EcoSled Benchtop Router Sled - Affordable Slab Flattening Jig
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Thinking about building your own router sled after seeing a guy from a YouTube video do it? It's understandable, we all like to DIY and not everyone can justify or afford the cost of our premium router sleds made with linear motion components.
However, building your own sled out of plywood takes time and effort, and plywood isn't exactly a buttery smooth, low friction material. Enter the Crafted Elements EcoSled. Now in its second generation, this economically priced router sled is a perfect option for DIY'ers on a budget that is a step above what could be built using only plywood.
The not-so-secret secret lies in the construction of the EcoSled. The HDPE (high density polyethylene) plastic is a low friction material. This means the sled is going to slide easier along your benchtop and your router plate is going to slide easier within the router sled carriage when compared to a home-brew plywood design. With a coefficient of friction of around 0.20, it's notably more slippery than wood on wood (which ranges from 0.45-0.60!).
The second generation of the EcoSled can be used "freehand" by simply sliding it along your flat bench or worktop that your project has been secured to. You can also install 3/4" wide mitre tracks on top of your table to keep the EcoSled in a more conventional and easy to control fixed X axis, so it only moves left or right without shifting up or down. The side risers on the EcoSled conveniently sit right in the middle of standard 3/4" mitre track (similar to a T track, but has a wider opening). Optional mitre tracks are not sold by us but are available from other tool retailers.
The EcoSled router carriage is near-fully assembled right out of the box. Just attach the side risers to the router carriage and 4 x M6 knobs to hold them in place on the threaded rods protruding from the router carriage assembly. You can be up and running right out of the box in just seconds.
Our tri-level side risers contain three notches to allow you to adjust the height of the router carriage from 1,2 or 3 inches of clearance, allowing you to mill pieces up to 3" thick without having to worry about a router collet extension.
The EcoSled comes in two different sizes, small (24" total length) and large (47" total length). Be aware that the total length of the router sled carriage does not equal the total maximum travel of your router within the router carriage. Using a 2" diameter spoilboard / slab levelling bit you can mill pieces up to 19" in width with the small version, and 42" in width with the large version. These maximums are based on a 6" diameter router plate and a 2" diameter bit. Using a smaller diameter bit will reduce the maximum slab levelling width accordingly.
We've taken the effort and guesswork out of building a basic router sled, and fabricated plastic components wherever there is motion or friction. The result is a very affordable, ridiculously easy to use router sled. No, the end result isn't comparable to our premium router sleds made of steel and aluminum, but when cost is the driving factor our EcoSled fits the bill!
Be sure to select the "Small (24")" or "Large (47")" size from the drop down menu above before adding to your cart to ensure you purchase the size you are looking for.
Router Compatibility
The EcoSled works with nearly any router on the market. The router carriage channel is just over 6" in width allowing it to accommodate most routers, from small trim routers all the way up to large 3hp+ full size routers. Note: You may need to remove the handles from your router to fit within the router carriage. The router carriage base channel is 2.125" wide to accommodate router bits up to 2.0" in diameter. If you want to use your trim / palm router with the EcoSled we have a collection of 6" diameter router bases that are compatible with this setup.
Which Crafted Elements Sled Should I Choose?
Having choice is great...except when it's not. We have three different router sleds available in our product line including the EcoSled, our trim router sled and our original, full size router sleds constructed out of metal and using industrial grade linear motion components.
For simplicity lets look at the pros and cons of the EcoSled compared to our original full size router sleds.
EcoSled Pros:
- Low Cost
- Ready Out Of The Box
- Can Be Used "Freehand" Or Set Into Standard 3/4" Mitre Tracks
- Universal Router Compatibility
- Performs Better Than A Homebrew All-Plywood Version
EcoSled Cons:
- Plastic + Plywood* Construction (* Large Version Side Walls)
- Router Not Fixed To The Carriage (Z Axis)
- Mill/Flatten In One Direction Only
- Router Carriage Doesn't Slide As Well As Linear Bearing Version
- No Dust Collection Option
Original Linear Motion Components Based Full Size Router Sled Pros:
- Available In Multiple Sizes (Widths And Lengths)
- Incredibly Smooth Motion Due To Linear Bearing Design
- Precision Milled Aluminum + Steel Components
- Solid Steel Rails + Shafts
- Easy To Build
- Universal Router Compatibility
- Router Fixed To Carriage (Z Axis)
- Mill/Flatten In Both Directions
- Dust Collection Option
- Pre-Drilled Holes In Router Base Plate
Original Linear Motion Components Based Full Size Router Sled Cons:
- Higher Cost Than EcoSled or DIY Solutions
Watch The EcoSled V2 Demonstration Video
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, video is worth 1,000,000. Check out the assembly and demonstration video below, which includes some tips and tricks on how to use the EcoSled to get the best results. If you still have questions about the EcoSled after watching the video, please contact us.