yours. Your explanation is superb and I love how you added the mdf board and showed the whole set up. You are a life saver man. Thank you so much.
Simple, cheap, effective, fast, does exactly what I needed it to - thanks! 👍
That’s a super simple and effective project man. Love how you explained everything you did and why you did it.
Glad to hear it! Thanks!
@@Mullenthemaker
I'm a wanna be woodworker. Could this set up be used to made dado's for drawer dividers in an apothecary cabinet?
@@philiposborne5603 can't visualise what you're referring to.. - but with a router, the bit would be facing the wrong way to the wood / cut ???
But using the same sled concept with a hand held circular saw would work 🤷♂️
Thank you! Like the previous comment - Thanks for not overcomplicating it, looking forward to making it!
You are the unspoken hero spoken of. Simple but effective idea for those not strapped with tons of cash.
Angle iron sounds good. Just need to be aware of the internal radius can cause the router base to ride up slightly.
Great point. An acrylic base plate with chamfered edges would do it I think.
Just remove / bevel the corners !
The best I’ve seen for this so far. The angle iron is the way to go!
Good idea You! Couple of suggestions.
You can usually find old angle iron bed frames at resale shops for a fraction of what the metal would cost from a hardware store. Also if you screwed the vertical wood piece to the horizontal wood you can save drilling holes in the metal.
Ditto. I was just going to say that when I saw your comment. I've used old bed frames to make tool stands and table saw extensions
@@laff000 +1: couldn't see the point of the additional holes for the vertical pieces of wood.
@@laff000 how did you make table saw extension? I need one and I'm sure it would be a lot cheaper to build vs buy. Tks in advance
@@derekdavis1652 at the time I acquired my dad's old table saw. I have no idea who made it, God knows I've looked all over. Anyway the tabletop was approximately 24×30. I needed to greatly expand the table. So I used a combo of angle iron from old bed frames, 2×4s and a sheet of MDF , and a couple of casters. I just built the extensions that came naturally. I was able to go 30 inches to my left, 24 to my right and 14 to my back edge . I first framed the edge with the 2×4 s bolting them using the holes already there. Leaving space so that when I placed the MDF on top it was flush with the tabletop. Everything else was then bolted or screwed to this. This worked for me for many years . As crude as it was it worked.
@@CreativeCadaver13ppl
Did this on Saturday worked like a charm. Thank you
this might seem nit picky but honestly i find so many little ways to mess myself up and i am trying to avoid it...when you drill the initial holes into the end blocks and you then drill small pilot holes into the angle iron, how do you know those pilot holes are centered in the holes you drilled into the wood? would it be better to first take your metal pilot hole bit and drill it straight through the wood until it marks the metal? i am ultimately trying to ensure that the holes in the angle iron and the wood perfectly line up for the bolts to go through ? thanks!
Thanks! I like it, quite cost effective. I'll keep this in mind when making my own. Next step would be adding dust extraction..
By far the simplest and easiest to follow "how to build a router sled" on YT. Period.. Just one question - what type of a router bit you're using?
I'm used to larger, corded routers ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxfQ5_mgwq6PcudJvAH25t-I4D-3cTPz4z so this was a different experience for me. Basically, this is an incredibly sweet machine, fits well in the hand, etc. It has slightly less power than I'm used to, but that's understandable. Maneuvering freehand takes some practice. These days, it's especially nice to be able to avoid power cords. This is above the level of a hobbyist but below a pro level.
Thanks for sharing your design and tips. I think I will make mine with a few differences. Ill make a video when Im done.
I like the way you simplified it a lot of other people over complicate the whole project when really it’s just enough to get the job done like it a lot
Thank you. Just did a quick google search and to purchase a router sled, they range in price from expensive to more expensive! I think I can do this.
Made this router base for about 40 bucks at lowes works great and very durable.
Awesome!
building this now . . . thank you. i only switch out the pine spacers with welded flat bar. this rig is perfect… will hang this on the wall to store. cheer mate.
Rounding the bottom edges will help the wood fit the fillet on the angle iron inside corner
Good video, I like this concept. I’m gonna substitute aluminum angle for the angle iron but pretty much copying this. And I could see sides that have dowels out the bottom that fit into your work table clamp holes
I was thinking aluminum too, a little more expensive but lighter (I plan to hang the contraption on my limited wall space) and easier to work with, as far as drilling and cutting. otherwise this is a great plan, I'll be going to get what I need tomorrow, I have several slabs too big for my planer, including a beautiful white oak crotch, and a smaller walnut one, which I plan to make an end tables out of. Great concise video.
İts simple,functional,cheap,everybody can do it.thank you brother for video.greetings from Turkiye
excellent video, this helps encourage me to be working with slabs, thanks!
Thank you! Was trying to figure out how to rout a hammer/side plate configuration into a previously rounded rifle stock, for my Springfield Trapdoor Rifle! This might work! Thanks again!
What do you use to stop things sliding about? I made something similar with a wood sled rather than angle stock. But my slab under moves. I've tried two different types of clamp but I have to remove them to do the ends which causes everything to move, so I get an uneven surface.
Awesome brother thanks I’ll be building this tonight after a trip to the HomeHardware. Again thanks and stay safe in this deceptive Time. Peace brother
Hey Jesse….just found your video. What kind of router bit do you use to perform this task?
Thanks! Frank
That’s a simple sled that can help me flatten my slabs , thanks !
You literally just saved my build with this video. Thank you!
Super great video! The easiest one I found! Thank you very much!
Thanks for the video sir!!! I've seen at least 20 different videos on this topic this has been the easiest
Thank you Jesse , great Idea , my next week project
You did the review on the Delta 36-725T2, that and the Bosch CM10GD most used tools in my shop.
What bite did you use
I made the same one but I put the wood cleats on the bottom. Works awesome. Love mine
...and it acts as the stop. Nice
What size of router bit do you use for planing?
That router bit is epic
I used router to shave old oak window frames to instal new pvc windows. The hands down best tool to quick and esey wood leveling, and i have tried more than 3 methods.
For my rails I took 2 2x4’s ran each end through my plainer so it was perfectly flat and I have a rolling table that is solid and flat and just screw it to the table. It’s good and solid and you are able to work on long pieces.
Gotta ask Jesse, what kind of router bit did you use to plane the slab?
Good idea, and what bit do you recommend?
Very nice, will probably make one of these though why did you drill the wood first and then the metal? seems like it would have been easier to put the holes in the metal and then drill through them into the wood or just used lag bolts
Really good simple build thank you. Any thoughts on usig an electric plane instead of router?
With thanks
Mark
I like the way you explain in detail. I need detail. new sub for you.!
Best router sled on UA-cam!!👍👍👍
Any reason you mounted the guides to the angle-iron separately? I was thinking the innermost bolts on the angl-iron spacers could go into threaded inserts in the end of the guide piece...
Also - is the angle-iron smooth enough that it won't wear out the router sub-base every few uses?
Angle iron isn’t that smooth but it’s not a file either. You’re probably gonna want to make a base plate for this jig so you can chamfer the edge because angle iron has an internal radius in the corner that would act like a half pipe ramp on your router base.
If you’re doing so many slabs that you think you’re going to wear out base plates you probably want a better more permanent solution for flattening.
This is a good occasional use easy to make solution for people doing their first slab project.
These are good plans for building a sled, like myself. I’m taking 3 4x8x3/4” plywood sheets and making slat boards for Christmas presents. After that who knows when I will use it again. Thanks
I think if you slotted the angle iron. You can have an adjustable rail the slide rides on. Also. You can make the base two pieces with each rail side. Easier to store that way. You can just find a piece of mdf to fill the void as needed for each project. This would be useful for wordsmiths with limited space.
Thank you for the lesson, I’ve been looking at a lot of videos to make a sled and I like yours the best, like a previous post I will use aluminum angle but holy shamokin this is an easy accurate build.
Does the rails need to be perfectly square? I have some angle iron but i think its a bit bent on some areas, would these be usable?
Hi. Great video. Would you please let me know the size of the angle iron and its thickness? Much appreciated.
I’m working on building out my first shop. I want to work with both metal and wood. Using each where/when most useful. I agree that this use of a router is more beneficial and cost effective than purchasing individual tools. I plan on using bed frame angle iron for my sled sides and wood for the bottom of the sled. I also plan on using metal for the rails and melamine to attach the rails to.
Hi Jesse. I am having to build a router sled at the moment and like this idea of yours a lot as It does not put too much space between the router base and whatever it is you are trying to flatten. I am a little concerned however that the steel will eat into the base of the router eventually and therefor put the angle off and not flatten as it should and of course cause damage to my router base. I see this vid was posted 10 Nov 2020 and wanted to know if you noticed any heavy wear to the bottom of your router base by the angle iron the last three years? Look forward to your reply! Thanks for the great content!
Consider using the smaller drill bit first through the wood into the metal for your marks. Then remove the wood and over drill the pilot holes. That way alignment will be perfect when you drill out the wood. May not be important to you since your project looks perfect as is.
I'd just drill through with the right sized bit to start with. No advantage in predrilling with the smaller bit in the steel with that difference in bit size.
At 6:47, we can se that the rails are quite a bit wider than the bed sides. just wondering if, rather than screwing the pine vertically to the underside of the rails, maybe use those long bolts to fix your pine pieces horizontally. On one side, simply fix using 4 holes but on the other side, maybe consider drilling, then connecting, the 4 holes and fitting a longer piece of pine. This way, when you lay the rails onto the bed, you can move that second, longer, pine block inwards to make the rails a better fit and cut down on any lateral movement of the rails? (I noticed at 7:02 that your rails were wandering before you had completed a pass.
What size angle iron are you using? And does that depend on your router base dimensions?
Fastest and easiest sled ive seen and the bed rail steel is gonna be way stonger than traditional wood sleds, sick idea.
Glad to hear it! that was the goal.
Spot on with the angle iron, buddy. I use it to for stability. Tops
i made a version of this today with aluminium angles and some mdf, was amazed it worked after my n00b ass made it. thanks for the video (cost under £50)
super detailed, super simple! the only thing I'm gonna change is using slotted angle iron so it's easier to adjust the wood between the iron in case I change routers or need to adjust the size for whatever reason. Next is figuring out a small bed since I need to flatten smaller live edge cookies.
i had a bunch of 2020 aluminum and a small 4" wide bench sander. ordered two 12x12x1/4 thick steel plates and some m6 0.5mm washers.
plates sit on the aluminum, one 1mm ±0.5mm above the other.
a bit of careful placement gets the sander up between em and makes a 12x26 platform i can run boards across and take a 1mm ±0.5mm shaving from.
i have to organise a roller to keep the height locked down, its going tp be a 12" conveyor roller or perhaps just a rod with a couple of bearings on for the sides (also looked at rolling pins 😂).
May i ask if i can use a palm router for flattening. Coz i dont have plunge router?
Would you recommend a certain thickness or width of angle iron for a 4' long sled?
Again Brilliant, liked the info on making sure the table is level. 👍
Would there be a substantial advantage for a router sled over a Radial Arm Saw equipped with a “planer” bit?
what lubricant did you use to drill into your angel iron?
Loved the video, super informative, great idea for a router sled.
I like the other comments to use bed frames.
I was thinking of using bar clamps as rails. They should be straight and smooth enough. Clamp them to the work bench. I look forward to building a sled and putting it to use.
Found information very helpful & anxious to start building mine.
Thanks a lot & hope you will continue with your projects & pass them along.
I’m new to this and my question is how do you keep the wood slab from moving as your trying to cut. Thanks
Like it. What about using aluminium angle stock? Might try this next weekend.
I really like this cheap and simple sled!
Two suggestions When drilling holes thru steel. Put a small amount of oil into a cap or other container , then just dip the drill bit into it before drilling each hole. . Much easier , cleaner , faster. Angle iron is NOT 90* at inside corners so round over or bevel cut the spacer wood that butts into corner. If you look close you will see that’s why your wood is not sitting tight to sides.
Muy buena idea
Siempre he mirado vídeos complicados
Y este es muy fácil y muy barato , para poderlo elaborar
Te agradezco infinitamente
The most simple and sure way! I am following yours! Thanks!!!
I made two of them (a 16" cross cut and a 52" cross cut) out of salvaged aluminum office cubical parts forty years ago. They were hinged so I could flip them out of the way easily.
I'm considering using some adjustable stock rollers (harbor freight) so that I can move the slab through a 3'-4' router work section. I have some lengthy 10-12' lengths that I'd like to roll through/feed into a smaller milling area. Like a huge human powered planer. Hoping the harbor freight rollers come with a cam lock height adjustment (like a bicycle seat tube) instead of pin lock holes every 1". 4 roller tubes should allow me to feed long conference tables through my plane-station. I could even tack some poly decking runners to the bottom while doing the first pass for the top if there are drying irregularities to get a smooth first run feed. Thoughts? I'll only be limited in length by what fits "in through the out door" (LZ)
Nice and interesting video with good and useful ideas. Congratulations and thanks.
Hi, thank you for the video. What is the bit that you use on the router called, please? I've looked for one here in South Africa but no one seems to know what I'm talking about.
What type/size bit do you use in the router to do the flattening? Thanks, love the video.
Brilliant, very simple not over engineered, thumbs up dude
Great use of the angle iron for the sled. Keeps It Simple.& Smart (KISS).
This is an excellent video presented in a clear, complete way. I really like the tips you plant along the way, such as using the paste wax and, especially, the bed. You might want to consider another video on a storable bed. Keep up the good work. Love your videos.
Thanks Steve!
Hi, just a question. What type of router bit are you using when "shaving" the timber?
Regards , Eben
Suggestion: use mineral spirits to clean your metal and drill using a step bit for the bolt holes.
I'd add smoothing down the contact surfaces with 600 grit sanding paper and some WD40. Step bits are way better than large drill bits, they don't catch into the hole. IMHO, I'd rather use angle iron for the whole sled and weld the thing together, keeping the bed a wood/ply assembly.
Great idea!!! Imma build one for myself. Thanks for sharing ur idea!!!
Glad I found this video! Great idea for what I doing. Cutting dado mortise joints in uprights for a bookshelf. Just have to remember to set the depth of the router from the angle iron, not from the router base itself. Great video!! 👍👍👍
Seems that you would have an issue with the slab moving and changing the top surface. Has that been an issue and how would you address that?
Great man, simple I may do a mini version for cutting boards
Thank you very much sire for sharing your wonderful talent
Love this idea, just looking for ideas for adding dust collection to it.