Introduction: Simple Add on Provides More Uses for Your Crosscut Sled

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About: It's said that to perfect a skill takes about 10,000 hours of work and study. If that's the case I've got around 9,000 hours to go. But, like they say, it's not the destination but the journey.

I love both the accuracy and the zero clearance, tear out free cut my crosscut sled provides. So, it only made sense to find a way to achieve the same results when cutting grooves or dadoes without having to build multiple sleds. My solution was to add an adjustable layer of 1/8” hardboard to my sled, secured under pieces of 1/4” hardboard affixed to the front and rear fences with two-sided tape. Two small screws hold the hardboard in position for standard blade cuts. When cutting a groove or dado, simply remove the screws and carefully set the opening to match the width of the installed dado blades. A few pieces of painter’s tape wrapped around the hardboard and sled edges eliminate any movement of the hardboard while making the cut.

Step 1:

These photos illustrate how the two pieces of 1/8" hardboard can be adjusted to create a zero-clearance dado of varying widths. Note the finger holes in the hardboard. They make changing the opening in the hardboard much easier.