What other jigs do you find essential to have around?

[Paul Comi]

I'm still getting my shop together and I'm wondering what jigs I should build that I don't already have. So far, I have built a:

panel cutting jig (a cross cut sled for the table saw with a fence across the front edge)
raised panel sled (for table saw)
cross cut and rip angle sleds for router table (2 hold down clamps on a base made out of lexan) used for holding cope & stick pieces securely
3/4" and 1/2" box joint jig for TS
I made a set of guide blocks for my clamp n tool edge guide so that I can position with high accuracy for my circular saw (for cross cutting plywood etc) and router with 3/4" bit (for dado's)
What other jigs do you regularly use?

[Keith Christopher]

I can't live without my:

Tenoning Jig (self made)
router circle jig
Taper jig.

also the ones you built already !

[Joe Meazle]

I use my shelf pin jig and a router dado jig pretty often.

Joe

[Mark Singer]

I have a lot of custom jigs and templates for chairs. I have several for mortising using a router. Pattern templates for shapes. I use a drawer pull that requires routing...I have that one. I made one for louvered shutters it has the routinh pattern for the slats. I will make them as required for a given project.

[Dave Brandt]

Hey Keith, any special features on your tenoning jig? I've got to make one this week and was wondering if there were features to incorporate that I haven't thought of. Of course a picture would always be nice. Thanks, Dave

[Dick Parr]

Circle cutting jig for the bandsaw.

[Michael Stafford]

I use a miter sled for my TS often since I make a lot of small boxes.

[Dominic Greco]

I noticed that you made a finger joint jig already. So you already have one way of doing "decorative" joinery. But how about another one?

I made a spline jig some time back that has come in really handy when making presentation boxes. I made it for use with a 3/16" straight bit and my router table. The primary design came from the book "Woodworking with the Router" by Fred Matlack and Bill Hylton.

[Carole Valentine]

Hey Keith, any special features on your tenoning jig? I've got to make one this week and was wondering if there were features to incorporate that I haven't thought of. Of course a picture would always be nice. Thanks, Dave
Dave,
I am getting ready to make the one featured in issue #6 Shop Notes. Looks pretty nice. You may want to check it out on their site. Right now I am making their micro-adjustable box joint jig. Am on the home stretch but have to install those darn threaded inserts today, which I am dreading!

[Carole Valentine]

I am new to woodworking and just got all of my tools this year, so I haven't had time to make a lot of jigs. The one I use the most right now is my crosscut sled. I am making a box joint jig and a tenoning jig. Then a dado sled is on my list.

[Carole Valentine]

I made a set of guide blocks for my clamp n tool edge guide so that I can position with high accuracy for my circular saw (for cross cutting plywood etc) and router with 3/4" bit (for dado's)

Paul, could you elaborate on the guide blocks? Sounds like something I need for my clamp-'n-guide when reducing those darn big pieces of sheet goods! Pics are worth a thousand words!;)

[Jim Becker]

This thread is almost depressing...it reminded me of too many great jigs I have yet to make (or replace because the ones I have from five years ago are, umm...suboptimal).

Seriously, I take that back...this is a GREAT thread with wonderful suggestions for handy jigs. There are some great "fence-oriented" jig ideas in Jim Tolpin's book, Tablesaw Magic, that I've found useful, too.

[Garry Smith]

It seems I have been using a tapering jig alot lately.

http://www.superwoodworks.com/Projects/Stairs.htm

http://www.superwoodworks.com/images/Stairs/TaperJig2Small.JPG

[Chris Padilla]

Paul,

I make jigs as projects that I do require them. Some times they are one-use, throw-aways but if I find one I like and can make it more adjustable and more versatile, I'll take my time to make it and use nicer materials. Other times, it just pays to buy stuff. It is a time thing for me: buy a jig or make one. I enjoy both processes but I always wonder in the back of my mind if I should just make most of them, save money (??), and further my skills.

[Paul Comi]

Carole, when you see Norm Abrams use his clamp n tool guide he makes it look so easy-you just clamp it in place and make your cut. The problem is, he doesn't show you that the clamp is not self leveling and that you need to accurately allow for the distance between your tool's base plate and its cutting edge. I quickly got tired of trying to measure that offset and irritated at how once I got one end positioned correctly when I then adjusted the other end it knocked the other end out of position so I came up with the idea of making what I call guide blocks. To use them, I place the two guide blocks over the top of the clamp n tool guide and slide the whole assembly right up to the cutting line I have marked on my piece. I clamp the tool in place, remove the blocks and make my cut. Works perfect. To make the guide blocks, I clamped the edge guide to a 3/4" piece of mdf and cut through the mdf to the right of the clamp. Now that I had my cutting line established, I glued and nailed a strip of 3/4" mdf on top of the remaining mdf on the right side of my clamp n tool. This brings the level of the mdf material flush with the top of my clamp n tool. I also nailed and glued a strip to the left side of the clamp and made sure both sides were snugly up against the clamp edge. Once the glue had a chance to dry, I unclamped the edge guide, flipped the assembly over and trimmed off the waste flush with the cutting line edge I had made earlier. I then cross cut the finished unit into two guide blocks that are maybe 4 or 5" wide and made a note on top of each guide block indicating the orientation to the cutting edge and what tool they were made for. Now, when I need to use the clamp n tool, I drop the clamp in place, place my guide blocks over the clamp, align with the pencil line, remove the guide blocks and make my cut and I have a perfect cut every time. I submitted my tip to Taunton for consideration. Hopefully I'll win a present for it, because every edge guide I have seen on the market has the same limitation. ps I have the same description with pictures on my website.

[Paul Comi]

David LaRue pm'd me about something and mentioned his thin strips jig for the TS. I'm going to make that one for sure. It enables you to cut thin strips for finishing off exposed plywood sides of cabinets etc. Its on his website.

Edit: I bought the featherboard kit from Rockler for my router table and I use the featherboard in the miter slot of my table saw as well. After some thought, I figured out that the featherboard turned around backwards will do the same thing. It basically works like a stop block and enables you to register a board for the cut off thickness and after each cut, you just slide the fence over and make another cut.

[Chris Padilla]

Paul,

Sounds good. I got lucky in that a square I have (one leg anyway) is the perfect width from the edge of my saw (Skil Mag Wormdrive) to the blade...1 1/2" is what I think it is. However, I occasionally make cuts from the other side of the blade (3 5/8" to the blade) and your block would work nicely for that cut. :)

Nice to see some more west coasters on here! :) We need a West Coast gathering but my place isn't big enough for such an event.

[Carole Valentine]

Perfect Paul! Thanks a bunch! You definitely should win a prize for this one. I am just learning about jigs. I just completed a box joint jig which was my first "real" jig besides my miter sled. It's made of walnut and I am pretty proud of it for a first jig. I'll post a pic later.

[Paul Comi]

This weekend I built a tapering jig for the TS. Now that I have one, I'll bet I reach for it in the near future for something. The amazing thing to me is that when I don't have a suitable jig, I end up attempting the do things with whatever I have at hand. I guess I'm different than others in that respect. For instance, its kind of tiresome for me to build tables for my bandsaw and drill press up front when I'm just breaking in these tools, but I know that I'll get far better results by doing so.

[Craig Colvin]

Dave,
I am getting ready to make the one featured in issue #6 Shop Notes. Looks pretty nice. You may want to check it out on their site. Right now I am making their micro-adjustable box joint jig. Am on the home stretch but have to install those darn threaded inserts today, which I am dreading!
I have gotten very good at installing threaded inserts and can give you some tips if you like. They use to drive me crazy but I now use them all the time and actually look forward to it. :)

[Craig Colvin]

Nice to see some more west coasters on here! :) We need a West Coast gathering but my place isn't big enough for such an event.
Hey, I'll have a big enough place soon. ;)

[Jim Fancher]

I made a miter sled just for molding for the doors and drawers of my bathroom vanity I just built. Life is good now. :D

[Chris Padilla]

Hey, I'll have a big enough place soon. ;)
C O O L !!

[Craig Colvin]

C O O L !!
Well we might have to wait a few months. The lease fell through today for the building. :( So I'm back to trying to locate a suitable site.

At the rate it's going it will probably be 3-4 months before I'm operational. No one else seems to have the sense of ugency that I do. I'm ready to do this TODAY!

[Carole Valentine]

I finished a tenoning jig today. Can't decide what's next - a mortising jig or a dado sled. Since I am not very good at hand cutting motises, I suppose it will be the mortiser.