Jigs Part 1

Band Saw Circle Jig, Auto-Width Dado, Router Dado, Handle Jig, Table Saw Dial Indicator Jig, and Using a Taper or Box Joint Jig.

Pocket Hole Joinery with the Kreg Jig

Pocket hole joinery isn't new. The speed and reliability of the technique have made it a favorite in furniture manufacturing and cabinet shops for decades. But for the small shop and weekend woodworker, pocket hole joinery took a giant leap forward in 1990, when Craig Sommerfield brought out the first commercially available model of his remarkable Kreg Jig. Since its introduction, the Kreg Jig has lead the way in affordable, easy to use pocket hole joinery systems.

Band Saw Circle Cutting Jig Plan

This extremely versatile Circle Jig has been fully revised to be easier to build and use. It cuts diameters from about 4" up to over 80". It requires no modifications to your machine and is easily adaptable to virtually any band saw.

Auto-Width Dado Jig Plan

This version of the Auto-Width Dado Jig is easy to use, handles a wide range of wood sizes and has additional capabilities that make it even more valuable in the average shop. What makes this jig especially useful to so many woodworkers is it needs only a standard hand-held router equipped with a straight ½", flat-bottomed bit.

Router Dado Jig

The idea behind this jig has been around for ages. Though extremely simple, this jig can both increase the accuracy of your dados and reduce the amount of time required to make them. There are times when cutting dados with a router is easier even when a table saw and dado blade are available. This is especially true when working with long narrow pieces like the sides of shelf units or tall cabinets in a small shop.

Handle Jig

Whenever I have to install more than one of the same style handle on a project I make a drilling jig. This is a fast, easy way to make sure the holes I drill in the project are in the right place. The time and money invested in my projects is important to me and the last thing I want to do is kill my work while installing a handle.

Using a Taper Jig

Cutting tapers is a relatively common procedure in woodworking that can be a little intimidating. The idea of intentionally running a piece of wood through a table saw at an angle seems unnatural. In many circumstances, that is a good assumption. However, the proper use of a taper jig makes this task both accurate and relatively safe.

Using the Box Joint Jig

Using a box joint jig is relatively easy. Once you have made a few joints and become accustomed to the process, you will be making good-looking box joints quickly, and accurately. Many of the projects we build, a wall-hung cabinet, a jewelry box or a blanket chest, are a form of box. The age-old box joint provides a simple, effective and attractive way to join the side panels of nearly any box.

Table Saw Dial Indicator Jig

The alignment of the table saw blade and fence with the miter gauge slots is crucial to the performance and safe operation of a table saw. Keep your saw aligned for safety and it also will perform at it's best. The difference between a good and bad alignment, as prescribed by the saw manufacturers, is so tiny, the only effective tool for measuring these tolerances is a dial indicator.