PS. Thanks, Bill, for putting up with all my stupid questions...

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For runners, I used UHMW strips from Lee Valley. They're cut to fit exactly into the standard-sized mitre slots. They slide wells and don't bulge when you put a screw through them. I used hardwood as runners on my first sled and had to deal with change in temperature and humidity (I don't have a shop. I work outdoors.) Rockler or Woodcraft should carry UHMW runners too.

Most of your time will be spent adjusting the near fence so it's square to the cut. Trial and error, and a lot of patience. Goes without saying that before building the sled, blade has to be 100% parallel to the mitre slots.

Once you get used to using a sled, you'll want to build a family of them. One for mitre cuts. One for 45 degree bevels. One for dado blades. etc.

Now ask me about a feather stick. And strongback. And zero clearance inserts.

Another advice. Get a good blade. It'll completely change your saw. I use a TENRYU Gold Metal, but the Forrest WW2 is very good too.

Agree on saw blades. I had been using a cheap Irwin 60-tooth blade, but switched to a Freud Avanti. Day/night difference. The Freud cuts faster, smoother and more accurately than the Irwin, and for not that much more money.

Bob

The crosscut sled is zero clearance all by itself.
It's hard to tell from the pic on Bill Fitz's site but I build them with a higher fence for clamping on auxiliary fences for cutting tenons.
I also attach a box to the front-center of the fence which guards the blade as it comes through when you push the fence to the limit of it's travel.
And finally, put a fence on the back of the sled. Then you can shim the workpiece tightly between front and rear fences to avoid slippage.

Making a zero clearance insert:
Use the stock plate as a template and cut 1/2" plywood to the shape.
Now run 1/2" #10 screws into the bottom of the insert so the heads sit on the flanges that hold it and adjust the screws to make the insert level with the table top.
Remove the 10" blade and replace with a 6" or 7".
Lower the blade all the way down below the level of the table (you can't do that with the stock 10")
Lock the fence CAREFULLY over as much of the insert as possible to hold it down, taking care not to cut the fence as you raise the blade with it spinning. It will cut a long enough kerf so you can repeat the process with the 10" blade to get the kerf full-size.
Make inserts for all your blades, thin kerf, regular and dado sizes.

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