How to Square Edges Without a Jointer
Updated: April 2024
Making edges square is vital to improving the quality of builds. Like many others building out their shops in a smaller space, I do not have a jointer yet. I built a sled for my table saw that will not only joint but also cut tapers and just about any angle needed.
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1 - Cut Plywood to Size
Shop projects and jigs are perfect times to use good-quality scrap wood. I had a large plywood scrap, but the edges were not square. Since I did not have a jointing sled (which would have been useful…maybe I should make one soon), I pulled out my circular saw and Accu-Cut sled. The sled will let me cut a perfectly straight line with my circular saw on the uneven edges with some simple measurements.
For the width of the jig, I made sure to leave it oversized. Having some extra wiggle room will be invaluable later.
2 - Layout Dovetail Grooves
While this is only a jig for my shop, I still wanted the grooves to look good. I laid out where the vertical grooves would go first to make the cuts easier. Shop projects are perfect for practicing skills, so non-shop pieces are much better. I took the time to center the two vertical grooves, and the horizontal grooves were spaced evenly and squared to the vertical grooves.
3 - Route Vertical Dovetail Grooves
For all grooves, I used a specialized dovetail router bit designed for the dovetail clamps. It has a depth mark that I used to set the height of the bit using some scrap wood. Once marked, I measured the distance from the edge of the router to the center of the dovetail router bit. I used this measurement to offset a scrap wood fence from the marks. To ensure the fence was clamped correctly, I measured from the mark on both sides of the sled. With the fence set, I can run the router against the fence to cut both vertical grooves.
4 - Route Horizontal Dovetail Grooves
Because the longer vertical grooves are cut, I can use the dovetail clamps to clamp the fence to route the horizontal grooves. This will help batch out the horizontal grooves incredibly quickly. I used the exact measurement to offset the fence, clamped it with the dovetail clamps, and then routed the groove. I did take my time routing the grooves because the bit was removing a ton of material at once. A better method would be to remove some material with one bit first, then refine the groove with a finishing pass with this bit.
5 - Cut Maple Runner to Size
When I cut my first runner, I attempted to cut to the exact dimension in the first pass. I cut the runner just a little too narrow and had to restart. When cutting anything to an absolute exact size, always cut oversize and shave down to get a perfect fit. While this seems like it would take longer, it saves time and increases accuracy in the final product in the long run.
The runner needed to move smoothly in the table saw groove but allowed no play. My first attempt had some movement, but my second attempt had absolutely none after shaving down a little in several passes at the table saw.
6 - Install Runner to Plywood
I was pressed for time with this particular jig. I used wood glue for strength but relied on CA glue and accelerant for speed. The CA Glue allowed me to tack the pieces together quickly, while the wood glue would hold up over time. The fast-acting CA glue also let me flip the piece over so I could counter-sink and drive screws to permanently attach the slide without any further delay.
7 - Trim Sled to zero Clearance
Once the runner was installed, I could ensure the blade was 90 degrees to the tabletop and trim the oversized side to length. Because I trimmed with the runner in the miter groove, this created a zero clearance wall on the jig. Now, I can line up marks to the edge of the jig and ensure the saw blade will cut completely accurately.
This table saw sled might require specialized clamps, but it solves a major problem in my shop without taking up much space. Space is at a premium in a smaller garage shop and must have multiple uses whenever possible. Many beginning makers are in a similar position and must decide where to allocate space. A table saw takes up valuable floor space, but when it can have many uses, it provides more value than the space requires.
