@@retiredrookie7146 Like a pusher giving you the first free sample to make you addicted... to woodwork. I would say not the worst addiction after all. Could be similar expensive but way less leathal. 🤣🤣🤣 Great video William!!!!
Mr. Ng, I want to thank the heck out of you. For the first time in my life I made a perfect 45degree cut. I was an absolute expert at filling in a less or more than 45 angle cut. You have now completely changed that and my skill level will now jump from covering my mistakes to actually cutting it right. I am mathematically challenged and I can easily follow your video and instructions. I seriously can not thank you enough. Please continue to make videos, they are truly helpful.
After 9 years, no one compares to the quality and attention to detail as you. Thank you so much for your willingness to share your knowledge and skill with the world. 🙏🏾 I am ever so grateful!!
For woodworkers, building a crosscut sled is like a blacksmith making his first set of tongs; building the tools you need to launch into many different directions. This has to be one of the best videos on making a crosscut sled I have ever seen.
I’m beginning to see for myself that when you start this endeavor that all the tools that truly matter must be made by hand. I agree, this is just that essential. Thanks for the analogy.
I've watched several 5 cut method videos on UA-cam -- this is the only one that explains the "why" to the method and gives an intuition for what is going on. Too many of the other shorter videos just have you follow steps blindly, so when something goes wrong, you don't really understand why. Great teacher in this video, naturally skilled at it.
I’ve watched this video probably a half dozen times. I’m in the process of completely overhauling my entire tiny wood shop. I finally made my first sled and used this method. It’s accurate to 0.0014 across a 13” length. I ran the test 3 times because I was in disbelief. I’ve never tried to be so precise with my wood working. You’ve inspired me to take my wood working to a higher level. I bought my first jointer to assist with that and used it building my sleds front fence. Thumb safety block too!
Dear Sir, I just wanted to say "thank you" for sharing your knowledge. Your concepts are profound, and quite accurate. Thank you for making me a better wood-worker.
I have watched it maybe 30 times in the last two weeks and I still can't get close..I will get .060 then adjust with feeler gauges then get .040 (somehow) then adjust for that and get .190 so I don't know what I am doing wrong. I have blown through three ENTIRE sheets of expensive plywood drilling about 40 holes in each one moving it then moving it again then moving it again etc...I almost think I am messing up the "pivot distance adjustment"..I am making my adjustment by putting the feeler gauges directly over the previous screw hole and then redrilling. Should I be measuring this from the picot screw all the way to the very edge of the fence? or in line with the previous screw hole or what?
It seems to me that every person that puts a cross cut sled video on UA-cam quotes William and his five cut method. Some of them make it over complicated, but this video manages to simplify it into terms that anyone can understand. ua-cam.com/video/MdfkcIdOhuI/v-deo.html Kudos to William though.
I am an amateur wood worker, I am watching different videos to learn "how to" This is by far the most informative and exact sled video I have seen. Thanks for sharing this.
I am not a woodworker or even a hobbyist just a guy looking to make his first sled and now I know how to do it the right way. Big thanks for your knowledge and your willingness to share it in such a comprehensive and clear to understand way. Cheers William Ng
You have an outstanding instructional style William. You provide the right amount of detail at the right pace to share your knowledge. Whether or not someone builds as precise a sled as you have, your meticulousness and craftsmanship are to be appreciated. Great work.
I have watched this video several times, now I want to thank William (just in case I failed to do so before) for this fantastic sled and the formula that makes the sled dead on accurate. I just completed another sled using this plan. This sled is dedicated to 45 degree cuts for small box building (I make these to sell in our gift shop). Once completed I cut the side for two 6" X 6" X 4" high boxes and they came out absolutely perfect. Great video, thank you William for making my box building so much easier.
those who can take a complicated subject and explain it with a simple, well reasoned, understandable explanation is a TRUE TEACHER. Mr. NG you only have an excellent grasp of the craft of woodworking, but your method of teaching is superior. As a new comer, all I can say is THANK YOU!!!!
I am 47 years young. I started woodworking in the 8th grade (back when shop class was still in schools) i still love it with a passion till this day. I dont have the perfect shop but i do with what i have. Mr Ng you remind me of my first shop teacher. I enjoy your videos with the same passion. Thank you
About five years ago I watched this video for the first time. I couldn't figure out what you were talking about and chalked it up to me being stupid. I can officially say that I figured this out today and now I have a perfect crosscut sled. 5 years in the making.
so in 5 years there's hope for me? I really dont think so. I've gone through several sheets of plywood and havent had an ounce of luck with a sled that can produce anything remotely square. I have given up
@@greghamilton5872 dude Greg in 5 years is amazing. You're going to be like 6 inches taller, 2 girlfriends, and your crosscut sled is going to be square AF.
can't believe i just watched that whole video ... and yet somehow i couldn't turn it off. thanks for the insight, i've been planning on building one for a while, and i'm a bit of a perfectionist, so this was perfect. thanks again!
The key is seek out instruction. You don't have to come to my school. See if there's a woodworking club near you or adult education or a buddy. It's tough to learn on your own. I know by experience. I was fortunate to learn from some of the best woodworkers in the world. My first saw was a Grizzley contractor saw, you don't to spend a fortune, but you do need decent equipment. Don't be disappointed, you can achieve anything if you have heart. Email me thru my website if you have questions.
Thank you from Greece. Thank you for three reasons 1. The result of 5 cuts is amazing 2. For the inspiration of perfection that you give 3. For your existence God bless you.
BRILLIANT. The calculation was perfect. This is the best video out there. After watching numerous other videos, I was frustrated to see that they would check their work and settle for “close enough.” Their problem was not calculating where the pivot point was and making the adjustment at that point. This is spot on!!!!
Thank you, William. This newbie woodworker just built his first cross cut sled and on my 3'rd try dialed it in to about 1 1,000'th. Nice feeling of accomplishment building a tool that will make the use of the table saw more precise and absolutely safer.
The sign of a good instructor: the student grabs their head to keep it together because their mind was just blown! The concepts seems so simple yet are so easy to overlook - I am subscribed because I have so much more to learn!
Just made my first table saw sled (a mini-sled). The first difference was .046 so I did the calculation and made the adjustment in the fence. The next difference was 0.0005. Wow! Thanks so much for explaining the calculation and how to do the adjustment.
Thank you. I appreciate your comment and for taking the time to watch. I am bless with a nice workshop Thanks to all the students that made it possible.
I've watched hundreds of woodworking videos while considering getting into the hobby in a serious way. Some are good, some over my head, some (many more) poorly produced. Two of yours were enough to convince me to click the subscribe button for the first time anywhere. Actually learned something of value.
Perfect example of plan your work and work your plan. Most informative sled set up I have ever seen. Love the attention to detail that inspires learners to do their best work. Thank you from all us old guys who sometimes watch but do not comment. We need to let people know when they do great work. You do great work.
Larry Hansen Thank you.I know it takes a little effort to comment. I appreciate you taking the time to watch and show your support . It means a lot and goes a long way. Thanks again.
William, Thank you for your knowledge and your penchant for being as precise/perfect in all that you do in this craft. I truly appreciate the instruction that you have provided. Any time that I can learn anything new that I did not know, I am that much smarter than the previous day. Woodworking like aviation, if you are not learning something new in either profession every day, it's time to go find something else to do.
+Assaf Levy Ha Ha, that's quite a compliment mentioned along side Paul Seller. I met him when I was traveling with the Woodworking Show as a demonstrator doing their "Hand Tool Rodeo" He's a great craftsman and a real gentleman.
+Assaf Levy OMG I was JUST going to say something very similar to your comment. Yes William is definitely the electric Paul Sellers!!! Hilarious & BRILLIANT! Thanks William.
I watched many cross cut sleds built I like yours best I plan on making yours, also I like the way you explain yourself got a lot out of the video thanks. MS wood working.
I'm back, your 5 cut method is perfect for my quality level. Now I'm building the Miter Sled and a small parts cross cut sled. Excellent video and process. Keep the jokes coming your timing is great. Thank you for sharing.
"You want to make sure you have enough screws so you don't run out." That's the funniest line, imho, as they say. (He's holding a box of approx. 10,000 screws!) Brilliant video, well explained. Inspiring.
I must apologize to you for stealing your technique without giving credit. Over the holiday weekend, I helped my son-in-law build a sled for his tablesaw. In attendance were my son-in-laws and a brother-in-law. One is a nuclear engineer, one an electrical engineer, and the other a mechanical engineer. The "Old Man" came off looking like a genius! Maybe I'll let them in on my theft...then again, maybe I'll just let them keep thinking the "Old Man" is actually that smart! Thank You!
The thing is, you learned from William and now are at least smart enough to get a woodworking sled square. In life, we never really give credit to our old grade school teachers for instance, for each and every thing we show or explain to someone that they taught us. However, It would not be cool if you turned around and started teaching a class this technique and didn't give credit where due. Makes sense, right? I just noticed your comment is 3 years old and u probably won't even get this. Haha
@@darrowfortheprosecution1404 Well, I was telling him that I hoped he used a soodonim so that his family woodent read his post hear and figger his trick out. I assumed my bad spellings would alert everyone that I was making a poor attempt at humor, because nobody can spell that badly by accident, (or maybe they can).
For those who can not understand the measurement errors maybe can help metric reading. First William measurement for the thickness on the 5th cut is 22.7584 mm Second William measurement for the thickness on the 5th cut is 21.3868 mm The difference in the cut from bottom to the top is 1.3716 mm Divided by 4 (corners) and you got 0.3429 mm So, at this point, if you cut, lets say, one of the board of your new cabinet with the length of 609.9 mm (length of the Williams 5th cut), you will be instantly of by 0.3429 mm from the perpendicular at the top. Now you divided 0.3429 mm with the length of the cut, 609.6 mm and you got margin of 0.0005625 mm Multiply this number with distance from pivot point to the place of correction, in William case, 723.9mm 0.0005625 x 723.9 = 0.40719 mm So, you must withdraw (because its positive number) your correction point for 0.40 mm At the second measurement on the 5th cut William got difference from top to bottom of 0.0254 mm. Do not forget, 0.025 mm on more than 60 cm board! Which is substantially perpendicular......This is actually my two most thin block plane shavings thick. Approximately. I hope that with my English, this has some sense :-) William, amazing tutorial, thanks.
This makes no sense at all to me.................have tried inches and mm with my new calipers but keep getting rediculas numbers that make no sense at all.................very frustrated....all I want is an accurate cross cut !
Well, mranchovydrumbass, you have to first learn how to use a caliper before you can build a cross cut sled using this method. If you are getting "rediculas" numbers that "make no sense at all" the problem is not with the instrument, it's the user.
I agree working with metric measurements is just so much easier. No fractions to convert and in the end, it still comes pretty damned close to standard (SAE) measurements. I'd much rather measure a cut by counting the increments without having to convert fractions down to 32nds or 64ths of an inch. For example, say I need to measure out 425.29 (16.75"); of course, 16 3/4" (still had to convert .75 to 3/4 though) is pretty easy, but what if I needed 16 21/32" or 16.653? What if I'm checking for square before a cut and I need the hypotenuse (diagonal or "long side" of a triangle) angle to be 16.653"? Hope you have tape measures that'll show you where 16.653 is and nope, 16 5/8" is too short while 16 11/16" is too long! But if I'm using the metric tape measure, I'd easily measure out 423mm without converting anything. And remember, the longer the measurement is, the larger the error would become by distance, so a 1/16" error could become 1/4" depending on length and then all measurements taken from the original error will all be erroneous. Why not just use a metric tape measure that's really easy to use. The decimal measurements in the metric system are still parts (or fractions) of the whole, but much easier to find without converting anything. If nothing else, pretty much everything is metric anyway (medicine doses, syringes, fluid measures, weights, volume, etc.) I understand avoiding the metric units of measure just because one is just used to SAE, fractions, and decimals, but why convert when you don't have to? The metric system for woodworking and automotive and pretty much all else is just easier. Thanks for your example Mr. (Herr) Berghaus.
Your explanation and method of fixing a non-square sled was great! I mucked around readjusting the sled 5 times before I decided to follow your instructions. And within 2 adjustments, my sled is now as square as I want it! Genius!
This is one of my all time favorite videos. The title is not quite right. You don't just get the instruction on the Five Cut Method itself. You get the design and construction of the entire sled! :) Absolutely magnificent, William Ng! I will be making both this as well as James King's sled. Both have excellent features and this will keep me busy for a few weeks.
William, this is probably the best video for making a sled I've seen. In it you mentioned a follow on video for making a mitre cross cut sled and how to do the 4 cut process. I didn't see those in your videos. Were you ever able to make that? I'd really really love to see it.
Hi, William. First, congratulations for your explanation of the 5 cut method. It's by far the most intuitive I've ever seen. Because of this, I'd like to ask for your permission to translate your video (subtitles) to brazilian portuguese, to show on a woodworking forum where I'm a member. Of course all credits will be mantained.
Thank you, I now have a .2mm difference over 500mm, I have never cut anything that square ever. For those that don't get metric, that's pretty much a ball hair or a gnats whisker.
I have yet to be disappointed in one of your videos. I certainly wish I could attend your school, but other obligations prevent that. Just know that I am highly appreciative of your woodworking skill, and your teaching technique. Thank you.
I thought so at first as well. Then I recalled that he is a teacher. Then it all made sense. When working with acrylic, the Weldon is super thin stuff and it is not forgiving. You have one chance to make contact on all surfaces.
Some come off easily and annoyingly, some don't. Perhaps in the shopping process we can carefully examine the tools we're trading money for. I have a couple that do this as well and noticed that they were actually a different design than the ones that don't. The store doesn't make them, they buy them wholesale in closed cases and sell them to us. We as buyers can be careful and attentive to the items we purchase and choose them carefully, regardless of what store we're standing in. I've had items I wasn't happy with bought from Lowe's as well and exchanged them for better units. There are variations in most manufacturing and tools are no different than what we make with them, in that regard. Edited as I misread a word.
Thank you William. I have learned so much from you. I have just finished building my 120 sg ft shop in my driveway and am eager to build my very first table saw sled and auxiliary fence. Most all of the other you tube channels are referencing your 5 step cross cut sled so this is the best compliment a craftsman can get. You have the highest respect from me and I'm sure all who watch you. I'm 72 and retired. I have been a woodworker since 1975 when my wife gave me a table saw for Christmas. Watching you makes me fell like a beginner. I'm excited about woodworking and you are a big reason for my excitement. Thanks
Hi William, I have just found your video on the 5 cut method. The original that everyone now appears to use these days! I loved it your presentation is so good as well. I have looked quickly through your list off videos and think they are all worth looking through. I have been given so much more knowledge from them. As for the idiots that are derogative who cares they are probably jealous or just an inherent moaning negative person!!!!!!!! I do not see anything wrong with gaining knollage I am lerning every day and love it even after 68 years.
Well now. William, you are great in these videos but different from what Norm does. The thing is, Norm would use (and probably does) your videos to first create exacting tools for himself, such as your crosscut sled. THEN he can make his furniture creations with clearly exact cuts, as we see on his videos. Too bad he's quit making them on NYW.
You are a fantastic and skilful explainer. I love your videos. Though english is not my natural, I have no problem to get it all. However, I feel sorry for all americans that have to use inches, and all other terrible obsolete systems. ;) I wish you had SI-units too.
We don't have to, we have the freedom to choose our overly-complicated stupid fractional systems that vary between binary, 12ths, thirds, and 5280ths, instead of just moving a decimal point to convert from one unit to another. That SI stuff would be far too easy and make more kids stop hating math! Can't have that here, nope.
Don't miss the 'don't cut thru the back of the base until ALL fence adjustment is done' or you'll end up with a dozen "5-Cut" scraps before you're done! LOL
I also f' it up today. I had already seen the video twice and still made the error of cutting almost through the base, before finishing the calibration. I screwed a piece of scrap so that the two pieces stay together
I stay amazed at your understanding of the geometry involved in solving classic issues of workworking. Your explanations are outstanding. Thank you. "I can't take another hit." -- You are a riot
I laughed out loud. He said "As you can see, I can't take another hit." Gosh, so self deprecating. Funniest thing I've ever heard. I wasn't expecting it. His dry humor is great stuff. He could literally be a comedian.
As a novice woodworker, I say thank you for this awesome video. I just have just been told about the 5 cuts method, and your video explained in a way that I understood. It all makes sense now after seeing this, and judging by the comments, I am not the only one. so thank you again.
@2300Kenzie - You need to quit talking nonsense. You know good and well you couldn't perform an appendectomy on the countertop.... The dust collector in his shop doesn't reach over to the countertop, and you'd need suction to perform a surgery. So, if you want to perform any type of thoracic surgery in his shop, OBVIOUSLY you would need to do it on the router table.... Got good suction for lots of blood at the router table. Carry on.
👌 I watched your video several years ago and used your method to make my cross-cut sled. Now I have built an MFT table and returned to your video to refresh my memory on how to do the 5 cuts. I'm going to use your method to check how square my MFT is. Thank you for an elegant explanation. I also love your sense of humor.
Thank you, William, for the video. I have been woodworking for a total of 5 months now. My first attempt at a crosscut sled. The 5 cut method works perfectly. The error on my second 5 cut was .0007725. I have never made anything so precise. Can't thank you enough.
Great video by a really gifted instructor. Thank you!!! Going down to my shop right now to work on a replacement for my old sled... I feel inspired to make the perfect cross-cut sled. Thanks and keep them coming.
I built this cross-cut sled, per your instructions. I ran the numbers after the 5th cut, which resulted in a - 0.00105". I couldn't believe it; so, I ran the five cuts a second time...on a much larger piece, which resulted in - 0.00109". I'll take it -- 1/1000" works for me! Thanks again for sharing!
Thank you for putting this up. It was easy to follow and everything you say makes sense. I am glad you didn't listen to the haters and made the video about the miter sled. You are a good instructor and your students are lucky to have you.
I'M DUMBFOUNDED, that 555 people gave this a thumbs down. Your explanation and easy to use formula at 9:17 is awesome. I'm buying a sliding euro saw in 9 months when my 3rd stall shop is built. I can't wait to square up the fences using your instructions!!!
Mr. William Ng, the man, the myth, the legend! I love the dedication to precision and repeatable excellence that your methods strive for. Thank you for sharing and keep it coming! Just made cross cut sled IAW your video. Having a solid proven method to dial in a jig is invaluable. Thank you sir!
Hey William. Just found your channel. I like it very much. To those that criticize your work as being too complicated, don’t worry about them. They’re just frustrated because they can’t understand basic trig. Good job.
THANK YOU so very much for this video! And thanks to Jonathan Katz-Moses who recommended your video in his comments on the Wood Whisperer's video "How to Make a Cross-Cut Sled". That other video was very helpful, except that it had an uncorrected error in the explanation of the error calculation. I tried that method 3 times and had just about concluded I was just too dense to get it when I looked at the comments and Jonathan's comment sent me to your video. I have an overly small table saw (an old Craftsman with a table top only 17" x 26"). I do not have some of the precision tools shown in the videos, such as a good feeler gauge, nor am I very experienced or skilled at being precise, but in one pass I took my error from 3/32" down to just 3 10-thousandths of an inch. Wow! Thanks also for the humor as mentioned by several other posters. And a special thanks to the added instructions for the safety elements (clear plastic guard on top and the hand guard on the front of the sled). I was going to add something, but really didn't know what would work well. I'm now a huge fan!
Hi William, I am new to woodworking and have produced my first cross cut sledge today - and calibrated it following your 5 cut method. Extremely easy based on your video and I have achieved an accuracy close to 1/1000 of an inch. Just perfect. Thank you very much.
The UK has just shut down due to Covid19. Businesses are failing. People are getting really sick. Panic buying is emptying stores. Society is going mad. Watching this again made the world seem a calmer, better place for half an hour. Thank you Mr Ng sir.
I have watched videos from _dozens_ of woodworking channels over the past 3 years, and today was the first time a video from the "William Ng" channel was recommended to me (that I noticed). I've watched two of your videos so far, William, and I wanted to let you know that I _love_ your extremely subtle, almost restrained, sense of humor! You also bring up points in passing that have gone overlooked by _everyone else_ I've watched (two examples from _this_ video: wood grain with respect to humidity, size and quantity of screws), and man!, I appreciate it, because it's _important_ to those of us who _learn_ from UA-cam. I'm going to go ahead and subscribe to this channel. With _this_ video being now almost 8 years old, it's _possible_ you're no longer making videos, and if that's the case, I'll find out soon enough. The only _other_ woodworking channel to which I've ever subscribed is the "Paul Sellers" channel. (For the record, I likes me some maths!)
William, Thank you so MUCH, I built that jig today, and now I can achieve a squareness with a margin of error of 0.2 mm at 1 meter ! How could I not build this earlier ! The time gained is like 20X, and the precision... my God, awesome ! Once again, THANK YOU !
Hi William, this is the best explanation I have seen/heard about the 5 cut method of calculating the out of square of the fence on a cross cut sled. Thank you.
As a novice woodworker, your instruction and insight is by far the best on the subject (and there are a LOT of cross-cut sled how-to videos on youtube!). You show that precision is achievable with clear thinking: knowledge is power! And I just invested in good Mitutoyo vernier calipers to measure my sled building! I never thought I’d find a use for that sort of precision metrication device in woodworking!
Hello Mr. Ng At 51, I’m a rookie to U-Tube but wood craftsman for nearly 30 years. I fell in love with wood working watching my father as a little boy, in fact I made it my life’s career. The first video of yours that saw... you made reference that some of the comments you received were..... well, less that respectful. Let me just say that, America is the greatest country on the planet ( I might be a little bias lol ) however, not all of her residents are. That is do to parenting or influences on them growing up and unfortunately can lead to behavior not representative of her greatest and sadly common place these days. One of the things instilled in me growing up and in wood working is, “speed and quality do not go together “ as well as “ knowledge is power “. That said, me personally, I found your video to be very informative, helpful and detailed. For someone like myself detailed is extremely important, I like knowing everything I can about a particular subject. I’ve seen a lot of U-Tube videos by lots of people and well, yours is the only one that I subscribed, rang the bell and commented on, hopefully that tells you something. Yes, haters.... they will hate lol, don’t take them to heart or seriously. Keep up the great work and videos, I’ll be watching, have a great day sir👍🏼.
I have come back this video a second time to review the five cut method. Mr. Ng’s instruction is concise, explaining how and why. I hope , with a few more viewings of this video, I will completely absorb the method as well as related information on building functional and accurate table saw sleds. Thank you for this video !!
This is a great tutorial and I used this to design my own sled. Thank you for sharing this on UA-cam. I cannot believe that some felt it was appropriate to leave derogatory comments about the calculations you so clearly explained. It must have been beyond their mental abilities. Bijan (UK)
I just built a crosscut sled using your method. Even though this video is 10 years old, this is still the best method I've found for squaring up a sled. Thanks for taking the time to put the details out there. You've helped a ton of woodworkers!
Very appreciative of this top notch contribution. I am on my second crosscut sled using William’s technique. The first sled lasted a couple of years before I began intermittently getting out of square cuts. I checked using the ‘5-cut’ method and it was still registering an error of just .006” on a 24” long board. Turns out: the back fence was slightly bowed because one of the runners was loose. I chose to make another sled. This time 0.0005” off square! Thanks, William!
I found this video a very long time ago and used it to build a crosscut sled that truly changed my woodworking. Even though I have seen it many times it is still just as pertinent today as it was 11 years ago. Thank you so much for sharing this and all the rest of your videos. You are a great teacher and inspiration. Now get busy and make another video...LOL...
You are a very gifted teacher. Thank you for your detailed explanation. I've watched other youtubers using your method but you are by far, the most clear.
William...I am so impressed!!! I have always felt I was a skilled wood worker but I can see now that I have been a novice. Who ever you have been teaching they should be so thankful for your expertise!!! Thank you for your knowledge and expertise in such a Great art...Woodworking!!!
After 8 years I still come back to watch this with every new sled. Thanks for your great content.
Literally came here to say something similar today. Building a couple of smaller sized sleds today and came here for the refresher course.
After several years I still come back to watch this tutorial and I don't even own a table saw :) I just love listening to William's expertise.
@@patricknolan445 I've watched William long before I had my shop set up at the house myself.
@@retiredrookie7146 pea coat ep
@@retiredrookie7146 Like a pusher giving you the first free sample to make you addicted... to woodwork. I would say not the worst addiction after all. Could be similar expensive but way less leathal. 🤣🤣🤣
Great video William!!!!
Mr. Ng,
I want to thank the heck out of you. For the first time in my life I made a perfect 45degree cut. I was an absolute expert at filling in a less or more than 45 angle cut. You have now completely changed that and my skill level will now jump from covering my mistakes to actually cutting it right. I am mathematically challenged and I can easily follow your video and instructions. I seriously can not thank you enough. Please continue to make videos, they are truly helpful.
After 9 years, no one compares to the quality and attention to detail as you.
Thank you so much for your willingness to share your knowledge and skill with the world.
🙏🏾 I am ever so grateful!!
For woodworkers, building a crosscut sled is like a blacksmith making his first set of tongs; building the tools you need to launch into many different directions. This has to be one of the best videos on making a crosscut sled I have ever seen.
Agree 100%
I’m beginning to see for myself that when you start this endeavor that all the tools that truly matter must be made by hand. I agree, this is just that essential. Thanks for the analogy.
I've watched several 5 cut method videos on UA-cam -- this is the only one that explains the "why" to the method and gives an intuition for what is going on. Too many of the other shorter videos just have you follow steps blindly, so when something goes wrong, you don't really understand why. Great teacher in this video, naturally skilled at it.
The pleasure is mine. Thanks for taking the time to watch, really appreciate it.
Love the dry humor, for example the comment at 13:42, "I can't afford to take another hit." This is why I enjoy your videos so much!
The relief block reminded him it was time for some comic 'relief'!
I can't stop laughing, I can't afford another joke!
Dan Breyfogle z
i cant resist not to subscribe after that joke
The deadpan jokes have me looking at the class schedule. It would be like going to the "comedy woodworking school"!!
You had me at 13:40, "and, as you can see, I can't afford to take another hit". Nicely done tutorial. thank you.
I’ve watched this video probably a half dozen times. I’m in the process of completely overhauling my entire tiny wood shop. I finally made my first sled and used this method. It’s accurate to 0.0014 across a 13” length. I ran the test 3 times because I was in disbelief. I’ve never tried to be so precise with my wood working. You’ve inspired me to take my wood working to a higher level. I bought my first jointer to assist with that and used it building my sleds front fence. Thumb safety block too!
Dear Sir, I just wanted to say "thank you" for sharing your knowledge. Your concepts are profound, and quite accurate. Thank you for making me a better wood-worker.
i truly wish more people would WATCH this video until it is fully understood. watch it as many times as you need. it is so simple. great video Will!
Thank you! Appreciate the support.
I'd have to watch this video a million times before I could understand what's being said. :P
I have watched it maybe 30 times in the last two weeks and I still can't get close..I will get .060 then adjust with feeler gauges then get .040 (somehow) then adjust for that and get .190 so I don't know what I am doing wrong. I have blown through three ENTIRE sheets of expensive plywood drilling about 40 holes in each one moving it then moving it again then moving it again etc...I almost think I am messing up the "pivot distance adjustment"..I am making my adjustment by putting the feeler gauges directly over the previous screw hole and then redrilling. Should I be measuring this from the picot screw all the way to the very edge of the fence? or in line with the previous screw hole or what?
It seems to me that every person that puts a cross cut sled video on UA-cam quotes William and his five cut method. Some of them make it over complicated, but this video manages to simplify it into terms that anyone can understand. ua-cam.com/video/MdfkcIdOhuI/v-deo.html Kudos to William though.
I've watched it 4 times. I finally got it.
I am an amateur wood worker, I am watching different videos to learn "how to" This is by far the most informative and exact sled video I have seen. Thanks for sharing this.
I am not a woodworker or even a hobbyist just a guy looking to make his first sled and now I know how to do it the right way. Big thanks for your knowledge and your willingness to share it in such a comprehensive and clear to understand way. Cheers William Ng
You have an outstanding instructional style William. You provide the right amount of detail at the right pace to share your knowledge. Whether or not someone builds as precise a sled as you have, your meticulousness and craftsmanship are to be appreciated. Great work.
I wish you'd been my shop teacher - you're a brilliant instructor. Thank you for sharing your talents and experience!
I have watched this video several times, now I want to thank William (just in case I failed to do so before) for this fantastic sled and the formula that makes the sled dead on accurate. I just completed another sled using this plan. This sled is dedicated to 45 degree cuts for small box building (I make these to sell in our gift shop). Once completed I cut the side for two 6" X 6" X 4" high boxes and they came out absolutely perfect. Great video, thank you William for making my box building so much easier.
those who can take a complicated subject and explain it with a simple, well reasoned, understandable explanation is a TRUE TEACHER. Mr. NG you only have an excellent grasp of the craft of woodworking, but your method of teaching is superior. As a new comer, all I can say is THANK YOU!!!!
I am 47 years young. I started woodworking in the 8th grade (back when shop class was still in schools) i still love it with a passion till this day. I dont have the perfect shop but i do with what i have. Mr Ng you remind me of my first shop teacher. I enjoy your videos with the same passion. Thank you
I watched dozens of tutorials for crosscut sleds today. This one is by far the best, thanks for taking your time sharing it with us!
About five years ago I watched this video for the first time. I couldn't figure out what you were talking about and chalked it up to me being stupid. I can officially say that I figured this out today and now I have a perfect crosscut sled. 5 years in the making.
Fantastic. Love the rear guard idea! I hope to be able to attend one of your schools William!
so in 5 years there's hope for me? I really dont think so. I've gone through several sheets of plywood and havent had an ounce of luck with a sled that can produce anything remotely square. I have given up
@@greghamilton5872 dude Greg in 5 years is amazing. You're going to be like 6 inches taller, 2 girlfriends, and your crosscut sled is going to be square AF.
can't believe i just watched that whole video ... and yet somehow i couldn't turn it off. thanks for the insight, i've been planning on building one for a while, and i'm a bit of a perfectionist, so this was perfect. thanks again!
+David Steinkuhler Same here... You wrote my comment for me!
I don't even own a table saw and I was clamped to the screen...
The key is seek out instruction. You don't have to come to my school. See if there's a woodworking club near you or adult education or a buddy. It's tough to learn on your own. I know by experience. I was fortunate to learn from some of the best woodworkers in the world. My first saw was a Grizzley contractor saw, you don't to spend a fortune, but you do need decent equipment. Don't be disappointed, you can achieve anything if you have heart. Email me thru my website if you have questions.
your a generous human, thanks for sharing the videos, your knowledge and encouragement!
Ysidro Avila I love your comment. It really sums up what I like about these videos. Full of heart and mind and humanity. Rare these days.
Though I have seen this before, best explanation I've seen :)
Thank you from Greece.
Thank you for three reasons
1. The result of 5 cuts is amazing
2. For the inspiration of perfection that you give
3. For your existence
God bless you.
BRILLIANT. The calculation was perfect. This is the best video out there. After watching numerous other videos, I was frustrated to see that they would check their work and settle for “close enough.” Their problem was not calculating where the pivot point was and making the adjustment at that point. This is spot on!!!!
Thank you, William. This newbie woodworker just built his first cross cut sled and on my 3'rd try dialed it in to about 1 1,000'th. Nice feeling of accomplishment building a tool that will make the use of the table saw more precise and absolutely safer.
The sign of a good instructor: the student grabs their head to keep it together because their mind was just blown!
The concepts seems so simple yet are so easy to overlook - I am subscribed because I have so much more to learn!
Just made my first table saw sled (a mini-sled). The first difference was .046 so I did the calculation and made the adjustment in the fence. The next difference was 0.0005. Wow! Thanks so much for explaining the calculation and how to do the adjustment.
Thank you. I appreciate your comment and for taking the time to watch. I am bless with a nice workshop Thanks to all the students that made it possible.
I've watched hundreds of woodworking videos while considering getting into the hobby in a serious way. Some are good, some over my head, some (many more) poorly produced. Two of yours were enough to convince me to click the subscribe button for the first time anywhere. Actually learned something of value.
10 years after this video was posted, I was fortunate enough to find the perfect method. I am grateful to you, Mr. William. greetings from Brazil.
Perfect example of plan your work and work your plan. Most informative sled set up I have ever seen. Love the attention to detail that inspires learners to do their best work. Thank you from all us old guys who sometimes watch but do not comment. We need to let people know when they do great work. You do great work.
Larry Hansen Thank you.I know it takes a little effort to comment. I appreciate you taking the time to watch and show your support . It means a lot and goes a long way. Thanks again.
William,
Thank you for your knowledge and your penchant for being as precise/perfect in all that you do in this craft. I truly appreciate the instruction that you have provided. Any time that I can learn anything new that I did not know, I am that much smarter than the previous day. Woodworking like aviation, if you are not learning something new in either profession every day, it's time to go find something else to do.
Your methodology is astounding (it's like Paul Sellers decided to get powered). Thank you.
+Assaf Levy Ha Ha, that's quite a compliment mentioned along side Paul Seller. I met him when I was traveling with the Woodworking Show as a demonstrator doing their "Hand Tool Rodeo" He's a great craftsman and a real gentleman.
+Assaf Levy
OMG I was JUST going to say something very similar to your comment.
Yes William is definitely the electric Paul Sellers!!!
Hilarious & BRILLIANT!
Thanks William.
blasphemy
Karim Teran
I just watched Paul's whole 9 episode Q&A (recommended!!), the way he talks he almost convinced me to switch to hand tools exclusively.
This is the most useful, educational UA-cam woodworking video I have ever seen. Thanks for making it.
I watched many cross cut sleds built I like yours best I plan on making yours, also I like the way you explain yourself got a lot out of the video thanks. MS wood working.
I'm back, your 5 cut method is perfect for my quality level. Now I'm building the Miter Sled and a small parts cross cut sled.
Excellent video and process. Keep the jokes coming your timing is great. Thank you for sharing.
"You want to make sure you have enough screws so you don't run out." That's the funniest line, imho, as they say. (He's holding a box of approx. 10,000 screws!) Brilliant video, well explained. Inspiring.
I must apologize to you for stealing your technique without giving credit. Over the holiday weekend, I helped my son-in-law build a sled for his tablesaw. In attendance were my son-in-laws and a brother-in-law. One is a nuclear engineer, one an electrical engineer, and the other a mechanical engineer. The "Old Man" came off looking like a genius! Maybe I'll let them in on my theft...then again, maybe I'll just let them keep thinking the "Old Man" is actually that smart! Thank You!
Jim Hampton: don't say anything.
The thing is, you learned from William and now are at least smart enough to get a woodworking sled square. In life, we never really give credit to our old grade school teachers for instance, for each and every thing we show or explain to someone that they taught us. However, It would not be cool if you turned around and started teaching a class this technique and didn't give credit where due. Makes sense, right? I just noticed your comment is 3 years old and u probably won't even get this. Haha
Jim Hampton, I just hope you're smart enough to post under a soodonim (or whatever them fake names is called). Your family will never no.
@@johnbluebeard4355 the word (spelling) you are looking for is pseudonym. Remember what mom said, mind your P's and Q's.
@@darrowfortheprosecution1404 Well, I was telling him that I hoped he used a soodonim so that his family woodent read his post hear and figger his trick out. I assumed my bad spellings would alert everyone that I was making a poor attempt at humor, because nobody can spell that badly by accident, (or maybe they can).
I made my first sled this week. Using your "5 Cut" method, I got my fence within 2 thousandths of absolute perpendicularity. I love it!
FAIL
Thank you ...perfect. Wish I had had you in woodworking class 55 years ago!
Not only are you a talented woodworker you're also an extremely talented teacher. Thank you
"As you can see, I can't afford to take another hit." lol this made me laugh pretty hard.
Looooooool
I legit laughed at this as well. Like gut laughed. Wow I'm 5 years too late. Regardless cheers!
I
Literally had me looking like a fool, laughing out loud for no apparent reason, sitting in a drive thru. Caught me off guard there. Lol
For those who can not understand the measurement errors maybe can help metric reading.
First William measurement for the thickness on the 5th cut is 22.7584 mm
Second William measurement for the thickness on the 5th cut is 21.3868 mm
The difference in the cut from bottom to the top is 1.3716 mm
Divided by 4 (corners) and you got 0.3429 mm
So, at this point, if you cut, lets say, one of the board of your new cabinet with the length of 609.9 mm (length of the Williams 5th cut), you will be instantly of by 0.3429 mm from the perpendicular at the top.
Now you divided 0.3429 mm with the length of the cut, 609.6 mm and you got margin of 0.0005625 mm
Multiply this number with distance from pivot point to the place of correction, in William case, 723.9mm
0.0005625 x 723.9 = 0.40719 mm
So, you must withdraw (because its positive number) your correction point for 0.40 mm
At the second measurement on the 5th cut William got difference from top to bottom of 0.0254 mm. Do not forget, 0.025 mm on more than 60 cm board! Which is substantially perpendicular......This is actually my two most thin block plane shavings thick. Approximately.
I hope that with my English, this has some sense :-)
William, amazing tutorial, thanks.
Stane Berghaus thanks
thank you for the metric version as imperial is out of my understanding being an Aussie
This makes no sense at all to me.................have tried inches and mm with my new calipers but keep getting rediculas numbers that make no sense at all.................very frustrated....all I want is an accurate cross cut !
Well, mranchovydrumbass, you have to first learn how to use a caliper before you can build a cross cut sled using this method. If you are getting "rediculas" numbers that "make no sense at all" the problem is not with the instrument, it's the user.
I agree working with metric measurements is just so much easier. No fractions to convert and in the end, it still comes pretty damned close to standard (SAE) measurements. I'd much rather measure a cut by counting the increments without having to convert fractions down to 32nds or 64ths of an inch. For example, say I need to measure out 425.29 (16.75"); of course, 16 3/4" (still had to convert .75 to 3/4 though) is pretty easy, but what if I needed 16 21/32" or 16.653? What if I'm checking for square before a cut and I need the hypotenuse (diagonal or "long side" of a triangle) angle to be 16.653"? Hope you have tape measures that'll show you where 16.653 is and nope, 16 5/8" is too short while 16 11/16" is too long! But if I'm using the metric tape measure, I'd easily measure out 423mm without converting anything. And remember, the longer the measurement is, the larger the error would become by distance, so a 1/16" error could become 1/4" depending on length and then all measurements taken from the original error will all be erroneous.
Why not just use a metric tape measure that's really easy to use. The decimal measurements in the metric system are still parts (or fractions) of the whole, but much easier to find without converting anything. If nothing else, pretty much everything is metric anyway (medicine doses, syringes, fluid measures, weights, volume, etc.)
I understand avoiding the metric units of measure just because one is just used to SAE, fractions, and decimals, but why convert when you don't have to? The metric system for woodworking and automotive and pretty much all else is just easier. Thanks for your example Mr. (Herr) Berghaus.
Your explanation and method of fixing a non-square sled was great! I mucked around readjusting the sled 5 times before I decided to follow your instructions. And within 2 adjustments, my sled is now as square as I want it! Genius!
This is one of my all time favorite videos. The title is not quite right. You don't just get the instruction on the Five Cut Method itself. You get the design and construction of the entire sled! :)
Absolutely magnificent, William Ng! I will be making both this as well as James King's sled. Both have excellent features and this will keep me busy for a few weeks.
William, this is probably the best video for making a sled I've seen. In it you mentioned a follow on video for making a mitre cross cut sled and how to do the 4 cut process. I didn't see those in your videos. Were you ever able to make that? I'd really really love to see it.
ua-cam.com/video/AgVthkUE4AU/v-deo.html
Hi, William. First, congratulations for your explanation of the 5 cut method. It's by far the most intuitive I've ever seen. Because of this, I'd like to ask for your permission to translate your video (subtitles) to brazilian portuguese, to show on a woodworking forum where I'm a member. Of course all credits will be mantained.
João Eduardo, Thanks for asking, it shows you respect other peoples work. By all means translate, it's meant to be shared. Thanks.
wnwoodworks Thanks Willian. All knowledge should be shared. Only good things would come from this... keep on sharing and best regards!
Thank you, I now have a .2mm difference over 500mm, I have never cut anything that square ever. For those that don't get metric, that's pretty much a ball hair or a gnats whisker.
I have yet to be disappointed in one of your videos. I certainly wish I could attend your school, but other obligations prevent that. Just know that I am highly appreciative of your woodworking skill, and your teaching technique.
Thank you.
I used this several years ago and it is great. Wish Mr. Ng was doing more. I have watched all of his videos. Great information. Thank you Mr. Ng.!!
34:44 not nearly enough clamps. Someone could get hurt.
Also, 25:25.
Funny how the release of this video coincides with the great Harbor Freight Clamp heist of 2012. Coincidence? I think not.
lol i was like daaayuuum, i wonder what over the years made him go with so many clamps. im sure there is a reason for it, warping etc
The clamps are nice but I want to see his clamp storage system. I wonder if he has a tractor trailer backed up to the shop to store them all.
I thought so at first as well. Then I recalled that he is a teacher. Then it all made sense. When working with acrylic, the Weldon is super thin stuff and it is not forgiving. You have one chance to make contact on all surfaces.
"I can't afford to take another hit" had me ROFL
William Ng uses harbor freight clamps!!! Woohoo!!!
Royal Poison
Thank you to
I saw that. I am vindicated. ;)
He's only got 500 clamps. I would too instead of spending all that money at home depot! 😁
You know those clamps.. i made a mistake too..same grey clamps the plastic comes off again and again ... i dont visit that trash store any more
Some come off easily and annoyingly, some don't. Perhaps in the shopping process we can carefully examine the tools we're trading money for. I have a couple that do this as well and noticed that they were actually a different design than the ones that don't. The store doesn't make them, they buy them wholesale in closed cases and sell them to us. We as buyers can be careful and attentive to the items we purchase and choose them carefully, regardless of what store we're standing in. I've had items I wasn't happy with bought from Lowe's as well and exchanged them for better units. There are variations in most manufacturing and tools are no different than what we make with them, in that regard.
Edited as I misread a word.
Thank you William. I have learned so much from you. I have just finished building my 120 sg ft shop in my driveway and am eager to build my very first table saw sled and auxiliary fence. Most all of the other you tube channels are referencing your 5 step cross cut sled so this is the best compliment a craftsman can get. You have the highest respect from me and I'm sure all who watch you. I'm 72 and retired. I have been a woodworker since 1975 when my wife gave me a table saw for Christmas. Watching you makes me fell like a beginner. I'm excited about woodworking and you are a big reason for my excitement. Thanks
Hi William,
I have just found your video on the 5 cut method. The original that everyone now appears to use these days! I loved it your presentation is so good as well. I have looked quickly through your list off videos and think they are all worth looking through. I have been given so much more knowledge from them. As for the idiots that are derogative who cares they are probably jealous or just an inherent moaning negative person!!!!!!!! I do not see anything wrong with gaining knollage I am lerning every day and love it even after 68 years.
At 9:35 your formula is missing parentheses around A - B. It should read (A - B) / 4 / (length of 5th cut) * (distance between pivot..)
I think you're slicker than Norm Abrams!😎
Well now. William, you are great in these videos but different from what Norm does. The thing is, Norm would use (and probably does) your videos to first create exacting tools for himself, such as your crosscut sled. THEN he can make his furniture creations with clearly exact cuts, as we see on his videos. Too bad he's quit making them on NYW.
You are a fantastic and skilful explainer. I love your videos. Though english is not my natural, I have no problem to get it all. However, I feel sorry for all americans that have to use inches, and all other terrible obsolete systems. ;) I wish you had SI-units too.
We don't have to, we have the freedom to choose our overly-complicated stupid fractional systems that vary between binary, 12ths, thirds, and 5280ths, instead of just moving a decimal point to convert from one unit to another. That SI stuff would be far too easy and make more kids stop hating math! Can't have that here, nope.
I kept re-viewing so I can get it right. I always have a good chuckle each time I hit 13:40, I swear William can be a very good standup comedian.
Sir, I bow to thee, you are one clever man. I could watch your videos all day. Thank you.
It's your fault :) I just went and bought a dial caliper, I have so many things to fix now!
eizzle78 HaHa That's OK with me, I've been blame for worst things. Thanks for the comment.
Don't miss the 'don't cut thru the back of the base until ALL fence adjustment is done' or you'll end up with a dozen "5-Cut" scraps before you're done! LOL
I also f' it up today. I had already seen the video twice and still made the error of cutting almost through the base, before finishing the calibration. I screwed a piece of scrap so that the two pieces stay together
9:13 for the formula
I stay amazed at your understanding of the geometry involved in solving classic issues of workworking. Your explanations are outstanding. Thank you.
"I can't take another hit." -- You are a riot
I laughed out loud. He said "As you can see, I can't take another hit." Gosh, so self deprecating. Funniest thing I've ever heard. I wasn't expecting it. His dry humor is great stuff. He could literally be a comedian.
As a novice woodworker, I say thank you for this awesome video. I just have just been told about the 5 cuts method, and your video explained in a way that I understood. It all makes sense now after seeing this, and judging by the comments, I am not the only one. so thank you again.
I watch this video every day
That shop looks so sterile, you could perform appendectomies on the countertop.
yeah, eat off the floor.
Yes if you drop food on the floor the 5 second rule could be extended to an hour or so. That's how clean it is.
@2300Kenzie - You need to quit talking nonsense. You know good and well you couldn't perform an appendectomy on the countertop.... The dust collector in his shop doesn't reach over to the countertop, and you'd need suction to perform a surgery. So, if you want to perform any type of thoracic surgery in his shop, OBVIOUSLY you would need to do it on the router table.... Got good suction for lots of blood at the router table.
Carry on.
👌 I watched your video several years ago and used your method to make my cross-cut sled. Now I have built an MFT table and returned to your video to refresh my memory on how to do the 5 cuts. I'm going to use your method to check how square my MFT is. Thank you for an elegant explanation. I also love your sense of humor.
Thank you, William, for the video. I have been woodworking for a total of 5 months now. My first attempt at a crosscut sled. The 5 cut method works perfectly. The error on my second 5 cut was .0007725. I have never made anything so precise. Can't thank you enough.
I truly appreciate your dry sense of humor almost as much as the knowledge I gain from your teaching. Wishing you a happy new year William!
Great video by a really gifted instructor. Thank you!!! Going down to my shop right now to work on a replacement for my old sled... I feel inspired to make the perfect cross-cut sled. Thanks and keep them coming.
Superb Presentation, William.
You clearly should be the Teacher of the Year!
A job taken so seriously that is a big pleasure to watch and to listen to :)
This is by far the best cross-cut sled video i've seen on youtube, love your attention to detail.
This is the first time I looked up this guy in a few years, but I'm glad to find him again. I liked him right off the first time I watched his vids.
I built this cross-cut sled, per your instructions. I ran the numbers after the 5th cut, which resulted in a - 0.00105". I couldn't believe it; so, I ran the five cuts a second time...on a much larger piece, which resulted in - 0.00109". I'll take it -- 1/1000" works for me! Thanks again for sharing!
Thank you for putting this up. It was easy to follow and everything you say makes sense. I am glad you didn't listen to the haters and made the video about the miter sled. You are a good instructor and your students are lucky to have you.
I'M DUMBFOUNDED, that 555 people gave this a thumbs down. Your explanation and easy to use formula at 9:17 is awesome. I'm buying a sliding euro saw in 9 months when my 3rd stall shop is built. I can't wait to square up the fences using your instructions!!!
Mr. William Ng, the man, the myth, the legend! I love the dedication to precision and repeatable excellence that your methods strive for. Thank you for sharing and keep it coming! Just made cross cut sled IAW your video. Having a solid proven method to dial in a jig is invaluable. Thank you sir!
Hey William. Just found your channel. I like it very much. To those that criticize your work as being too complicated, don’t worry about them. They’re just frustrated because they can’t understand basic trig. Good job.
Few people can teach the way you do. It's a real gift. Great video.
THANK YOU so very much for this video! And thanks to Jonathan Katz-Moses who recommended your video in his comments on the Wood Whisperer's video "How to Make a Cross-Cut Sled". That other video was very helpful, except that it had an uncorrected error in the explanation of the error calculation. I tried that method 3 times and had just about concluded I was just too dense to get it when I looked at the comments and Jonathan's comment sent me to your video. I have an overly small table saw (an old Craftsman with a table top only 17" x 26"). I do not have some of the precision tools shown in the videos, such as a good feeler gauge, nor am I very experienced or skilled at being precise, but in one pass I took my error from 3/32" down to just 3 10-thousandths of an inch. Wow!
Thanks also for the humor as mentioned by several other posters. And a special thanks to the added instructions for the safety elements (clear plastic guard on top and the hand guard on the front of the sled). I was going to add something, but really didn't know what would work well.
I'm now a huge fan!
Hi William, I am new to woodworking and have produced my first cross cut sledge today - and calibrated it following your 5 cut method. Extremely easy based on your video and I have achieved an accuracy close to 1/1000 of an inch. Just perfect. Thank you very much.
So many UA-camrs have copied your 5 cut method, but very few give you credit. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. ☺️
The UK has just shut down due to Covid19. Businesses are failing. People are getting really sick. Panic buying is emptying stores. Society is going mad.
Watching this again made the world seem a calmer, better place for half an hour.
Thank you Mr Ng sir.
I have watched videos from _dozens_ of woodworking channels over the past 3 years, and today was the first time a video from the "William Ng" channel was recommended to me (that I noticed). I've watched two of your videos so far, William, and I wanted to let you know that I _love_ your extremely subtle, almost restrained, sense of humor! You also bring up points in passing that have gone overlooked by _everyone else_ I've watched (two examples from _this_ video: wood grain with respect to humidity, size and quantity of screws), and man!, I appreciate it, because it's _important_ to those of us who _learn_ from UA-cam. I'm going to go ahead and subscribe to this channel. With _this_ video being now almost 8 years old, it's _possible_ you're no longer making videos, and if that's the case, I'll find out soon enough. The only _other_ woodworking channel to which I've ever subscribed is the "Paul Sellers" channel. (For the record, I likes me some maths!)
William, Thank you so MUCH, I built that jig today, and now I can achieve a squareness with a margin of error of 0.2 mm at 1 meter ! How could I not build this earlier ! The time gained is like 20X, and the precision... my God, awesome ! Once again, THANK YOU !
You are most welcome. Thanks for the comment, it means a lot and motivates me to produce more videos as soon as time allows.
Hi William, this is the best explanation I have seen/heard about the 5 cut method of calculating the out of square of the fence on a cross cut sled. Thank you.
That's probably due to the fact that it was William who initially thought of the Concept of the 5 cut method.
As a novice woodworker, your instruction and insight is by far the best on the subject (and there are a LOT of cross-cut sled how-to videos on youtube!). You show that precision is achievable with clear thinking: knowledge is power! And I just invested in good Mitutoyo vernier calipers to measure my sled building! I never thought I’d find a use for that sort of precision metrication device in woodworking!
I love this video so much. I'm making my sled today. Thank you for sharing your experience, passion, and humor!
Hello Mr. Ng
At 51, I’m a rookie to U-Tube but wood craftsman for nearly 30 years. I fell in love with wood working watching my father as a little boy, in fact I made it my life’s career. The first video of yours that saw... you made reference that some of the comments you received were..... well, less that respectful. Let me just say that, America is the greatest country on the planet ( I might be a little bias lol ) however, not all of her residents are. That is do to parenting or influences on them growing up and unfortunately can lead to behavior not representative of her greatest and sadly common place these days. One of the things instilled in me growing up and in wood working is, “speed and quality do not go together “ as well as “ knowledge is power “. That said, me personally, I found your video to be very informative, helpful and detailed. For someone like myself detailed is extremely important, I like knowing everything I can about a particular subject. I’ve seen a lot of U-Tube videos by lots of people and well, yours is the only one that I subscribed, rang the bell and commented on, hopefully that tells you something. Yes, haters.... they will hate lol, don’t take them to heart or seriously. Keep up the great work and videos, I’ll be watching, have a great day sir👍🏼.
I have come back this video a second time to review the five cut method.
Mr. Ng’s instruction is concise, explaining how and why.
I hope , with a few more viewings of this video, I will completely absorb the method as well as related information on building functional and accurate table saw sleds. Thank you for this video !!
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Elegant, fool proof, perfect! Your students are very lucky to have you!
This is a great tutorial and I used this to design my own sled. Thank you for sharing this on UA-cam.
I cannot believe that some felt it was appropriate to leave derogatory comments about the calculations you so clearly explained. It must have been beyond their mental abilities. Bijan (UK)
I just built a crosscut sled using your method. Even though this video is 10 years old, this is still the best method I've found for squaring up a sled. Thanks for taking the time to put the details out there. You've helped a ton of woodworkers!
Your calm and stright forward method of presentation is most welcome.
Very appreciative of this top notch contribution. I am on my second crosscut sled using William’s technique. The first sled lasted a couple of years before I began intermittently getting out of square cuts. I checked using the ‘5-cut’ method and it was still registering an error of just .006” on a 24” long board. Turns out: the back fence was slightly bowed because one of the runners was loose. I chose to make another sled. This time 0.0005” off square! Thanks, William!
I found this video a very long time ago and used it to build a crosscut sled that truly changed my woodworking.
Even though I have seen it many times it is still just as pertinent today as it was 11 years ago.
Thank you so much for sharing this and all the rest of your videos.
You are a great teacher and inspiration.
Now get busy and make another video...LOL...
You are a very gifted teacher. Thank you for your detailed explanation. I've watched other youtubers using your method but you are by far, the most clear.
William...I am so impressed!!! I have always felt I was a skilled wood worker but I can see now that I have been a novice. Who ever you have been teaching they should be so thankful for your expertise!!! Thank you for your knowledge and expertise in such a Great art...Woodworking!!!