Finish For Jigs

[Jerry Bruette]

I made a circle cutting jig for my new bandsaw and I'm wondering what type of finish to put on it.

Poly or maybe BLO and wax?

[johnny means]

Nothing is my preferred finish for jigs as it adds no functionality.

[Larry Frank]

If I want to finish a jig, I typically use Shellac . It dries very quick.

[Robert Cherry]

I generally use nothing on jigs, or a coat of paste wax if I need it to slide easier.

[Randall J Cox]

i polly everything........its my go to finish. Obviously I'm not a purist..... Randy

[Frederick Skelly]

If I want to finish a jig, I typically use Shellac . It dries very quick.

+1. Same here.

[Neil Gaskin]

I use wax.

[Alan Lightstone]

Shellac, but usually nothing.

[Andrew Hughes]

If I make a fixture or jig that I believe is worth using sometime in the near future. I will use up whatever finish I have leftover in the bottom of a can or jar. Even if it has a hard layer on top .
I have found the bigger fixtures are less likely to survive. Things get too warped plus I’m always hip on trying new ideas.:)

[Jim Becker]

If I finish at all, it's either BLO or shellac or maybe the water borne top coat I typically use if I just happen to also be spraying in the same time frame. Most jigs are just plain naked.

[Edwin Santos]

Shellac, if not on the whole jig, then just on the area where I label it with a sharpie. Otherwise the sharpie bleeds.
Jigs not labeled and dated have a way of masquerading as scrap in my shop.

[Mike Cutler]

I wax them if I need them to slide or rotate.
The rare times I've "finished" one was with whatever I had in a can. Usually Arm-R-Seal, or Seal-A-Cell. Only because they are almost always in the shop on the shelf.

[johnny means]

Jigs not labeled and dated have a way of masquerading as scrap in my shop.

So that's what they're doing. Good to know it's not my mind slipping.