Bandsaw/router table circle jig

[Liem Tran]

I made this circle jig recently to help me cut bowl blanks and round project parts. It serves it's purpose very well. I figured, if it works on the bandsaw, why not use it on the router table too. I added a spacer block to set the proper distance between the jig and the router bit and it works very well. I know this is not a new idea, but I thought it might just help another newbie like me.

[Jim Becker]

That's a really interesting way to build the jig, Liem! Did you build anything for additional support if, say, you were going to cut a larger table top?

[Liem Tran]

Jim, I didn't think of that, good suggustion though. When I started building the jig I was thinking on a smaller scale. (bowl blanks, small project parts, etc.) Besides, it'll be a while before I have the skills to build a table. :p

[Cary Swoveland]

I like your design. Among other things, for larger circles, the board that slides in the dovetail channel will help support the workpiece. If you need additional support, I would think a single adjustable-height post would be sufficient.

You could add additional holes for center-hole pin placement if you wanted to cut larger circles.

How did you mount the jig on the router table? It looks like it rests on a dovetail channel in the table. Is there a runner that slides in that channel?

Cary

[Alex Elias]

That is a nice jig. I have to make me one. The size look ok to me since most of the times we are not making big circles like table tops and storage at one point becomes an issue.
Thanks for sharing

[Liem Tran]

I like your design. Among other things, for larger circles, the board that slides in the dovetail channel will help support the workpiece. If you need additional support, I would think a single adjustable-height post would be sufficient.

You could add additional holes for center-hole pin placement if you wanted to cut larger circles.

How did you mount the jig on the router table? It looks like it rests on a dovetail channel in the table. Is there a runner that slides in that channel?

Cary
Cary
This jig is fully adjustable from 1"-27".
Although the cutting capacity of this jig is 27", I think I'd prefer using a router and a trammel jig to cut large circles.
There's no runner attached to the jig, I just clamp the jig to the table along with a spacer. The channel you see in the pic is actually the router table's miter slot.

[John Nixon]

Hi Liem,

A few years ago, I made a very simple device that fits in the miter slot of the router table that has a pivot on it.

See a video of my circle cutter in action:
http://www.eaglelakewoodworking.com/index.htm?routertablecircle.htm

Like yours, mine was not a new concept, but I did add a unique twist:

(this one's for all the math geeks)
I made a scale on the device that allows you to set the radius of the circle by using the pyhthagoream thoreom to graduate the scale.
http://www.tjupholstery.com/jwnixon//RouterTableCircle/ScaleExplained.jpg