Welcome from a fellow northerner. If you do a search for "coping sled" you will find many versions to choose from.

 

Welcome to the forum, Don.

 

Hi Don, Congratulations on your operation. I had a similar operation four years ago for essential tremor of the right hand. (Left brain side) It was very successfull for the right hasnd but my left hand is still all over the place. They adjust the voltage every six months.
Haang in there with your woodworking as long as you can.
Dick in Seattle

 

Howdy Don, it's great to hear that technology has advanced enough to help our infirmities. I also have been looking for a coping sled. I want one that works directly on the table top, without a base under it. It looks like I am going to have to design and build it myself. I have not been able to find any plan that uses the miter track and works directly on the table top.

 

Dick, the only way I can think to do it miter based with no base is like this...

Clamping Miter Gauge Details

I also use just an auxiliary fence on my miter gage and a wood screw clamp. Works very well!

A good square push block always seems to work for me, don't see a need for a sled per se. The problem with a base, as you seem to know, is you lose 3/8" of router bit heighth above the table.

A sliding table is another option, but a tad expensive or complex if you want to make your own.

 

I just finished my coping sled. It does use the miter track but rides above the table. I will not only will be able to use it on the router table but will also be able to cross cut small pieces on the table saw with it. I modeled it after the Woodpecker sled but added the miter track option for my router tables and and table saw. With the material and hardware I have about $40.00 in it but the trips to get the the material and hardware add a lot more. But in the end I couldn't have bought one that suited my needs better.

 

Nice Job
Can't wait until you find out what you can do with a brass guide in/on the router table,no tee track needed at all...plus your jig will work on any router table you have or others have..
All that's needed is one 1"" or 1 1/2" wide slot for the guide to ride in in that way no fence is needed or tee track hardware.
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Just a reminder: when you use a miter slot to guide your work it must either be aligned with your fence or the fence not used. Miter slots are for saws and sanders where a flat blade or disk is used. The coping sled that started the craze was by Bob Rosendahl of the Router Workshop and it guided off the fence.

 

The sled that I made is set up for the equipment that I have. It is mainly intended to be used to cut the cope end of rail and stile joinery. In that application I also use my uni fence that is set up parallel with the miter slot it rides in.
I also set up my incra fence to run parallel to my miter track to work with that as well. I like to keep my fingers away from spinning bits when I cut or route small pieces.
I can also unscrew the miter track and install a guide to ride along the fence as Bob Rosendahl of the Router Workshop has done. I have learned a lot from Bob & Rick of the Router Workshop. They have a great system. I like the jigs they make for the different projects on the show.
I wanted to make a jig that not only worked for more than 1 project but also works on more than 1 machine.

 

Hi Mike

It works the same way like below..it's always dead on, the sled can be any size.

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I made one of those for my sliding dove tail joints for drawers. It's great, I can use it for any size drawer.

 

would like to see more of that jig.