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.

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.

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...

Mount your biscuit joiner to this handy jig, and step up to a new level of convenience and precision when cutting slots in the 3/4 inch material.

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.

You could wrestle the top onto your drill-press table, support it with outfeed stands, and bore the outside rows of holes. But what about the inside rows? They are beyond the reach of most drill presses. No problem. Bore clean, perpendicular holes in a benchtop, or any other large surface, where your drill press will not reach.

Here are a collection of 10 great woodworking jigs proven to be useful in the workshop. They include: V-Block Jig for making splined corner joints, Circle-Cutting Jig for the perfect circle, Palm-Sand...

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.

This seven pack of plans will help you get the most out of your drill press. First is the Ball-Drilling Jig which goes to the very center of a common drilling problem. Next is the Extra-Long Drum Sand...

Most jigs rely on a small cam to position the board, but do not provide enough support along the length of the board to prevent racking. Without proper alignment, the dovetails vary slightly in length...

Setting up for perfect miter cuts can be time consuming. With a miter sled, you do it only once.

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...

Here is one simple jig that does the work of two. Use it to locate the center of round stock, or use the increment holes to mark different sizes of circles and arcs.

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.

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.

Tapers turn bulky, blocky stumps into svelte and sexy legs. Start cutting the fat with a trip to the scrap bin.

Without a special clamp, gluing up a mitered frame can be an exercise in frustration. When gluing up numerous frames in the shop, we created these simple glue-up jigs. You can make your own to fit any size frame. For the woodworker working alone, these clamping frames are a must.

Aligning jointer knives does not have to be difficult. Using an inexpensive dial indicator, a shop-made holder, and these six simple steps, you can achieve perfection in under 30 minutes.

Plane edge banding to the exact thickness of your plywood, and then use these simple guides for perfect clamping alignment. In addition they really save the day when attaching the bands after a case is assembled and there is no room for error.

When ripping stock on your tablesaw, keep it firmly and safely against the fence with this handy adjustable locking feather board. Not only does it prevent wavy cuts, it guards against dangerous kickback.

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...

Mount your router to this simple-to-build jig, and guide it arrow-straight down the workpiece to rout flutes with dead-on precision.

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.

Cutting on-the-money rabbets for half-lap joints with a portable circular saw and handheld router is a breeze with this two-in-one jig. Perfect for those who want great joinery but do not have a tablesaw to accomplish it.

Ripping thin strips can be dangerous if not done correctly. This rip-fence saddle supports the stock being ripped and keeps your fingers safely away from the blade.

Some woodworkers agonize over cutting accurate miter joints, because even a fraction of a degree of misalignment leaves unsightly gaps. But you need not fret about getting the angle right the first time with perfecting it on the second try is fast and easy using this adjustable shooting board.

Hold small parts securely, safely, and dead-square to the blade for clean and super-accurate cuts on your tablesaw.

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.

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.