Thread: Table saw sled runners - what to use

Whats wrong with using a piece of hardwood?

Originally Posted by doug3030

Whats wrong with using a piece of hardwood?

I do, but on rainy days or humid weather they swell, and the sled will jam in the tracks.

cheers
Arron

Contact a plastic engineering supply place, someone like E-Plas (website). They'll cut the strips for you. HDPE is ok but the best stuff is UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene). UHMW slides beautifully, cuts well (doesn't melt on a saw blade like HDPE) and has a good impact resistance. I use to work for E-Plas and use UHMW on all my slides.

Hope this helps

Also, you can run UHMWPE through a thicknesser to get the right thickness, great stuff

I'd use 1/4 sawn hardwood with the grain running parallel to the table so if it happens to expand it won't jam in the mitre slot.

I am sorry but I don't know why this is such a big deal. My sled is 8 years old and the runners are just bits of oregon. When it is too loose I put a bit of tape around them. When it is too tight I rub some wax on them or just push harder.

Originally Posted by groeneaj

I'd use 1/4 sawn hardwood with the grain running parallel to the table so if it happens to expand it won't jam in the mitre slot.

Now thats a novel solution. Arent they a bit fragile though ?

I'm with Wongo. I just use a completely dry hardwood fence paling from bunnings...costs $1.89

Go and choose the absolutely straight ones without knots or dinks. It takes a digging, but once dry (leave them in the sun under a mound of bricks, they dry quick smart) I just thickness them and presto, ultra cheap hardwood.

Do the same with hardwood sleepers. Choose carefully and you get 3.6 metre hardwood 200x75 for $16.

Good for projects like this. As Wongo says, make em a bit tight and give them wax.

I made mine from a PE cutting board about 10 years ago - still working fine. You can machine it if necessary, but be prepared for bits of PE floating around.

Originally Posted by Evanism

As Wongo says, make em a bit tight and give them wax.

Yeah, that works but I still maintain that the denser plastics slide easier than wood (like teflon), you don't have to replace them, they don't expand and contract and no wax needed.

Originally Posted by AlexS

I made mine from a PE cutting board about 10 years ago - still working fine. You can machine it if necessary, but be prepared for bits of PE floating around.

Can you cut Pe on a tablesaw? i've heard that it melts and binds against the blade, possibly causing a dangerous situation. Is that true?

Don't mess around
3/4 x 3/8 x 24" = $9
Polycarbonate Sheets & UHMW Polyethylene Lengths : CARBA-TEC
I bought 4 a while ago and they are great. I have countersunk holes drilled along each length. I just take them off a temporary jig and reuse them next time.

Originally Posted by NCArcher

Don't mess around
3/4 x 3/8 x 24" = $9
Polycarbonate Sheets & UHMW Polyethylene Lengths : CARBA-TEC
I bought 4 a while ago and they are great. I have countersunk holes drilled along each length. I just take them off a temporary jig and reuse them next time.

Yep, that probably does represent the best solution in terms of cost, convenience and accuracy
Cheers
Arron

Originally Posted by Arron

Can you cut Pe on a tablesaw? i've heard that it melts and binds against the blade, possibly causing a dangerous situation. Is that true?

Never had that problem, although you do get some sticking to the blade - easily cleaned off with Mr. Muscle non-caustic oven cleaner. It's worthwhile cleaning saw blades occasionally to get rid of resin.