Thread: has anyone made a router sled using aluminium extrusion rails?

This YouTube playlist from Andy at Manor Wood will provide you with the information you need

YouTube play list

Here is the first video:

Many thanks Ross - will check those out and add that knowledge to what I found in a massive googling session that finished at 3am...

That setup looks awesome. Its a bit pricey though. It would be around 2-2.5k for the whole setup minus the router and the router bit. I wonder if there is a cheaper option.

I made mine out of some heavy 2" ali angle for the router to slide on and some 2x4 ali box section for the long runners. Just needed to keep the ali well waxed to make it easy to slide.

There is I think - it should come in sub-$1K but let me build it first and make sure it works as expected. Will be a few weeks as some parts have to come from America and the supplier over there only uses USPS so I'm expecting that it will take a few weeks for those parts to arrive.

I've built a couple. I have a basic table with good RHS frame under some 19mm form ply. I then mounted tracks along the table and across the table. My first try was using shower door wheels in J tracks mounted on a RHS. This worked well until sawdust got in the track, tried brush cleaners, but I still wasn't happy as the sled jumped over the slightest bit if dust. I then removed the J tracks and replaced them with square sided U tracks on their sides and used teflon blocks as the slides. Unfortunately the slightest racking jammed the guides.

I will progress with the design but probably go the way of a SHS at 45, so any dust falls off, and use wheels as guides (or bearings). But in the meantime I use a pro (Jeff Cash not far from me on the Gold Coast) with a SlabMaster, he charges $80/m2 of slab for both sides levelled and sanded (80/120), and he's done in an hour or so. Considering my time to level slabs it works out a cheap way to go.

Originally Posted by RSD

There is I think - it should come in sub-$1K but let me build it first and make sure it works as expected. Will be a few weeks as some parts have to come from America and the supplier over there only uses USPS so I'm expecting that it will take a few weeks for those parts to arrive.

If you could get results close to the sled above for under a $1000 I’d be a very happy man. Patience isn’t my best virtue so what’s the plan for it? Haha.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by dai sensei

I've built a couple. I have a basic table with good RHS frame under some 19mm form ply. I then mounted tracks along the table and across the table. My first try was using shower door wheels in J tracks mounted on a RHS. This worked well until sawdust got in the track, tried brush cleaners, but I still wasn't happy as the sled jumped over the slightest bit if dust. I then removed the J tracks and replaced them with square sided U tracks on their sides and used teflon blocks as the slides. Unfortunately the slightest racking jammed the guides.

I will progress with the design but probably go the way of a SHS at 45, so any dust falls off, and use wheels as guides (or bearings). But in the meantime I use a pro (Jeff Cash not far from me on the Gold Coast) with a SlabMaster, he charges $80/m2 of slab for both sides levelled and sanded (80/120), and he's done in an hour or so. Considering my time to level slabs it works out a cheap way to go.

The shower door runners sounded like a good idea. But alas the saw dust definitely would interfere. I’ve rang around a few places to get the slabs flattened and the best price I have so far is $90 m2 for just surfacing one side. With what I need flattened it will cost me $1100. So I am looking around to see if I can get it cheaper or build a sled cheaper. The slabs are 3.5m x 900. So a regular sled seems to be out of the question. Does anyone have any recommendations for slab flattening in Sydney? Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Storm2point0

The shower door runners sounded like a good idea. But alas the saw dust definitely would interfere. I’ve rang around a few places to get the slabs flattened and the best price I have so far is $90 m2 for just surfacing one side. With what I need flattened it will cost me $1100. So I am looking around to see if I can get it cheaper or build a sled cheaper. The slabs are 3.5m x 900. So a regular sled seems to be out of the question. Does anyone have any recommendations for slab flattening in Sydney? Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

any decent shop with a cnc router should be able to do that for you.

Originally Posted by Storm2point0

The shower door runners sounded like a good idea. But alas the saw dust definitely would interfere. I’ve rang around a few places to get the slabs flattened and the best price I have so far is $90 m2 for just surfacing one side. With what I need flattened it will cost me $1100. So I am looking around to see if I can get it cheaper or build a sled cheaper. The slabs are 3.5m x 900. So a regular sled seems to be out of the question. Does anyone have any recommendations for slab flattening in Sydney? Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maybe put a wanted ad in the forum market place asking for slab flattening.

Some members may have bought a Torque work centre /slabmaster from Yass Engineering

Or call Yass Engineering and ask them if they know an owner who might process slabs for you

Originally Posted by riverbuilder

any decent shop with a cnc router should be able to do that for you.

I’ve went to 5 different kitchen shops on Friday that have a large cnc. Two are getting back to me with a price but I think it might be very expensive. And the other 3 said no.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by RossM

Maybe put a wanted ad in the forum market place asking for slab flattening.

Some members may have bought a Torque work centre /slabmaster from Yass Engineering

Or call Yass Engineering and ask them if they know an owner who might process slabs for you

I have just thrown up a add in the wanted section. Good idea, i didn't think about it.

Originally Posted by Storm2point0

If you could get results close to the sled above for under a $1000 I’d be a very happy man. Patience isn’t my best virtue so what’s the plan for it? Haha.

Well seeing as you asked -
- slot rails from these guys - Products – AME System | Aluminium T-Slot Profile Extrusions & Industrial Workstations - use the 40x80 for the suspended rails - has very little deflection.
- wheels from here - Aluminum Framing Elements | Roller | Framing Technology Inc

My wheels were despatched Friday NY time, they only ship internationally by USPS so I'm not sure how long it is going to take to get here but hopefully no more than 2-3 weeks. Once I receive them I will take a couple of them to AME and run them up and down their slot rails to make sure that the wheels designed for 10mm slots do run freely on rail with 10mm slots and then I will get the rails.

If everything goes to plan then it will be able to skate above slabs up to 89mm thick, mill those down as far as 44mm if necessary using the 69mm plunge of of the Triton router. By flipping the rolling box upside down it will have 59mm of clearance and can mill down to 13mm.