I actually had the idea to make something like this and for raising/lowering the router i was thinking i could make the router base designed similar to a CNC. Put the router on a base and connect that base to a ball screw and have the ball screw be the part that connecte to the rails. With a 4mm pitch it would raise/lower 1/8" at a time per full turn of the ball screw. I want to use this as a drill press, jointer, and flattening sled etc so the quick adjustment would be helpful. But i won't know how accurate or stable it is until i build it and try haha
I've seen a few videos doing something similar, but the resultant mechanics were far too complicated and you could not easily disassemble the sled for storage. I'm still pondering my options! Thanks for watching!
@@cyberreefguru I got all the parts and will update you if you'd like with some pics. I am going to do an MFT table that folds down on the wall but can also be detached and placed on a normal bench if necessary. We'll see if I overcomplicate this or not haha
For height adjustment there are two practical solutions that I found. A collet extension is the cheapest. The second is to have the router carriage be made in two pieces. One piece is permanently attached to your bearings. The detachable piece can have routed lengths on the sides to increase and decrease the height. But the problem is after you raise the height from two spots (or four), how do you ensure your carriage is flat and coplaner to everything? A Japanese UA-camr had an ingenious idea to move the electric hand planer up and down. But that will require 5 vertical rods, lots of weight on carriage and bigger rails. A third option that I was thinking of. Simply slide pieces of melamine mdf sheet s underneath the work piece to raise to the desired height. All surfaces will be referenced properly, not as cheap, but definitely the least hassle way of doing it
Thanks for the feedback. I've essentially been doing what you suggest, but by shimming the base rails rather than the material. It works great until the material is too short to be reached by the bit. Then it needs to be shimmed up if it required additional flattening. Generally I'm not a fan of collet extenders since they introduce additional runout - not usually a problem at this scale, but something to consider for a large spinning bit. Thanks for watching!
Nice design. On mine the rail mounts attach to the lexan on top instead of the bottom. On the mounts I have they are open on the bottom so if I were to turn them around it would expose the mounts to lots of chips and dust. I couldnt see how your mounts are made but the only ones I can find are open on the bottom or top if you turn them over. Hope I described that will. I had a scrap piece of of plywood that I ripped so I can raise the rails in increments of ¾ or ½ if thats what I need. Thanks for sharing
Hi Ken - my design can go either way - with the plexiglass on the bottom, the router gets much closer to the material without needing to shim the work piece. But I've done both and they both work. I'm working on a design that allows the router to move up and down without the need for shims. A quick disconnect for the router is next on the list. Thanks for watching!
Hi, i am about to make one of my own and i am going to use aluminium angle iron of about 3mm thick where you use the acrilic strips. About raising and lowering the uppersled.... i would just place something between the aluminium and the holders of the rods. Greetings from Holland.
Hello Peter - thank you for watching and hello from the United States. Angle iron will certainly work -- if I were to do it again, aluminum might be my choice. Thanks!
Well, I could, but that only gets you so far. For significant issues, you still need to adjust the height of the sled. I might have a hook on some ideas though! Thanks for watching.
I’m in the process building my own CNC version & using same side rails on the top for rigidity. Why don’t you use aluminium plates instead of brittle acrylic?
Yep! I was considering tapping the ends to "screw" the two pieces together but seems like a bridge too far. Only issue with putting two together is the ends are chamfered a little so there would be a little bump at the transition point. Nothing you can't work around though. Thanks for watching!
I like what you have designed and also like the improvement’s you suggested. I was wondering if you have any ideas which would allow the router to keep a straight line while traveling across the workpiece. Maybe introducing a quick release block that you could move easily after each cut on the bottom rail. I have always had problems keeping my router from moving in a straight line. It always wants to either dig into, or move away from, the workpiece.
Hi - thanks for watching. I've totally thought about that but have not settled on design yet. The simple thing would be a block with a screw in it as you mentioned. I would recommend one on each side (left/right) to keep the router straight. Though simple, I could see them slowing things down a bit and might become frustrating. For now I just pin my thumb on one of the bearings and use the other hand to move the router. It doesn't keep it rock solid, but works well enough. Digging in or moving away is completely based on the direction you are routing. Climb (router rotation opposes the direction of travel) cut will generally push the router away and conventional cut (router rotation is with the direction of travel) will pull it. Climb is preferred since you have more control as the router is not "walking" down the piece pull away from you. Hope this help!
Clamping levers often get used, the button kind. There is a hole in the side of the bearing, screw it inti place there. Push the button on the clamping lever and that will stop the bearings from moving, essentially a brake. So you move in only dimension. The usually cost 1-2 dollars.
Hi Barry - absolutely, if your work piece fits on your CNC, use your robot to do all the hard work! Most of my epoxy items are far too large for my woodworker. I toyed with getting a Journeyman, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Thanks for watching!
The linear rails with the base will generally be flat on their own. You can certainly affix them to plywood or MDF as long as that is flat - usually plywood/MDF has more flex than the rails though. I usually screw my base rails into my workbench, which is the flat enough. The key thing is the item you are flattening needs to be co-planar with the base rails. Then you will get a flat surface for reference. Hope that makes sense -- thanks for watching!
For the linear rail, there's a SBR12 version, is that too thin? I want to be able to go as low as I can but don't wanna compromise level. I'm going for 850mm x 1500mm.
There is a 12mm version and that should be fine for the base rails. I would not go believe 20mm for the top rails though. Even at 20mm there is some flex and you need to be careful when in the middle of the sled. Thanks for watching!
Hello! I built it from scratch based on an idea I had. All the parts are sourceable from eBay, Amazon, or Alibaba. You can get something similar as a kit though (unitedclamps.ca/products/diy-router-sled-kit-20mm-linear-bearings-rails-and-supports). Thanks for watching!
Hi! Thanks for making this. I’m looking at building one of these- got the rails on the way. My question is the joint where the two rails meet- where you have acrylic in this build. I’ve seen other builds where the top rail is just screwed into the bearing thingy on the bottom rail. Yours appears to have some brackets that sit on top of the acrylic. My question- where do you get those brackets? What are those called? Thanks!!
HI Russell - I made the bracket. You can certainly bolt them directly together, but I used "optical" rails on the top and the hole pattern is different from the standard linear rail system. I am considered switching tactics but what I have works so far. I can provide a diagram if you want to create your own bracket -- just send me an email and we can work something out. Thanks for watching!
@@cuzihungry Hi there - I originally thought it would make it easier to attach them to the base rails. In the end, it didn't really change much. Version 2.0 will likely use the same rails as the base. Thanks for watching!
There are of router sleds out there, and nobody can figure out a good way to deal with different sizes of slabs. It seems like every video people do; they are happy to make their sled but want help with a better design.
Lots of talking in this video...not much action. All the variability in height can be built into the router carriage...even multiple carriages. A collect extension can also help.
"The Clarks"... GREAT band!!
AMEN! Thanks for watching!
I just made a quick one yesterday. Did the sled out of wood while my aluminum base is being made.. going to use it today.
Excellent - I'm interesting in your experience using it. Thanks for watching!
Excellent video to show the different considerations to modification that will benefit us all. Good work!
Thank you Lori - and thank you for watching!
Thank you. I just started putting one together, still waiting on parts.
No problems - thanks for watching and good luck!
think about using adjustable furniture feet.
Oh, George - that is brilliant. Just need a way to make them all the same height! Thanks for watching!
I actually had the idea to make something like this and for raising/lowering the router i was thinking i could make the router base designed similar to a CNC. Put the router on a base and connect that base to a ball screw and have the ball screw be the part that connecte to the rails. With a 4mm pitch it would raise/lower 1/8" at a time per full turn of the ball screw. I want to use this as a drill press, jointer, and flattening sled etc so the quick adjustment would be helpful. But i won't know how accurate or stable it is until i build it and try haha
I've seen a few videos doing something similar, but the resultant mechanics were far too complicated and you could not easily disassemble the sled for storage. I'm still pondering my options! Thanks for watching!
@@cyberreefguru I got all the parts and will update you if you'd like with some pics. I am going to do an MFT table that folds down on the wall but can also be detached and placed on a normal bench if necessary. We'll see if I overcomplicate this or not haha
@@uhN0id sounds great! Keep me posted.
For height adjustment there are two practical solutions that I found. A collet extension is the cheapest. The second is to have the router carriage be made in two pieces. One piece is permanently attached to your bearings. The detachable piece can have routed lengths on the sides to increase and decrease the height. But the problem is after you raise the height from two spots (or four), how do you ensure your carriage is flat and coplaner to everything? A Japanese UA-camr had an ingenious idea to move the electric hand planer up and down. But that will require 5 vertical rods, lots of weight on carriage and bigger rails.
A third option that I was thinking of. Simply slide pieces of melamine mdf sheet s underneath the work piece to raise to the desired height. All surfaces will be referenced properly, not as cheap, but definitely the least hassle way of doing it
Thanks for the feedback. I've essentially been doing what you suggest, but by shimming the base rails rather than the material. It works great until the material is too short to be reached by the bit. Then it needs to be shimmed up if it required additional flattening. Generally I'm not a fan of collet extenders since they introduce additional runout - not usually a problem at this scale, but something to consider for a large spinning bit. Thanks for watching!
Instead of replacing the cracked plastic tie bar with a thicker piece of plastic use an aluminum bar.
@@peterbarlow8912 Hi Peter - that is the plan when I upgrade some time this year. Thanks for watching!
Nice design. On mine the rail mounts attach to the lexan on top instead of the bottom. On the mounts I have they are open on the bottom so if I were to turn them around it would expose the mounts to lots of chips and dust. I couldnt see how your mounts are made but the only ones I can find are open on the bottom or top if you turn them over. Hope I described that will. I had a scrap piece of of plywood that I ripped so I can raise the rails in increments of ¾ or ½ if thats what I need. Thanks for sharing
Hi Ken - my design can go either way - with the plexiglass on the bottom, the router gets much closer to the material without needing to shim the work piece. But I've done both and they both work. I'm working on a design that allows the router to move up and down without the need for shims. A quick disconnect for the router is next on the list. Thanks for watching!
Dynamic idea with the router sled. i was inspired. Thanks
Thanks Ron!
Hi,
i am about to make one of my own and i am going to use aluminium angle iron of about 3mm thick where you use the acrilic strips.
About raising and lowering the uppersled.... i would just place something between the aluminium and the holders of the rods.
Greetings from Holland.
Hello Peter - thank you for watching and hello from the United States. Angle iron will certainly work -- if I were to do it again, aluminum might be my choice. Thanks!
Get a router bit extender...so that you can cut deeper...
Well, I could, but that only gets you so far. For significant issues, you still need to adjust the height of the sled. I might have a hook on some ideas though! Thanks for watching.
I’m in the process building my own CNC version & using same side rails on the top for rigidity. Why don’t you use aluminium plates instead of brittle acrylic?
Hi there - I had acrylic on hand so I used it. The next version will be more metal :) Thanks for watching!
You can add mounting rails and butt them up for unlimited length.
Yep! I was considering tapping the ends to "screw" the two pieces together but seems like a bridge too far. Only issue with putting two together is the ends are chamfered a little so there would be a little bump at the transition point. Nothing you can't work around though. Thanks for watching!
I like what you have designed and also like the improvement’s you suggested. I was wondering if you have any ideas which would allow the router to keep a straight line while traveling across the workpiece. Maybe introducing a quick release block that you could move easily after each cut on the bottom rail. I have always had problems keeping my router from moving in a straight line. It always wants to either dig into, or move away from, the workpiece.
Hi - thanks for watching. I've totally thought about that but have not settled on design yet. The simple thing would be a block with a screw in it as you mentioned. I would recommend one on each side (left/right) to keep the router straight. Though simple, I could see them slowing things down a bit and might become frustrating. For now I just pin my thumb on one of the bearings and use the other hand to move the router. It doesn't keep it rock solid, but works well enough. Digging in or moving away is completely based on the direction you are routing. Climb (router rotation opposes the direction of travel) cut will generally push the router away and conventional cut (router rotation is with the direction of travel) will pull it. Climb is preferred since you have more control as the router is not "walking" down the piece pull away from you. Hope this help!
Clamping levers often get used, the button kind. There is a hole in the side of the bearing, screw it inti place there. Push the button on the clamping lever and that will stop the bearings from moving, essentially a brake. So you move in only dimension. The usually cost 1-2 dollars.
Have you considered threaded rod for increasing or adjusting or managing your vertical position?
I have not, but that's an interesting thought. Thanks for watching!
I was thinking about building a router sled. Then I bought a Onefinity Journeyman. I can't see me ever needing a manual router sled.
Hi Barry - absolutely, if your work piece fits on your CNC, use your robot to do all the hard work! Most of my epoxy items are far too large for my woodworker. I toyed with getting a Journeyman, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Thanks for watching!
If I use plywood as the base will the rails keep it flat, if not what would you suggest to improve flatness/ longevity?
The linear rails with the base will generally be flat on their own. You can certainly affix them to plywood or MDF as long as that is flat - usually plywood/MDF has more flex than the rails though. I usually screw my base rails into my workbench, which is the flat enough. The key thing is the item you are flattening needs to be co-planar with the base rails. Then you will get a flat surface for reference. Hope that makes sense -- thanks for watching!
a 3,000mm ( is about 9.84') and runs about about $550 per set
Thanks and thanks for watching!
Why not turn the bearings 90 degrees on its side to lower the rails and possibly give you a tad more room on the inside?
Excellent suggestion Jeff - I will definitely do that on the next version! Thanks for watching!
On the Linear rail?
For the linear rail, there's a SBR12 version, is that too thin? I want to be able to go as low as I can but don't wanna compromise level. I'm going for 850mm x 1500mm.
There is a 12mm version and that should be fine for the base rails. I would not go believe 20mm for the top rails though. Even at 20mm there is some flex and you need to be careful when in the middle of the sled. Thanks for watching!
use stainless steel sheet to raise up and lower instead of acrylic
Yep, switching to metal is on the list. Thanks for watching!
Hello, good luck.
What size is the shaft diameter?
I used 20mm for the top and 16mm for the bottom. 16 and 12 would be sufficient as well. Thanks for watching!
Was this bought together like in a kit and about how much was it ? Im looking into buying but most of the videos and info is on building wood diy ones
Hello! I built it from scratch based on an idea I had. All the parts are sourceable from eBay, Amazon, or Alibaba. You can get something similar as a kit though (unitedclamps.ca/products/diy-router-sled-kit-20mm-linear-bearings-rails-and-supports). Thanks for watching!
@@cyberreefguru thank you
Hi! Thanks for making this. I’m looking at building one of these- got the rails on the way. My question is the joint where the two rails meet- where you have acrylic in this build. I’ve seen other builds where the top rail is just screwed into the bearing thingy on the bottom rail. Yours appears to have some brackets that sit on top of the acrylic. My question- where do you get those brackets? What are those called? Thanks!!
HI Russell - I made the bracket. You can certainly bolt them directly together, but I used "optical" rails on the top and the hole pattern is different from the standard linear rail system. I am considered switching tactics but what I have works so far. I can provide a diagram if you want to create your own bracket -- just send me an email and we can work something out. Thanks for watching!
What made you choose optical rails rather than 2 linear that would bolt directly into one another?
@@cuzihungry Hi there - I originally thought it would make it easier to attach them to the base rails. In the end, it didn't really change much. Version 2.0 will likely use the same rails as the base. Thanks for watching!
@cyberreefguru will there be a video for 2.0? I'm ordering everything right now but I'll wait to build it if there's a video of what you'd change.
@@cuzihungry Hi! I do not plan on a second video, but I'm happy to help. Shoot me an email or hit me up via our contact form on crgmakes. Thanks!!
Sir we need this machine can you please deliver us
well where are you located?
There are of router sleds out there, and nobody can figure out a good way to deal with different sizes of slabs. It seems like every video people do; they are happy to make their sled but want help with a better design.
Yep, something I plan to dig into more deeply in the new year. Simply ran out of time this year. Thanks for watching!
Lots of talking in this video...not much action. All the variability in height can be built into the router carriage...even multiple carriages. A collect extension can also help.
Thanks for the feedback and watching!