The simplest and most useful jig you'll ever see!

[BradNaylor]

Anyone who buys rough sawn timber is constantly faced with the task of putting a straight edge on a badly bowed board.

I've seen many techniques used - dozens of passes over the planer - straight edge and circular saw - elaborate sled and clamps passed though table saw - but the perfect solution is so simple. I picked this up from a guy called Tod Evans on an American forum;

Take a piece of MDF or plywood 8' long and about 6"wide. Attach a batten or cleat along one edge and one end as shown.

Then take your board and place it on the table saw with the concave edge towards the fence

Place your jig over the board

Run the board and jig though the table saw

The edge of the board will be perfectly straight

Then just flip the board over and straighten the opposite edge.

The beauty of this jig is it's simplicity and it's effectiveness. I have just straightedged 15 boards in 10 minutes.

I would urge everyone to try out the 'Evans Edger' without delay!

Cheers
Dan

 

[woodbloke]

Dan - genious :lol:...ought to go straight into the new Jigs Forum :roll: - Rob

 

[Slim]

Why are the simplist ideas the ones you never think of?

Excelent Dan, certainly quicker than a planer.

 

[motownmartin]

Good stuff Dan, I shall have to build a shed just for Jigs :lol:

 

[Philly]

Very useful!
Philly

 

[mr]

Isn't that the same as the Frid edger? There's a wealth of amusing jigs for use with table saws in Book 1 (joinery) of Frid's "Teaches Woodworking" trilogy.

Cheers Mike

 

[BradNaylor]

I'm not pretending that I've invented the wheel Mike; I'm sure that many people already use this method of putting a straight edge on a board.

All I know is;

1. It works beautifully

2. It is cheap and simple

3. Lots of people don't know about it - hence my sharing it here.

I'd never heard of Frid - I've just looked him up. In what way are his jigs 'amusing'?

Cheers
Dan

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Dan

Thank you for posting this excellent jig. As you say, it is just so simple.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[Waka]

dan

Thanks for taking the time, what an excellent jig, it's new to me, going to have to make one this week.

 

[Niki]

Very nice idea

But I think that I would have a small problem with boards that looks like this...

niki

 

[devonwoody]

Niki, I would put on edge of your boards through the bandsaw first and then use the jig shown.

 

[dirtydeeds]

with a picture like that i think niki has a jig project in mind :roll:

 

[Niki]

Niki, I would put on edge of your boards through the bandsaw first and then use the jig shown.

In a condition that one have a Bandsaw...I don't have

Dirtydeeds
You are correct....

Regards
niki

 

[devonwoody]

Niki
That battery jig saw would do the trick :wink:

 

[Niki]

Niki
That battery jig saw would do the trick :wink:

Oh yes, with the 2.5 Meters straight edge

Regards
niki

 

[devonwoody]

Niki
That battery jig saw would do the trick :wink:

Oh yes, with the 2.5 Meters straight edge

Regards
niki

Then I suppose we would not need the originl jig in the first place :roll:

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Anyone who buys rough sawn timber is constantly faced with the task of putting a straight edge on a badly bowed board. Dan

It's certainly an old method, and a good one Dan. A variation is to use a similar jig with a hand held buzz saw or even a router if you're straightening the edges of man-made board. Another method is a snapped chalk line and a bandsaw.

Just one correction about terminology. Your jig doesn't take out a bow. Bow describes a deviation from flat along the length of the wide face of the plank. Your jig straightens what's properly known as 'crook' or 'edge bend'. Slainte.

 

[Niki]

A few days ago I got the last Wood Magazine issue.

On page 10, there is a "shop tip" of a sled to straighten one side of a board on a table saw.

The good news is, that you don't have to buy the magazine....you have here instead...
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... highlight=

Regards
niki

 

[mr]

I'm not pretending that I've invented the wheel Mike; I'm sure that many people already use this method of putting a straight edge on a board.

All I know is;

1. It works beautifully

2. It is cheap and simple

3. Lots of people don't know about it - hence my sharing it here.

I'd never heard of Frid - I've just looked him up. In what way are his jigs 'amusing'?

Cheers

Dan

Hi Dan I'm aware you're not claiming to have invented the thing, you did attribute it to a posting on an American forum iirc. I'm just saying it looks very similar to the Tage Frid jig for the same process and by way of enlarging the conversation mentioning his book which as I say is full of wee jigs. "Amusing" in the way of ingenious things if you follow.
If I used a table top saw I'm sure I would use something similar.
Cheers Mike

 

[OPJ]

Thanks for sharing, this really is a brilliant idea - it's saves the need for any nail or screw holes at the end of each length and you don't need to faff around with an clamps either.

While it only gets rid of the crook and not the bow, it'll save a good couple of minutes spent on each board otherwise repeatedly passing that edge over the planer - with this jig on your saw, one pass across the planer should be enough.