Workshop jigs can provide that second and third set of hands you have been wishing for in the workshop. They can also assist in achieving complex tasks and jobs on the tablesaw, drill press or router table.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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...
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.
When used for alignment purposes, chamfered dowels insert more easily. The chamfered ends also create glue space for strong dowel joints. This simple jig allows you to create evenly chamfered ends time after time.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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...
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.
With a large worksurface, an adjustable fence and stop, and storage space, this will be the last drill press table you will ever need. Plus it doubles as a drum sanding station with replaceable inserts and a built-in shop vacuum hookup. The cutting diagrams and materials list are available to download in this Online Extra.
Mount your router to this simple-to-build jig, and guide it arrow-straight down the workpiece to rout flutes with dead-on precision.
Use this simple jig to align both your tablesaw blade and rip fence for clean, accurate cuts.
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.
Tapers turn bulky, blocky stumps into svelte and sexy legs. Start cutting the fat with a trip to the scrap bin.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.