HOME . SHOP . TOOLS . PROJECTS
Projects: Various Shop Jigs
On-going
Anybody who has spent much time in a workshop knows that making
jigs for tools and projects is often a key to successful projects.
A lot of times, making the jig may be as much fun, or more, as
the project
for which it's to be used. Jigs come in all shapes, sizes, levels
of complexity, and designs. Here are some of the nicer jigs in my
shop.
Crosscut Sled.
Many woodworkers consider the table saw crosscut sled to be the
single most important jig in the shop. In many ways, it's
actually more of a full-blown tool than a jig. My crosscut sled
is made of a 3/4" melamine base with laminated cherry/walnut fences on
the front and rear. T-track has been dado'ed into the base for
holddowns and into the rear fence for an adjustable stop. The
sled rides on waxed maple runners that fit snugly in the saw's two
miter slots.
Corner Spline Sled.
Wood
boxes often use small inserts, or splines, that are made out of
contrasting wood and add structural support to mitered
corners. This specialized sled is used to cut small (1/8", the width of the table saw blade) corner
splines on outside 90-degree corners. My sled has a slot cut in one side
to enable the use of an adjustable stop block. It is made out of
scrap 3/4" melamine and rides on a single runner in the right-side
miter slot.
Back to top.