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.

Cutting sandpaper to size for power sanders and sanding blocks becomes a lot easier when you use this jig to both measure the paper, and cut it straight in one quick move. You can alter step widths to accommodate custom sanding blocks you might use in your shop.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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...

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.

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

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...

Working with long stock like furniture legs on the stock table of a bench top mortiser can be tricky. Eye-balling the starting and stop positions of a mortise on such a work surface can cause errors for the best of us. This plywood table featuring two flip stops will solve that problem.

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.

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...

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.

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.

This miter-cutting sled offers a dual-rail guidance system that rides in the miter-gauge slots of your tablesaw and smooth-acting stops that ride in tracks. It also features a safety channel down the middle to keep your hands away from the tablesaw blade.

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.

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.

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.

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 ...

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.