The main danger with crosscut sleds is having your hands in the way of the blade’s exit point at the front of the sled. Many woodworkers attach a small block or box to the back of the sled to capture the blade where it exits. Here’s a simple way to stop the sled from pushing so far forward that the blade emerges dangerously from that block or box. If you have an outfeed table attached to your table saw with slots cut in it to allow the runners under your crosscut sled (and miter gauge) to pass over the table, you can simply drop a stick into one of the slots to stop the sled from pushing too far forward.

—Chris Durkee, Lake Oswego, Ore.

Drawing by Dan Thornton

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