Posted: 6/13/2026 2:12:17 PM EDT
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Hi all, I'm looking for some feedback on coping sleds. My wife and I are going to be breaking ground on a new house soon and we're going to be doing all the cabinets except for the kitchen. We'll be doing the 2 1/2 baths, a mudroom, and master closet cabinets. Cabinets will be shaker style using primarily white oak, (we have a lot). My wood shop is reasonably equipped, Saw stop 3hp PCS, Wood master 18" planer, 6"jointer, (currently reinstalling the knives), a nice Rockler router table with lift, a 1/2" Bosch router mounted in it as well as a bunch of vintage hand tools, (wife has a thing for old hand planes). I've been reading and researching cabinet builds and it seems having a good coping sled is going to make the process easier. Budgets being what they are, (we're building the house with cash on hand), I'm eyeballing the Rockler coping sled, she's spotted and suggesting the Woodpecker version. Is the extra cash worth the price for a higher end coping sled or will the $75 Rockler get the job done. Thanks for reading. Semper Fi |
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The rockler will work fine. But if you can find the wood pecker cheap get that. The rockler is more of a production piece high volume. The wood pecker is a more precise piece for doing slower work. Both get the same results. Pro tip: Build your toe kicks separate from your boxes. I make mine from 3/4 plywood and screw them to the back wall or floor if installing a island. Level them with shims. Now all your boxes are level, zero fighting the boxes they are already level. Before I install the cabinets I nail on a 3/16th toe skin over the face of the toe kicks. You can paint or stain the skins whatever you want. If the house ever floods. Remove the boxes and replace the toe kicks. Reinstall the still good boxes. I've been doing this for over 40 years. 20k to 200k kitchens bathrooms, mudrooms, etc. Good luck with the build. |
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I have a hand built one that I've used once. Easier to just use a scrap square piece of something as a backer to push the wood through the router table. Just need to keep your piece perpendicular to your bit. Can't tell you how many cabinet doors I've made without using a sled. They are pretty easy to just make if you really want one.  Sommerfeld's Tools for Wood - Shaker Raised Panels Made Easy with Marc Sommerfeld - Part 1 skip to around 5:20 to see how to just use a scrap square piece of wood / plywood / mdf as a backer to keep your wood perpendicular to your router bit to make your coping cuts. If you want my sled, pay for shipping and I'll send it to you. No cost for the sled. |
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I made my own I got a sheet of 3/4" phenolic coated ply for the bottom. Got it at a woodcraft or rockler store. Helps it slide around nice Used some scrap hard maple for the runner guides, and a front and back fence. The back fence is a bit thicker and higher, amd routed a t-slot groove in the rear fence for stop blocks. |
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I can't tell you anything about coping sleds but I'm never building a toe kick box for a cabinet base again. These Hafele adjustable legs are the way. They have clips to hold a toe kick in place which also allow them to be removed if necessary.  Meet the Häfele AXILO® |
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Originally Posted By Clicker58: I can't tell you anything about coping sleds but I'm never building a toe kick box for a cabinet base again. These Hafele adjustable legs are the way. They have clips to hold a toe kick in place which also allow them to be removed if necessary.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkU49AtudVEThat's what I used for my miter saw station |
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Team Ranstad
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Team Ranstad
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