DIY Sliding Table Saw: #1 Best Guide

DIY Sliding Table Saw

Equipment Needed:

• Best Hybrid Table Saw
• Hammer
• Measuring Tape
• Screw Driver
• Wood Glue
• Tracing paper

Materials Needed:

• 1.6′ x 4′ x 6′ sheet of 1/4″ plywood
• 1.5″ sliding aluminum table saw fence

Duration: 15-30 Minutes

Budget: $50-$100 (USD)

Steps:

1. Measure out and mark your cut lines on the plywood sheet. Make sure it’s even and cut along those lines with your table saw or tile sawing jig. I started out by cutting 4 of the 6 sides of each 3-sided section at a 45 degree angle to make it easier to build later on. This also ensures that each of the 3-sided sections will be identical and much easier to assemble, once all of them are cut.

Make sure that you’re making straight cuts! You can use tracing paper under your plywood sheet to ensure a straight line. Trace your cut lines on your cardboard or newsprint until you have 4 identical pieces of plywood.

2. Using a square, mark where the four corners of each sheet are going to be and cut them out with a miter saw. Here’s a picture of where I marked my corners with a square. You can get by without marking the corners, but it will be much harder to put everything together later (trust me on this!).

3. Finish the DIY sliding table saw frame by cutting each of the four pieces with a miter saw, as shown below (don’t forget to finish all your other cuts from your first step 2).

4. Next, we’re going to glue and nail together each of the 3-sided sections. Lay one piece of plywood on a flat surface and place another plywood on top of it with 90 degree angles facing each other. Use enough clamps to hold them in place for at least an hour or so for best results. If you don’t have clamps, just use some screws to fasten them together while the glue sets! Carefully make sure they align properly before you glue them and nail into place. The picture below shows the clamps I used to hold them in place.

5. Add wood glue and wood filler to each of the joints and nail in place. Use a saw or sander to smooth out any rough edges in the plywood sheets. Make sure you use a lot of wood glue!

6. Cut the 4 sides to your desired length, sand smooth and add wood glue and wood filler to each edge to finish up your DIY sliding table saw frame! To make this project even easier, you can buy pre-cut plywood sections from any building supply store like Home Depot, Lowes, etc.. You can also just buy a piece of plywood or drywall (which is what I did…).

7. Add a piece of plywood on top of the frame and trace as shown below. Here, I used my sliding table saw to cut the circle (but you could do this with an oscillating tool or a jigsaw). You can also buy circular discs with different diameters, but you’ll have to trace them out with a tape measure or use some other measuring device.

8. Flip the DIY sliding table saw over and trace another circle on the top so that it’s identical to the first circle. The picture below shows where I traced my circles on top of the DIY sliding table saw frame:

9. Now that you have the top circle cut out, flip the DIY sliding table saw over again and attach it to the bottom piece of plywood using wood glue and wood screws. This makes sure that your DIY sliding table saw is sturdy and will stay together!

10. Cut a rectangle out of some scrap plywood for your fence. I used a 4′ x 6′ board for mine, but you can use whatever size you want. Remember that all of your materials will be rectangular since we’re using plywood as our building material. You can also cut a rectangle out of another piece of plywood to make it smaller or bigger depending on how much space you have available in your shop.

11. Cut a piece of cardboard and trace out the shape of the rectangle you just cut, as shown below. Cut it out with a jigsaw or oscillating tool and sand any rough edges.

12. Attach your fence to the DIY sliding table saw frame using wood glue and wood screws. Make sure that it’s even on all sides. You can use a pair of clamps or just some screws to hold it down until the glue sets (you don’t want to cut through your fence material!).

13. Place your circular discs on top of each other so that they’re aligned properly. You can use a small level to make sure they’re straight. Drill 2 holes on one side of your circular discs and then 2 holes on the other side using a 1/4″ inch drill bit. Place 4 screws in each hole and tighten them down, making sure they’re evenly spaced out as shown below.

14. Cut your table saw top to length (I cut mine at 64″), then measure and mark the center of each end. Drill pilot holes and place 2 wood screws into each end, as shown below. Note: You will want to drill 2 pilot holes for each of the screws you’re using since plywood isn’t very thick.

15. Now that you have the circular discs made and your top cut to size, it’s time to attach them together! Make sure all of your holes are aligned properly and place screws in each hole. Tighten them down securely so that they’re tight. This keeps the circular discs attached to the sliding table saw frame. Note: I used one screw on each side of my circular discs on each end because you will be placing a lot of weight on these when cutting wood.

16. Use a small level to make sure your sliding table saw is level, then place a piece of scrap wood underneath the front feet (just in case they’re not level). If the front feet are off, you can just level it by screwing in or removing a screw or two on each leg.

Your DIY sliding table saw is now complete!

Make sure to wear your safety goggles when using your table saw so that no wood chips or pieces shoot into your eye and cause you harm.

DIY Sliding Table Saw Video

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