TheNewGuy wrote:
Barry & Swingman,

A question for ya: why have the jig run in the miter slot, instead of
just running/referencing it along the fence?

I would think there would be less fussing with getting the workpiece
perfectly setup on the sled: i.e., with the mitre track version, you
have to set the workpiece angle AND distance perfectly before clamping;
if the whole sled/jig was instead referenced from the TS fence, then
you only have to get the angle right, and finetune the distance w/ the
fence setting.

Answering only for myself...

The edge of the miter track sled ends up exactly where the blade kerf
starts, as you've used the blade to trim the sled to width. It's
extremely obvious where the taper will start and end when you can use
the edge of the sled as a reference.

I make my sleds by gluing an oversize piece of plywood to a runner.
After the glue dries, I add some countersunk screws or brads to
reinforce the runner to sheet connection. One trip down the slot trims
the plywood to final width.

You don't really set the distance. The stops kind of automagically do
that on the track version. The end and side stops aren't glued, but are
attached in the proper place for each need.

Using the fence creates two problems:

KICKBACK! You are trapping both the device and the work between a fence
and a blade. One wiggle and... FIRE!

The fence can cause problems if the leg is curved or long enough to
overhang the far side of the device. It's much easier to only have to
worry about one edge of the tool. Stops, clamp handles, etc... can
overhang the other three as needed with no worries.

Barry