Workshop Woodworking Jigs

I have always been frustrated with the difficulty in gluing, and especially clamping 45 degree miter joints. On this page, I describe the best method of gluing such joints I have found yet. I do not consider this method to be very good, just the best that I have figured out so far.

Recently, I was working on a project that called for cutting a large circular workpiece. The material that I was using was medium density fiberboard (MDF), and I needed a quick and easy way to end up with a circle that had a nice smooth edge.

The instructions listed below are for a sled that fits into the left mitre slot of the table saw and is for a blade that tilts to the right AWAY from the sled. If your saw has a left tilt arbor, reverse all the directions and drawings mentally to build a sled that fits into the right mitre slot. Easiest way to look at this to build the sled so that blade tilts away from sled. Shall we begin?

This page contains plans for the frame-miter table saw sled I use for cutting frame-mitered ring segments. I use sleds for cutting segments because they can quickly cut perfect segments that require almost no sanding.

Here are plans for the compound miter sled that I use for making 12-sided 50-degree compound-mitered segmented rings.

Here are two photos of a jig I built for my router in less than half an hour. The two 1/4 inches threaded rods screw into the router base (they come from another off-the-shelf jig.) The wooden block is just some random piece of hardwood scrap.

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!

Box joints add a professional touch to your projects, they can be cut on a table saw with a dado blade or with a router in a table with a straight bit.

Using a standard tablesaw blade you can make dado cuts just as good as if you had a stack dadaoe cutter.

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.

This biscuit-joint miter jig makes it easy to biscuit-join mitered corners, even in thin stock.

This old-fashioned fixture will help you plane perfect miter joints.

This is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a jig saw circle jig which can cut circles up to 70 inches in diameter. 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 is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a simple miter joint clamping jig, made from scraps. 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 is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a shop-made panel ripping jig for quick, easy, accurate rips of plywood, mdf, masonite and other sheet good. 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 is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for an inverted table mounted jigsaw protection. 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 is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a jig that gives square cuts when cutting piano hinge with a hacksaw. 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 is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a thin rip jig. 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 is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a jig I use to sharpen the terminal part of the face (non-bevel side) of a plane blade. 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 sizing board jig is used for cutting a larger number of boards to the same length.

This jig acts like a third hand in the workshop. The sliding part of the sled is set to the height required to support a board.

This jig is easy to build using scrap wood and will help you when you are trying to measure on the diagonal.

Follow along at the link and you will be able to sharpen wood chisels, plane blades, turning gouges, and more using your drill press.

Aluminum throat plate for the Delta Unisaw. Has machined dovetailed opening for zero clearance wooden inserts. 1" opening accomodates Freud Super Dado. Print out drawing and take to a machinist. DXF Format

Crosscuts and miters are easy to cut on a table saw with the help of a miter gauge. But cutting a compound miter is a little more of a challenge. That is because you have to tilt the saw blade and then adjust the miter gauge to make this cut. Instead, I like to use a slightly easier method for cutting accurate compound miters.

A jig for drilling equally spaced holes for adjustable shelves. Similar to one seen on New Yankee Workshop. Requires plunge router w/guide bushing. DXF Format

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

Instead of running out and buying additional clamps, I made two helpers right in my shop. Now I can use them anytime I need help squaring up a large project.

A miter saw is a handy tool around the shop for a number of jobs. But what if you need to make angled cuts beyond 45 degrees? My solution was to build a jig that held the workpiece perpendicular to the fence on the miter saw.

As a new woodworker, the idea of a box joint jig intrigued me, and I had looked at a lot of plans. However they all seemed somewhat limited in that they were constructed for one size of joint. Finally I found the plans for a micro-adjustable box joint jig in ShopNotes (Vol. 2; Issue 8) and decided that was the way to go.