Your most helful shop jig

[Stephen Clem]

Well this weekend I made a Circular Saw Crosscut Jig and was amazed by how much it helped. I have a cheap table saw, no miter or radial arm saw, but a decent DW Circular Saw, so to save money I made this wonderful and simple jig. I then cut all the boards to the bookcase I'm making to length in less than half the time it would have taken me before. The cuts are perfectly square and since the workpiece is clamped in the jig - no chip out! :D

So I thought if this simple jig helped me this much, maybe it will help other new woodworkers like myself. Also, I'd like to see if anyone else has a jig that just really made a huge difference for them and made you wonder how you ever managed without it. Please share!

Circular Saw Crosscut Jig: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Build/CircCrossCut.html

[glenn bradley]

Boy that's a tough one . . . My TS sleds are definitely at the top of the heap, Circular saw guide is up there when dealing with sheet goods, Coping sled for rail and stile work. . . Oh yeah, the auto adjust dado jig is a godsend hmmmm so many. . .

[Glenn Clabo]

I stole this one...but use it all the time...
http://www.woodzone.com/tips/sqblock.htm

[James Suzda]

Well this weekend I made a Circular Saw Crosscut Jig and was amazed by how much it helped. <snip>


I made a cross cut jig almost like this to cut vinyl siding and aluminum soffit material with a circular saw. I could slide several lenghts of soffit into the jig and cut it to the required length. Worked great.

[Jason Beam]

Man ... picking one will be tough ...

My crosscut sled probably sees the most use.

My lathe tool sharpening jig is probably a close second, though.

Then there's my miter sled ... and my taper sled ... and my spline jig for picture frames ... all are VERY handy indeed.

It's really tough to pick just one ...

My most used: Crosscut sled
The one i'm most proud of? Easily my turning tool grinding jig.

[Mark Singer]

My croscut sleds...and shooting boards

[Ken Shoemaker]

wife ... hands me what I can't reach

[Dan Lee]

Home made 90 and 45 degree CC sleds

Wish I had my money back for all the expensive miter gages I have bought thru the years that are not as accurate nor hold there settings like homemade

[Howie French]

without question, my cross cut table saw sled !
everytime I use it, I wonder how I worked without it.
Now, I need to make a miter sled.

Howie

[Eric Wong]

Since use has got to be the best measure of usefulness, I also have to vote for my tablesaw crosscut sleds!

[Stephen Clem]

Well I guess I will be putting the cross cut sled for the table saw on my list of things to do! What is the difference between a crosscut sled and a miter sled? Also, I've never heard of shooting boards, anyone care to enlighten me? I hope it's not too stupid of a question. :o

I new but know enough to realize the usefulness of all the wonderful shop jigs that are out there, I wish there was a list somewhere. I find mysef wanting to make, design, or research shop jigs as much if not more than the projects I am planning on. Thanks everyone for making this site such an enjoyable and helpful resource!

[Calvin Crutchfield]

Cross Cut:
http://www.djmarks.com/woodworks/crosscutsled.asp

Miter Sled:

http://www.djmarks.com/woodworks/mitersled.asp


Shooting boards:

http://www.whitemountdesign.com/ShootingBoard.htm

[pat warner]

Indispensable. (http://patwarner.com/images/morticing_jig2.jpg)

[Earl Reid]

The best by far is my Dubby:)
Earl

[Al Willits]

There's still about 600 jigs I have to make, but I'd say as a newbie, the two TS sleds I have would be my choice, no other aid has helped make running the TS so enjoyable, after two kickbacks running the saw was getting stressful.

Al....who's thinking he may now survive long enough to learn something yet.

[David Dundas]

This mortising jig was my most useful shop jig. There is another view of it in this thread in post #10: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=50636&highlight=Mortising
The jig is described in detail in an article to be published next month in Router and Power Woodworking.

Why is the jig now gathering dust in my shop? I bought a Domino tenon joiner a few months ago:D

David Dundas