I needed a little project to do today as I was just plain tired of "cleaning" and rearranging in the shop...something that I've been up to over the entire holiday break. The thread about Norm, mistakes, "bellowing bad words, and so forth reminded me that I've been intending for some time to make Norm's shop-built version of the MEG shelf-pin drilling jig as I'm going to have a big need for it on some upcoming cabinetry projects for the addition. So today was the day! BTW, the "plan" for this project is included as part of Norm's popular "Jigs" episode plan (#0101).
The jig consists of a "body" that has holes indexed so you can use a plunge router to cut the shelf-pin holes cleanly and a fence on the bottom that allows you to adjust the distance from the edge of the workpiece. There is enough room to use loose clamps to fasten the jig to a workpiece or toggle clamps can be incorporated on the alignment fence. (I will likely use the latter once I do some test runs)
The project got started by searching through the scrap for a piece of 1/2" plywood large enough to make an 8" wide by 36" long finished piece. Mission accomplished. A quick rip at the table saw to width and then to the MFT for crosscutting. Yes, I could have used the CMS, but decided I'd use as much Festool as possible for this project.
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There is a bit of layout to do on the basic jig before one begins drilling a lot of holes. This layout is critical so that the jig can be used on both sides of a workpiece and have everything line up perfectly.
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The first holes to drill are the 1/4" indexing holes that are used when you need to do a longer workpiece. It allows you to use a piece of 1/4" material to lock in the jig as you extend the row of holes.
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The remaining holes are all 5/8" and are designed to work with a guide bushing (collar) in the base of the plunge router. These were carefully drilled with a Forstner bit...insuring that they were exactly centered on the line and spaced perfectly at 1" on center. (Note, this jig is set up in Imperial measurements, rather than the metric 32mm spacing popular for Euro style cabinets. It would be easy to modify it to suit if you prefer the metric spacing)
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Finally, 1/4" slots are milled to provide some 1/4" carriage bolts a way to move with the fence that will be on the bottom of the jig during use. Again, I worked at the MFT, employing the OF 1400 router riding on the guide rail. The cuts were clean and no dust was evident after milling the slots. Note that I used some 1/4" MDF scraps under the workpiece to avoid damaging the MFT table top with the router bit.
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The lines extend over the edge of the plywood so that it's easy to line up the fence "down below" when setting up the jig for use.
Originally Posted by Dave Richards
