Simple Add on Provides More Uses for Your Crosscut Sled

I love both the accuracy and the zero clearance, tear out free cut my crosscut sled provides. So, it only made sense to find a way to achieve the same results when cutting grooves or dadoes without having to build multiple sleds. My solution was to add an adjustable layer of 1/8” hardboard to my sled, secured under pieces of 1/4” hardboard affixed to the front and rear fences with two-sided tape. Two small screws hold the hardboard in position for standard blade cuts. When cutting a groove or dado, simply remove the screws and carefully set the opening to match the width of the installed dado blades. A few pieces of painter’s tape wrapped around the hardboard and sled edges eliminate any movement of the hardboard while making the cut.

These photos illustrate how the two pieces of 1/8" hardboard can be adjusted to create a zero-clearance dado of varying widths. Note the finger holes in the hardboard. They make changing the opening in the hardboard much easier.