Workshop Jigs

Make your own feather boards, push blocks, and safety pushsticks. This woodworking design includes instructions, exploded view diagrams, and full-size drawings for the projects. Push sticks are useful for preventing finger contact with the table saw blade. Additionally helpful for the router table, shaper, and jointer.

For any little tabletop drill press, this is perfect. The bottom of the table has a shop vac hose attachment location. One piece of 1/2 inch thick by 2 feet by 2 feet plywood can be used to cut the entire project. Full-size images, exploded view diagrams, lumber layouts, and step-by-step directions are all included in this woodworking plan.

We tested several prototypes before settling on this L-shaped table coupled with a pair of firm fences and hold-down clamps. This setup will allow you to perform numerous machining processes with impr...

Sand perfect round-end cutouts on your drill press or spindle sander. When forming cutouts like those used in handle pulls, the cutout edges must be sanded. To get consistent results, here is a simple guide you can make in a hurry. You can make one to fit any size sanding drum.

Do not accept workpiece chip-out on your tablesaw. Instead, eliminate it by using a zero-clearance insert for every cut you make. A shop-made zero clearance insert replaces your tablesaws factory-supplied throat plate, and its wide gap that allows unsupported wood fibers to tear away during a cut.

This well rounded add on to your bandsaw will cut circles from 2 to 44 inches in diameter. Rummage through your scrap bin and you will probably find enough wood pieces to make this handy circle cutting bandsaw jig. measures are provided in this one page plan but you can adjust to suit your own needs.

The most useful tool in our shop is the tablesaw. Here is a simple-to-build jig that makes cutting chip-free crosscuts a breeze.

No more wobbly tables or chairs with this simple to make and use leg-trimming jig. No matter how precisely you cut table legs to length, nor how carefully you glue up the legs, aprons, and top, you four-legged table may still rock or wobble a bit. Here is a simple way to wipe out wobble the first time.

There are numerous jigs and upgrade devices available for tablesaws. Many seem overly complex to build or too expensive to buy. But the tablesaw jigs shown here, designed by Zane Powel of Indianapolis, take a different approach, being easy to construct and still easier to use. They include a box-joint sled, a thin-strip ripper, and a complementary pair of tenon-making jigs. With 15 years experience as a cabinetmaker and another 11 years as a woodworking instructor, Zane has learned to cut through complexity and get maximum results while minimizing his building time and material cost. Build one or more of these jigs to make your saw work harder.

A sanding drum makes quick work of smoothing an edge profile rough-cut with a jig saw. You might think you need a drill press or spindle sander to keep the sanded edges square to the surface, but a corded electric drill, shop scraps, a few dollars worth of hardware, and a set of inexpensive sanding drums will do the trick too.

When you use this tablesaw accessory, you will never wonder whether the corner you just cut is square. For hair-splitting accuracy, the beefy fence is fixed at 90 degrees to the blade and shows exactly where your saw blade cuts. And, the fence-leading design holds wider work pieces more solidly and keeps your work closer than fence-trailing jigs.

Making perfect circular workpieces is easy with this handy helper. The jig consists of a piece of 1/2 inch plywood with a dovetail slot glued into a centered dado. Into the dovetailed slot slides a matching key with a dowel pivot pin at one end.

If you do not have a store-bought tapering jig for your tablesaw, you easily can make one from scrap to safely and accurately cut tapers on legs and other angled workpieces. Here is an easy way to make repeatable angled rip cuts.

Set the cutting depth of your tablesaw blades easily using this adjustable gauge. To ensure accuracy, we outfitted it with a steel rule for which we have included a mail-order/internet source.

For cutting long or wide stock on your tablesaw, this simple jig is like having another pair of hands. With a long, wide base securely anchored to a 20 inch long miter gauge slot guide bar, this crosscut sled provides a lot more workpiece support than a standard miter gauge. And it is so inexpensive and easy to build that every tablesaw should have one.

Once you build this little beauty, you can rest assured that your miters will always match up.

The jig plan guarantees your success! If you have shied away from mortise-and-tenon joinery because it sounds too complicated, take heart. With our tenoning jig and a little practice, you can turn out...

Reliable and accurate crosscuts on a tablesaw require a miter-gauge extension with an adjustable stop. You will find many good miter-gauge extensions on the market, but you can make your own and save some cash in the process.

The doweling jig makes quick work of doweling tasks, including the face-frame joinery (end to edge grain). In addition to doweling, the jig also helps you make evenly space holes for shelf pins.

A drill press plays a major role in pen-making, but is effective only if you hold the blank securely and squarely while drilling. Made from any available shop scrap, this jig with its integral clamping fence promises perfect results every time.

With shop scraps, a router bit, and a pair of bolts, you will have this shop helper up and running in minutes. This extension gives you control when crosscutting and backs up cuts to prevent grain tearout. Simply clamp a stopblock to it for accurate repeat cuts or to control the length of a tenon or lap joint.

Use this simple jig to align both your tablesaw blade and rip fence for clean, accurate cuts.

Taper jigs do not get much more basic than this hold-down taper jig. Build the plywood base and hardwood hold downs. Then, mark the angled cut line(s) on your workpiece. Position the rip fence so the ...

Looking to take your bandsaw to a whole new level of performance and versatility? Here is your chance. After you build the table, contruct the jigs included with the plan, and then see our section -Put Your Bandsaw to Work- starting on page 19 for tips on putting the system to work in your shop. The three jigs included are: tapering jig, duplicating jig, and feather board/single-point fence.

If you have ever assembled a picture frame, you know the difficulties of creating seamless miters and a flat glue-up. Sometimes numerous clamps and an extra set of hands do not seem to be enough. Solve the problem with this adjustable frame jig.

Nailing or assembling drawer boxes together often proves frustrating when trying to steady wobbly parts while keeping them aligned. This clamping aid adds stability to this ungainly process, and makes quick and accurate work of securely and squarely supporting the pieces when assembling drawer boxes.

Tight-fitting joints are a snap on any saw when using this sturdy but adjustable jig. Use it to cut tenons, half-laps, and bridle joints.

Ripping table legs or other project pieces at an angle can be frustrating and even dangerous work. However, with our taper jig, you will be able to quickly set the precise angle and safely cut leg aft...

Box joints offer both strength and unique good looks. Although not as refined as dovetail joints, they can be cut on a table saw or router table using a simple shop-built jig. Not only that, but you c...

A block of wood or scrap of 2x4 stock, a short length of hacksaw blade, and four felt dots are all it takes to make this handy shop aid. Use the jig to cut off screw-hiding plugs, to trim protruding dowels from dowel joints, or to cut decorative plugs for joinery where you want the dowel or plug to protrude slightly.