Workshop Woodworking Jigs

Using a table saw to trim a number of small parts to identical size can be tricky especially if the cut is angled. But this small parts sled makes it easy and safe.

Making a straight cut with a circular saw usually requires careful measuring to set up your edge guide. To solve this problem, I came up with a simple circular saw marking gauge.

One of the trickiest parts about working with crown molding is cutting accurate compound miters. But I found that attaching this slant-front fence to the miter gauge makes it much easier.

My trick is to use a crosscut sled with stop blocks that automatically set up the workpiece for the cut I need.

Like many jigs this jig was born of frustration and the expense of the currently available frame clamps, and there are many expensive and useless clamps to choose from.

Cutting large holes or circular recesses usually involves buying large, expensive drill bits. And if you could not find the right size, you were simply out of luck. But with this router circle jig, a plunge router, and a long, 1/2 inches-dia. bit, you will be able to easily rout recesses and holes as small as a half-inch, as large as 4 inches, or anywhere in between.

I use a shop-made splitter that is built into my throat opening insert. It also has the advantage of being a zero-clearance insert, narrow pieces can not fall down between the blade and the opening in the insert. Here is how I made mine.

I recently built a large entertainment center that needed several identical slots cut in it for cord and cable access. Cutting them was not difficult. But getting them all identical, with clean edges was another story. To do this, I used a handheld router and a pattern bit guided by a shop-made template.

You do not need a jointer to get a straight, square edge on a board. An L-shaped auxiliary fence makes it easy to joint a board on a table saw (see Photo at this link).

Thin strips should be cut on a table saw with the wide board against the fence and the fence moved in for each cut, however it is difficult to accurately adjust the fence for each strip to be the same thickness. This gauge allows you to simply...

Use this simple guide to align your cut mark and get an exact cut everytime.

This is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a jig to cut housings in timbers with a router and a dado bit. You will need the SketchUp software to download this drawing and its freely available online. We do not provide support for this software. Not all drawings have the measurements displayed but you can use the measurement tool in SketchUp to easily and accurately determine the dimensions of each lumber part. Most drawings do not have instructions, its assumed you can build it based on the completed drawing provided.

The miter shooting board helps you trim perfect-fitting miters with a hand plane. Here are two hand-plane jigs for gap-free corners.

After cutting a snug-fitting mortise for a butt hinge, you have one more challenge to face. You still have to drill the pilot holes for the screws. It sounds easy, but I often have trouble centering the pilot holes so that the hinge is held squarely in the mortise.

The work tables on most drill presses are designed for working with metal. For working with wood, we need a larger work surface and a more versatile way to clamp the work piece. This table, by use of T-Track , hold down clamps, and toggle clamps permits accurate clamping and positioning of the work piece.

I have been using my hand-held router a lot lately. For one project, I had to rout some stopped dadoes. With this kind of cut, an edge guide is almost a necessity. And although most router manufacturers offer an edge guide as an accessory, it is really no trouble at all to build your own. As you can see in the photo, it is just a replacement base made of hardboard with an adjustable hardwood fence.

When gluing two or more pieces face to face (like making a set of thick legs for a project), they tend to slip out of alignment as you tighten the clamps. Here is one solution.

This compass can mill small circles without having to drill a center. This is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing . You will need the SketchUp software to download this drawing and its freely available online. We do not provide support for this software. Not all drawings have the measurements displayed but you can use the measurement tool in SketchUp to easily and accurately determine the dimensions of each lumber part. Most drawings do not have instructions, its assumed you can build it based on the completed drawing provided.

Recently, I made a cribbage board and needed a way to accurately drill the several rows of holes. I solved this problem by building a jig with a micro-adjustment feature for the drill press.

When I need to enlarge a hole in a door for a new lockset (say, from 2-1/8 to 2-3/8 inch), I use a shop-made guide and a standard hole saw.

The joints are always the weakest part of any piece of woodwork. Because of this, I am always obsessing over making better joints.

A simple jig for holding shelves for finishing. It allows you to work on both sides at once. DXF Format

The easiest way to achieve 4 perfect mitres is with a simple jig on the table saw. It takes only about 30 minutes to make.

This is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a circular saw jig which would allow the user to make repeatable cuts. You will need the SketchUp software to download this drawing and its freely available online. We do not provide support for this software. Not all drawings have the measurements displayed but you can use the measurement tool in SketchUp to easily and accurately determine the dimensions of each lumber part. Most drawings do not have instructions, its assumed you can build it based on the completed drawing provided.

With the tops of the tabletop boards clamped face to face, we used a simple plywood jig to rout the sockets for the butterfly key.

I made this simple crosscut sled, which works like a giant miter gauge, for crosscutting panels on my table saw.

When I decided to build a set of kitchen cabinets, I had to make and assemble about three dozen raised panel doors. Instead of using pipe or bar clamps for this task, I came up with my own clamping jig.

This is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a jig I made so I could turn walnut dowels. You will need the SketchUp software to download this drawing and its freely available online. We do not provide support for this software. Not all drawings have the measurements displayed but you can use the measurement tool in SketchUp to easily and accurately determine the dimensions of each lumber part. Most drawings do not have instructions, its assumed you can build it based on the completed drawing provided.

This circular saw cutting guide is so easy to make and so easy and accurate to use, you will be kicking yourself for not thinking of doing this sooner!

Shop Notes is a series of brief articles dealing with specific woodworking projects or ideas.