Shop made jigs and tools

[Andsor]

Hi,

I was trying to find a collection thread of diy jigs and tools to maybe post some of my own, but couldnt find one.
Please share your diy jig for the table saw, router, band saw etc, or if it's a standalone tool/jig like a dowel or pocket hole jig.

 

[Andsor]

I'll kick things off with a diy fence I made for the router table.
Heavily inspired by incra LS, but instead of positive increments I first built it with a micrometer for fine tuning, then later replaced it for a DRO for the entire length of travel.
See the original thread for more details.
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/incra-ls-positioner-or-dro-for-joinery.132066/

Kind regards
Anders

 

[Andsor]

I also made a material stock guide.
I can post an actual photo later, but this is a 3d model of the setup. Just like its Jessem counterpart it mounts on the top of the fence.

For more details and BOM see the post on grabcad.
https://grabcad.com/library/stock-guide-for-router-og-table-saw-1

 

[rogxwhit]

I find it hard to see the point in all these micro-adjust devices - I suspect that their devotees just derive pleasure from having 'devices'. Having worked with wood with some precision for years, I generally find that you give a fence an initial setup to a line, make a wee test cut, give it a tap, test again and away you go. All with less clutter in the workshop.

Can you cut to a line with a handsaw? Can you hand-cut dovetails that show no gaps? So when you transfer such an operation to a hand-fed machine, why the sudden need for all this micro stuff?

Scratches head and sighs.

 

[Andsor]

I find it hard to see the point in all these micro-adjust devices - I suspect that their devotees just derive pleasure from having 'devices'. Having worked with wood with some precision for years, I generally find that you give a fence an initial setup to a line, make a wee test cut, give it a tap, test again and away you go. All with less clutter in the workshop.

Can you cut to a line with a handsaw? Can you hand-cut dovetails that show no gaps? So when you transfer such an operation to a hand-fed machine, why the sudden need for all this micro stuff?

Scratches head and sighs.

For the fence; there is no overall measurement to get a rough estimate from, and also repeatability.
Example: If you want to make dados in the middle of a board, install the bit and zero it with reference to the fence, then set your distance and make your cut. Widen the groove with a given amount that can be set accurately by the DRO.

For the circle cutting jig: I have been building speakers that have recessed elements in the front baffle. These have to be very precise for it not to look shabby. To be able to make an initial undersized cut, measure the difference, adjust (once and with confidence) and make a second final cut is not a bad way to go about it.

Also - I like tech and like to tinker.

 

[Andsor]

For the fence; there is no overall measurement to get a rough estimate from, and also repeatability.
Example: If you want to make dados in the middle of a board for instance, install the bit and zero it with reference to the fence, then set your distance and make your cut. Widen the groove with a given amount that can be set accurately by the DRO.

For the circle cutting jig: I have been building speakers that have recessed elements in the front baffle. These have to be very precise for it not to look shabby. To be able to make an initial undersized cut, measure the difference, adjust (once and with confidence) and make a second final cut is not a bad way to go about it.

Also - I like tech and like to tinker.

For the record - this is supposed to be a thread for sharing your jigs and diy tools.
I would love to see something you have made or found useful.
Your critisism of others work was not what I was going for.

Kind regards

 

[ola c]

generally find that you give a fence an initial setup to a line, make a wee test cut, give it a tap, test again and away you go

I'm a big fan and user of microadjust, or maybe more correct term "real measurements" down to 1/100 of a mm as this saves a lot of time. "Give it a tap, test again" could go on forever if you're aiming for an exact dimension. With digital or analogue 1/100 readout you make one cut, measure, adjust accordingly, then go for the real cut. No guess work or new test cuts or trying to tap a fence 10/100 of a mm just by touch and feel.

I have these on a lot of my jigs, example here my digital side fence for the (handheld) router. Super useful and quick to work with. Of course I also have a similar setup on the router table fence.

 

[rogxwhit]

Part of my puzzlement arises because I don't believe that a piece of wood knows what 1/100mm is. It isn't metal - it moves as humidity changes, and its surface is more yielding. So please explain. ;-)

 

[ola c]

Jig for routing pieces standing up. Super useful imo and solves some tasks that could be quite tricky, but not very common jug type. Part 2 shows some user cases where this jig really shines.

 

[Andsor]

Part of my puzzlement arises because I don't believe that a piece of wood knows what 1/100mm is. It isn't metal - it moves as humidity changes, and its surface is more yielding. So please explain. ;-)

For me woodworking is a hobby, something I do just for the fun of it.
By trade I'm an engineer, so a smidge of that thinking, tinkering and problemsolving transfer onto my hobby. Wether or not anybody find my creations useful is up to them, but I like it.

Have you made something in your shop that you find useful and would like to share?

 

[ola c]

Part of my puzzlement arises because I don't believe that a piece of wood knows what 1/100mm is. It isn't metal - it moves as humidity changes, and its surface is more yielding. So please explain. ;-)

My experience is that there is a difference at least when you make adjustments of 0.05mm. It makes quite a noticeble difference for boxjoints or tenons. For some operations (like sliding dovetail done on the router table), all adjustments will have double effect on the final joint as you run both faces against the fence so there it's even more important to be able to fine tune the fence position.

My superjig is indexable/trimable in steps of 0.05 and there is noticeable difference on the boxjoint fit if I change the finger width 0.05mm.

But as said, this level of accuracy is mainly to speed up the work and avoid numerous test cuts and adjustments.

 

[ola c]

More jigs, here's my superjig for tenons and boxjoints. Very quick to work with and the accuracy is extremely good for a fully analogue jig. Can trim boxjoint fit in steps of 0.05mm, cuts tenons and double tenons with better accuracy than 0.05mm and set up time is very short with zero or maximum one test cut.

 

[Jacob]

I tend to knock the occasional jig as and when needed. Bits of mdf, hardwood laths etc. If they are any use I might mark them "SAVE" in red felt tip. I keep them for a bit then eventually forget what they were for.
PS just remembered - my weighted beam clamp! Sad story of my uneven bench top
Does that count as a jig?
You can use a weight alone as a clamp for some jobs, e.g. gluing up small items. Add it to a beam and you get leverage and pressure at the pivot end, or add more weights for holding down panels and things. I use a it a lot , in different ways.
The coarse threaded sawn off carvers screw is really useful for adjustment.

 

[rogxwhit]

Ola, I will look at your jigs / website tomorrow.

Andsor, yes, I've made many jigs & fixtures over the years, mostly for larger work than is being talked about here perhaps, but I have no photographs ...

 

[John on the Wirral]

At some stage we all find ourselves creating simple jigs to make life easier especially when replication is required. these have be simple and quick and help to avoid human error. However, you could post your ideas on "insructables" which is a site that covers everything from cup cakes to arduina-contrlled devices. It is an interesting site even if nothing comes up that gets you going.

 

[delboy47]

Take a look at the wonderful world of Niki’s jigs. Loads on there and some good ones too.

 

[Andsor]

Did a take on Marius Hornbergers circle cutting jig for cutting circles on the router table with a flush trim bit. 3D printer slide thingy in the middle.
Spoiler alert: no Micro-adjust.

 

[Andsor]

Material stock guide, fence and diy router plate with a triton router.

 

[Ttrees]

Index-able pillar drill for drilling things on centre.
One could do the same with techniques like a big hefty timber square/wall
which is parallel with column.
Nice tool to use, once one gets over the learning curve and uses it correctly.
no lateral pressure seems to work best, but only used it a handful of times,
and my drill has a bit of runout, so cannot be sure about that.

 

[Andsor]

No revolution or new by any means, but a useful jig and a cheap alternative to Festools original.

4 identical pieces. Made from laminated 10mm high density ply with melamine on one side, so that the melamine is showing on both sides. Regular 19mm T-track screwed to the side.

8mm bolts with regular nuts that have been ground/filed down to fit in the track. Didnt brother waiting for proper nuts to arrive, so hacked it together and it has worked a treat ever since.