Introduction: Table Saw Jointer
My shop is a single car garage that shares it's space with the car. As you can imagine, space and money are the bottleneck of what tools I acquire. Since a costly jointer takes up a lot of space and isn't needed very often, substitutions need to be made. This simple sled can be made in less than an hour from scraps and doesn't take up much space at all.
Step 1: Tools and Materials
Step 2: Cut Sled and Runner
Cut your sled to size. Mine measures 10 inches wide and 44 inches long. This isn't anything magical other than it was the rough starting size if my scrap MDF. Cut the runner the same length as your sled and the same width as the slots in your table saw.
Drill clearance holes along the runner about every 6 inches. Place a couple pieces of two sided tape along the runner. This will precisely hold the runner in place while you attach it to the bottom of the sled in the next step.
Step 3: Attach Runner
Place a few washers in the bottom of the tracks in your table saw. This will raise the runner above the top of the table saw. Lower the blade and move the fence to 0. Place the sled against the fence and press firmly on the double sided tape on the runner. Carefully remove the sled and runner from the table saw. Tighten the screws into the sled. This is the same process I used for my sled for segmented bowls.
Step 4: Cut Zero Clearance
Turn your saw on and cut the edge of your sled straight.
Step 5: Attach Toggle Clamps
Based on the thickness of wood you will be jointing on this sled, you may need to raise your toggle clamps. I attached another scrap piece of MDF to raise the toggle clamps.
Step 6: Clamp and Cut
All that is left to do is clamp down the lumber you want to joint and run it through your table saw. You should now have a perfectly jointed board without a jointer.
Do you have any shop tricks like this? Any jigs or sleds that help you save time, space, or money? Let me know in the comments!
