Thread: Best jig for Triton Workcentre?

The crosscut sled is the ultimate IMO. Since I built mine for the MK3, I haven't had the saw in docking mode.

Originally Posted by chrisb691

The crosscut sled is the ultimate IMO. Since I built mine for the MK3, I haven't had the saw in docking mode.

Yeah, it's pretty good. I remember spending a whole day with the miter gauge trying to get consistent square cuts. I had just seen the triton dvd and George proclaimed how accurate and square his cuts were but I could never replicate them.

You've never had to go back to docking mode, that's a nice feeling .

Originally Posted by chrisb691

The crosscut sled is the ultimate IMO. Since I built mine for the MK3, I haven't had the saw in docking mode.

I'll second that!

Nathan.

Okay, maybe I should have written what is the second most useful jig after the cross-cut sled?

I make and use the thin ripping jig fairly often. Basically a bit of ply or other scrap that has parallel sides and I attach a heel to rip thin strips off a wide piece. Fast, easy and accurate, with all bieces coming out the same width.

The other ones are more a range of stop blocks clamped onto sliding tables or other equipment so repeatability is maintained. Thing to be wary of is making it so offcuts are not trapped between spinning blade and a fixed stop.

The other frequently used jig is an offcut that is the same width of the kerf cut by the blade. Use this to space first cut for a housing joint, and a scrap of the timber to be fitted to space the second cut. Gives a tight finnish, without having to measure and mark every time.

Made a few jigs for the superjaws, to help attach and remove bearings from motor armatures. They work well, but the jobs aren't needed often.

FWIW

Thanks, TJ, some good ideas, actually thought about making a thin ripping jig and now I probably will. Thanks for sharing.

Ok guys, complete novice question here - recently dusted off the 2000 that has been in storage.
Can someone steer me in the direction of a guide to building the much vaunted sled?
TIA
Neal

Originally Posted by poolnoodle

Ok guys, complete novice question here - recently dusted off the 2000 that has been in storage.
Can someone steer me in the direction of a guide to building the much vaunted sled?
TIA
Neal

Hi Neal,

Coincidentally I came across a great video about building one last night. I've linked to it in this post here

Should do the trick.

Nathan.

I suffered too many scraped knuckles from trying to use my Mark 3 Triton in cross-cut mode. I now have a 12" Makita SCMS. Much better!

However, the best thing that the Triton had going for it in crosscut mode for me was using the router sled. It was very good for routing dados.


I still use the Mark 3 Triton as my table saw, however. It has limitations and the circular saw is noisy but it still works for me after many years.



.

Hi

I'm new around here, and though i've got a 2000 on order, as well as the dust bucket, router top, extension.

The crosscut sledge really interests me and Nathan's link to the wisperer's video was good. However I didn't know the 2000 had twin channels for the sledge runners

So any there tricks to building one for the 2000. Photo's would help.

PS I'm Uk based so don't hold that against me please!


Ian

Originally Posted by Iwf

Hi

I'm new around here, and though i've got a 2000 on order, as well as the dust bucket, router top, extension.

The crosscut sledge really interests me and Nathan's link to the wisperer's video was good. However I didn't know the 2000 had twin channels for the sledge runners

So any there tricks to building one for the 2000. Photo's would help.

PS I'm Uk based so don't hold that against me please!


Ian

Hi Ian,

Hopefully this makes sense.....

The runners in the Workcentre do not accept the standard rectangular runners from the usual guides/jigs/etc that are on every other table saw. This is my biggest 'bummer' with the Workcentre.

The grooves also stop before the ends. That is, if you put something in them you cannot slide it off the end.

However, you can still certainly make a sled. Instead of using some hardwood inside the Workcentre grooves (like they do on normal tablesaws), you can use them as runners on the outside edged of the Workcentre.

So instead of slotting inside grooves, they make the sled 'straddle' over the table.

Does this make sense?

Nathan.

Nathan

That makes perfect sense. I assume then that the table edges are perfectly square and I guess you'd need the table top off the work centre to make the sled in the first place.

Another solution would be to replace the top all together, with something that has proper grooves.

Then again perhaps it's asking too much of the work centre.

Thanks

Ian

Originally Posted by Iwf

Nathan

Another solution would be to replace the top all together, with something that has proper grooves.

I made some hardwood runners which just fit in the slots and I can cut a board up to 280 wide.

I'm about to make a new sled. This time I won't take the runners right to the ends so I get a comfortable 300 plus which is all I really need.

The sled just hangs on the table, on the other side from the fence so I can just switch between the two, which I do many times a day.