Tablesaw Jigs - Tennessee Valley Woodworkers

8
Shop Tested
Tablesaw Jigs
A
sk seasoned woodworkers about
the benefits of stocking a shop
with a variety of hardworking
jigs. They’ll likely tell you that
some jigs get used again and again, while
others gather dust. We guarantee that
these eight jigs will be worth your investment in time and materials.
For example, after you take an evening or two to build the sled on page 6,
we predict that you’ll constantly use
the crosscut sled for repetitive cuts.
The four-sided tapering jig and splinecutting jig provide you with more
specialized techniques.
We constructed most of these shop
helpers from Baltic birch plywood
and hard maple. If you prefer, you can
substitute medium-density fiberboard
(MDF) for plywood and another dense
hardwood for maple. See Sources on
page 7 for help in buying the inexpensive hardware items you’ll need for the
jigs in this plan.
Thin-Strip Ripping Jig
page 2
Four-Sided Tapering Jig
page 4
Dead-On 90° Crosscut Sled
page 6
Raised-Panel Jig
page 8
Corner-Rabbeting Jig
page 12
Spline-Cutting Jig
page 14
Straight Edge Cutting Jig
page 15
Blade Rack
page 16
1
DP-00508a
woodmagazine.com
tablesaw jigs
ThinStrip
Ripping
Jig
Here’s a safetyminded jig that will
make you feel more
comfortable ripping
tiny pieces.
S
ometimes you need to rip several thin
strips of wood to equal thickness to
serve as edging, veneer, or bending
stock. Slicing off thin stock on the
fence side of the blade, however, could prove
unsafe. That’s because it becomes awkward to
use your blade guard and pushstick when you
cut close to the fence. The solution: Run the
wide portion of your workpiece between the
fence and blade, cutting the strips on the side of
the blade opposite the fence. You could accomplish this by measuring for each cut, but that’s
tedious and inaccurate. This thin-strip ripping
jig does the job safely, accurately, and quickly.
Refer to Sources on page 7 for hardware for this project.
First, build the jig
1
Cut a piece of ‡" plywood to the
dimensions shown for the base on
page 3. Cut a dado on the bottom side of
the base for the guide bar, where shown.
Now, cut the ‡" dado on the top side of
the base for the sliding bar.
Cut two pieces of maple to size for
the miter-slot guide bar (adjust the
dimensions shown if necessary to fit
your tablesaw’s slots) and the sliding
2
bar. Center the miter-slot guide bar in
the bottom dado, and glue it in place.
Drill a pair of ˇ" holes in the sliding
bar, where shown, scrollsaw the material between them, and smooth the inside
of the slot with a file.
Set the jig in your tablesaw’s left
miter-gauge slot. Place the sliding bar
in the dado with its left end flush with the
base. Slide the jig forward, and mark the
point where a left-leaning sawblade tooth
touches the bar. Make a second mark fi"
closer to the base. Remove the bar, and
crosscut it at the second mark.
3
A
B
C
To make a cursor, scribe a line across
the acrylic indicator with a sharp knife
and a square. Color the scribed line with
a permanent marker. Wipe off the excess
ink with a cloth, leaving a fine line.
Size your thin-strip ripping jig to suit your
tablesaw, so that a 1" screw in the guide
bar can contact the blade. Install a zeroclearance throat plate to prevent the
sawn strip from falling into the saw.
Remove the jig before making the cut so
the workpiece doesn’t bind between the
rip fence and the screw head. Replace the
jig in the slot without making any adjustments to set up the next cut.
2
8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs 2006
Four-arm knob with ‹" insert
#8 x 1" brass F.H. wood screw
EXPLODED VIEW
ˇ" slot
‹" flat washer
#8 x ‡" F.H. wood screw
INDICATOR
2"
1fi"
Œ"
¸" shank hole,
countersunk
on top
1"
1fi"
9"
Cursor line
SLIDING BAR
‡" dado
17⁄32" deep
1fi" section of steel rule
‹ x 1fi x 2" clear acrylic
‡"
‡"
2"
6‡"
‡"
‡" dado ¤" deep
BASE
3"
4"
⁄ " pilot hole
fi" deep
7 64
4fi"
fi x ‡ x 9"
‹" hole, countersunk
on bottom side
fi"
MITER-SLOT GUIDE BAR
‹-20 x 1fi" F.H. machine screw
4
Drill a 7 ⁄64" pilot hole in the sliding
bar, centered on the end you just
cut. Drive a brass screw halfway into
the wood. (We used brass to avoid any
chance of damaging a tablesaw blade.)
You’ll turn this screw in or out to finetune your jig’s basic “zero” setting, or to
adjust it for a blade of different thickFILENAME:151TablesawJig1.eps
ness orDate:
with6-03
a different tooth set.
Lorna
From
theJ.bottom side of the assembly,
drill and countersink a ‹" hole through
the miter-slot guide bar and base for
the machine screw that holds the plastic knob. Sand all of the wood parts to
180 grit, and apply three coats of clear
finish.
Make a mark 1" from the left end of
the sliding bar. Cut the first 1fi" from
an inexpensive steel rule, align its left end
with the mark, and attach it with epoxy.
5
6
woodmagazine.com
7
Cut a piece of ‹" acrylic to the
dimensions shown for the indicator.
Drill and countersink the two mounting
holes, and scribe and mark a cursor
line, as shown in Photo A . Attach
the indicator to the base, and add
the knob.
Now, cut some strips
To cut a thin strip with the jig, place
its guide bar in the left-hand miter
gauge slot on your tablesaw. Loosen
the knob, set the cursor to zero (the
bottom end of the rule), and retighten
the knob. Slide the jig so that the brass
screw head is beside the saw blade.
Turn the screw in or out with a screwdriver until the head lightly contacts a
left-leaning tooth. Pull the jig toward
you, loosen the knob, set the cursor
for the desired strip thickness, and retighten the knob.
Position your workpiece against the rip
fence, and move the fence to bring the left
edge of the workpiece against the screw
head, as shown in Photo B. Lock the
fence, set the jig out of the way, and you’re
ready to cut a strip, as shown in Photo C.
After completing the cut, clean up the
workpiece on the jointer. Replace the jig
in the slot. Then unlock the rip fence,
move it to bring the jointed edge against
the screw head, lock the rip fence, remove the jig, and saw another strip. Repeat the process as many times as necessary to produce all of the strips that you
need for your project. ¿
Written by Jim Pollock with Jeff Mertz
and Kevin Boyle
Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson
3
tablesaw jigs
Four-Sided
Tapering Jig
Here’s a slick way to taper
four sides of a table leg—all
with one simple jig.
Y
ou can taper one side of a table leg
without much head-scratching,
but tapering all four sides equally
presents more of a challenge. With
this jig, however, you can cut all four tapers
without changing your setup. You simply
rotate your workpiece between cuts.
Locate the hold-downs to suit the length
of your workpiece. (The pivot block can
sit at either end of the jig.) If your tablesaw
has a 10" blade, you can handle workpieces
up to 2" thick.
Refer to Sources on page 7 for hardware for this project.
Build the jig
1
For the base, cut a piece of ‡" plywood to the size shown on Drawing
1, then cut a piece of ‹" hardboard to the
same dimensions.
Cut fl" dadoes ‰" deep in one face
of the plywood, where dimensioned.
Glue the hardboard to the dadoed face
with yellow glue. Now, clamp the assembly between two scraps of plywood
to ensure even pressure. After the glue
dries, remove the clamps, set your dado
blade for a ‹"-wide cut, put an auxiliary
fence on your miter gauge, and cut a slot
through the hardboard, centered over each
plywood dado, as shown in Photo A.
Cut a piece of maple to ‹×›×12",
then cut two 3" pieces and one 3fi"
piece from this blank for the guide bars.
For the hold-down bases, cut a piece of
‡" plywood to 1fi×12". Cut a ‹" groove
down the center of one face of this plywood, where dimensioned on the drawing.
Drill two ‹" holes near opposite ends of
the groove, with each hole centered in the
groove and fi" from the end. Cut a 3" piece
from each end to make two hold-down
bases. Next, glue one guide bar piece in
the groove on each hold-down base. After
the glue dries, drill a ‹" hole through each
assembly, using the previously drilled
holes as guides.
Cut a maple blank to ‡×2×12" to
make the pivot block. (We begin with
an oversized piece to assure safety during
the cutting process.) Cut a rabbet on one
end of the blank, where shown on Drawing 1a. Now, drill two holes to form the
ends of the adjustment slot, remove the
material between the holes with a coping
saw or scrollsaw, and clean up the slot
with a file. Cut a ‹" groove centered on the
4
bottom edge of the blank. Next, drill a ‹"
hole centered in the groove 2fi" from the
rabbeted end. Glue in the 3fi" guide bar
piece, making it flush with the rabbeted
end. After the glue dries, drill a ‹" hole
through the blank, using the previously
drilled hole as a guide. Trim the blank to
3fi" in length. Sand and finish the assembly.
Assemble the hold-downs as shown.
For the pivot block, file or grind one
edge of the washer flat, as shown on
Drawing 1a, and then assemble the nut,
screw, and washer as shown. Adjustable
up or down in the slot, this screw serves
as an indexing pin. Once set for a particular workpiece, it guarantees that every
cut in the sequence is an equal distance
from the center of the workpiece.
5
2
3
4
A
B
After cutting dadoes in the plywood base,
glue the hardboard to the dadoed face.
Mount the two outside blades of a dado
set in your tablesaw, and cut slots through
the hardboard centered over each dado.
Diagonal lines on the end of the workpiece
locate the hole that fits onto the indexing
pin. Draw the cutline for the final shape,
and extend the lines to the edges to help
you position the workpiece on the jig.
8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs
2006
1 EXPLODED VIEW
1" plastic knob
‹" flat washer
1" plastic knob
HOLD-DOWN
‹" flat washer
HOLD-DOWN
fi"
Clamp
‹" nylon nut
fi"
‹" groove
‰" deep,
centered
‡ x 1fi x 3" plywood
‹" groove
‰" deep,
centered
‹ x 3"
panhead
machine screw
‹ x › x 3"
guide bar
‹" holes Œ" ‹"
7›"
11›"
20›"
12"
7‰"
‡"
A
N
11‰"B
O
C
P
D
Q
E
R
F
Tap into tapering
S
G
T
H
U
3fi"
V
Clamp
‹" flat washer
‹" nylon nut ‹ x 1" brass roundhead
PIVOT BLOCK
machine screw,
‡ x 1fi x 3" plywood
nut, and washer
Ç" slot
‹ x › x 3"
guide bar
‹"‹"
groove
holes Œ" ‹"
‹ x 3" ‰" deep,
centered
‹ x 7›"
› x 3fi"
panhead
34›"
GUIDE BAR
machine screw
12"
‹" slots
‹" deep,
centered over
fl"
fl" dadoes
fl"
‡"
Four-arm knob
with ‹" insert
20›"
11›"
‹ x 3" panhead
machine screw
7‰"
11‰"
‹ x 12 x20‰"
36" hardboard
20‰"
fl"
fl" dadoes
‰" deep
BASE
fl"
34Ø
‡ x 12 x 36" plywood
34Ø"
1a PIVOT BLOCK
3fi"
¨" rabbet ˇ" deep
¨"
Ito its
To taper a leg, cut your workpiece
turn clockwise (as viewed from the pivot‹"
¨" rabbet
ˇ" deep
finished length, then rip it to the square
ing end),
J W
¨" reclamp, and cut.
‹"
dimensions that you want for the untaThis jig also serves another purpose, as
2fi"
fl"
X
pered section at the upper end. DrawKa line
shown in Photo D. When you need to cut a
‹" hole
Y2fi" single taper,
fl"mark its start and stop points
on all four faces to mark where the taper
2"
‡"
L
‹"›"
hole on the end and edge of your workpiece.
will begin. Drill a ‹" centering hole
Z
M and
2" bottom end,
‡" indexing pin from the end
deep at the center of the
Remove the
Ç" slot
add cut lines to show the final dimenblock, and nest the end of the workpiece in
slot the marks with the edge
‹" washer,
sions of that end, as shown in Photo B.
the notch.Ç"
Align
‰"
‹" groove
filed to allow
Draw cut lines on the face connecting
of the jig, and clamp. Place your hold-downs
‹ x › x 3fi" ‰" deep,
nut to engage
‹"the
washer,
the leg-bottom marks ‰"
with the taperagainst
workpiece. Tighten the pivot
GUIDE BAR centered
the rabbet
‹" groove
filed to allow
start marks. This helps ‹
you
visualize
thedeep,block
and make the cut. ¿
x›
x 3fi" ‰"
nutintoplace,
engage
centered
the rabbet
final shape, and serves asGUIDE
a safetyBAR
reminder
as you push the jig across the saw.
Mount the leg-centering hole on the
indexing pin. Slide the pivot block until
the planned outside face of the leg aligns
with the edge of the jig. Turn the knob to
lock the pivot block in place. Now, near
the upper end of the leg, align the taperstart cutline with the edge of the jig. Slide
3a PIVOT BLOCK
the hold-down blocks against the leg, and
FILENAME:151TablesawJig2.eps
Date: 6-03
tighten the nylon nut on each one to set the
Lorna J.
FILENAME:151TablesawJig2.eps
block’s
position. Tighten the top knob on
Date:
6-03
eachLorna
hold-down
to clamp the leg in place.
J.
Raise the saw blade ‹" above the leg.
Butt the jig to the fence, move the fence
until the saw blade just clears the left
side of the jig, and then make the cut, as
C
D
Hold the taper jig tightly against the
The width and adjustability of the taper
shown in Photo C. To make each of the
tablesaw rip fence as you cut. Before
jig allow you to handle a wide range of
three remaining cuts, loosen the holdstarting each pass, make certain that
angle cuts. Here, with the jig flipped enddown knobs, rotate the leg one-quarter
your left hand is well away from the line.
for-end, we’re shaping a simple leg.
woodmagazine.com
5
tablesaw jigs
Dead-On 90°
Crosscut Sled
When you build this sled, your
accuracy and efficiency at the
tablesaw will soar.
A
reliable tablesaw miter gauge
handles a lot of crosscutting
tasks, but not all. It rides in just
one slot, and supports the workpiece on just one side of the blade, allowing for slop. This problem disappears,
however, with an accurate crosscut sled.
Our design is both inexpensive and simple to build. Plus, it includes reliable,
adjustable stops for repeatable cuts. From
the moment you put this jig to use at your
tablesaw, you’ll discover that making
right-angle cuts is easier and safer.
Build a real workhorse
1
2
Select a flat piece of ‡" plywood, and
cut the platform to the dimensions
shown on Drawing 1.
Cut two fi×3×30" maple pieces for the
fence, and cut a fl" groove ‰" deep
in the face of one piece, where shown
on Drawing 1a. Glue the two blanks
together, keeping the edges flush and the
groove on the interior of the lamination.
After the glue dries, cut a ‹" groove centered on the fl" groove. Then, cut a rabbet
along the front of the bottom edge and a
fi" groove centered along the top edge.
From ‡" maple, cut the blade guard
sides and end. Glue and screw the end
to the sides. Now, screw the blade guard
to the fence, where shown on Drawing 1.
Cut the front rail from ‡" maple. Use
a jigsaw to cut a notch, where shown,
for the blade to pass through. Attach the
front rail and the fence to the platform
with screws.
Cut, sand, and finish two top blade
guard supports. Using a fine-toothed
tablesaw blade, cut a piece of ‹" clear
acrylic to size for the blade guard cover.
Attach the cover to the supports and the
front rail.
From ‡" maple stock, cut two strips
to serve as miter-slot guide bars. Set
your tablesaw rip fence 8¤" to the right
3
4
5
6
of the blade, and lower the blade below
the table’s surface. (Note: Make sure your
fence is parallel to the miter gauge slot
before proceeding.) Apply double-faced
tape to the top of each guide bar, and attach the bars to the platform, as shown in
Photos A and B. Remove the assembly
from the saw, and permanently attach the
bars with screws.
Cut a piece for the stopblock, and cut
a dado in the back, where shown. Cut
a guide bar, and glue it into the dado.
Drill a shank hole through the block and
bar, where shown. Now, cut a piece of ‹"
acrylic plastic to size for the stopblock indicator. See Drawing 1b. Drill, saw, and
file smooth the slot, where shown. Make
a cursor line, as shown.
Remove the top blade guard, sand the
jig, and apply three coats of finish.
Reattach the blade guard, assemble and install the stopblock, place the crosscut sled
on your tablesaw, and make a cut from
7
8
A
B
C
Two pennies shim the miter-slot guide
bars slightly above the tablesaw surface.
Place a couple of these stacks in each
miter-gauge slot, and set the bars on top.
Keeping the right end of the platform against
the rip fence, set the sled assembly on
the guides. Press down firmly to stick the
bars to the platform.
Hold the workpiece firmly against the
fence as you make a cut. Keep your hands
outside the blade guard, and don’t cut
through its end.
6
8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs
2006
1 EXPLODED VIEW
#8 x ‡" F.H.
wood screw
#8 x ‡" F.H.
wood screw
TOP BLADE GUARD
TOP
BLADE GUARD
#8 x ‡"
F.H.
wood screw
¤" shank hole,
countersunk
TOP BLADE GUARD
⁄ " pilot hole
30"
FRONT RAIL
2"
FRONT RAIL
FRONT RAIL
1fl"
‹ x 1 x 1‡"
3" acrylic
clear
3"
A
N
B
O
C
P
O D
Q
N
P
Q
E
F
R
S
R G
S
H
T
I
U J
W
V
X
T
U
V
8¤"
‡"
‡ x ‡ x 16‹"
supports
2"
6¨"
7›"
2"
‡ x 18 x 30"
plywood
‡ x 18 x 30"
1fl"
plywood
#8 x 1fi"‡F.H.
7›"
‹ x 1 x 1‡"
x 18 x 30"
8¤"screw
wood
clear acrylic
plywood
1fl"
6¨"
‹ x 3‹ x
‡ x ‡ x 16‹"
clear ac
‹ x 3‹ x 22‡" supports
clear acrylic
‹ x 3‹ x 22‡"
‡ x ‡ x 16‹"
clear acrylic
supports
6¨"
#8 x 1fi" F.H.
wood screw
6¨"
#8 x 1fi" F.H. BLADE GUARD
wood screw
‡"
#8 x 1fi" F.H.
wood screw
‡"
‡"
BLADE
8¤"
ˇ" holes
#6 x 1" roundhead
3"
‹" hexhead bolt
wood screw
ˇ" holes
1fi" long
#6 x 1" roundhead
‹" hexhead bolt
wood screw 1fi" long
ˇ" holes
3‡"
3‡"
3"
‹"
hexhead
bolt
3‡"
Four-arm knob
1fi" long
Self-adhesive
3"
with ‹" insert
3‡"
Four-arm knob
Fence
measuring rule
3‡"
Self-adhesive
STOPBLOCK
with ‹" insert
3"
Fence
measuring rule
STOPBLOCK Four-arm knob
4‡"
Self-adhesive
with ‹" insert
1 x 3 x 30" measuring ruleˇ x3‹"
‡ x 18"
Fence
PLATFORM
miter-slot guide bars
STOPBLOCK
4‡"
1 x 3 x 30"
ˇ x ‡ x 18"
PLATFORM
‡ x 1‹ x 2Í"
miter-slot guide bars
stopblock
‹ x fi x 1‹"
1 x 3 x 30"
ˇ x ‡ x 18"
‡ x 1‹ x 2Í"
PLATFORM
guide bar
miter-slot guide bars
stopblock
‹ x fi x 1‹"
x 1‹ x 2Í"
guide‡bar
‹" dado ‹" deep
#8 x 1fi"stopblock
F.H.
‹ xŒ"
fifrom
x 1‹"
top edge
wood
screw
#8 x fi" F.H. wood screw
‹" dado ‹" deep
guide bar
#8 x 1fi" F.H.
Œ" from top edge
wood screw
#8 x fi" F.H. wood screw
‹" dado ‹" deep
#8 x 1fi" F.H.
Œ" from top edge
wood
#8 x fi" F.H. wood screw
front edge through the fence. Use
a screw
the
rule to set the stopblock 4" from the kerf.
Y Mark the center of the stopblock on its top
W
L
X
Z end, align the 4" line on the self-adhesive
M
measuring tape with that mark, and attach
Y
the tape in the fence groove. Use tin snips
to cut off the portion of the
tape extendZ
fi" groove
„" deep
measuring
rule)
ing beyond the left end of(to
thefit fence.
Place
the indicator on the stopblock, align the
cursor with the tape’s 4" line, Œ"
and attach
Ø"
the indicator to the block with a screw. fl"
K
6¨"
30"
7›"
¤" shank hole,
countersunk
‡"
⁄ " pilot hole
‡"
30"
6¨"
7⁄64" pilot hole
7 64
7 64
¤" shank hole,
countersunk
‹ x 1 x 1‡"
#6 x 1" roundhead
wood clear
screwacrylic
1a FENCE SECTION VIEW
fi" groove „" deep
(to fit measuring rule)
Á"
fi" groove „" deep
Œ" rule)
(to fit measuring
‹"
1‡"
1b INDICATOR DETAIL
1‡"
Á"
¤ x fi" slot
fi"
Ø"
fl"
fi"
1‡"
¤ x fi" slot
1"
Á"
¤ x fi" slot
fi"
›"
1"
1"
Score a line on the acrylic with a knife,
and color it with a permanent marker.
Score a line on the acrylic with a knife,
›"
fl" groove
and
color it with a permanent marker.
‰" deep
Score a line on the acrylic with a knife,
and color it with a permanent marker.
›"
‹"Œ"
groove Ø"
ˇ" deep
fl"
deep the fencefl" groove ‹"¤" rabbet
If a workpiece fits ˇ"
between
‹" groove
and the front rail, you can cut it on your‰" deep
¤" deep
¤" rabbet
ˇ" deep
fl" groove
fi"
crosscut sled, as shown
Photo C. Use
¤" in
deep
‰" deep
the stopblock to cut multiple piecesfi"to
¤" rabbet
¤" deep
the same length, provided that length falls
Sources fi"
within the stopblock’s range. Remove the
For the jigs on pages 2–8, we used these Sources:
stopblock when cutting pieces that extend
Stainless steel rule no. 06K20.06, 1¼" four-arm plastic
beyond that range. When you install a
knob no. 00M55.30. Call Lee Valley at 800/871-8158, or
FILENAME:151TablesawJig3.eps
blade of a different thickness
or 6-03
with
go to leevalley.com.
Date:
FILENAME:151TablesawJig3.eps
a different tooth set than the one
used
Lorna
J. to
Hold-down no. 142398 (bolt and knob); selfDate: 6-03
calibrate
your stopblock,
check the setadhesive rule, no. 08Y42. Call Woodcraft at 800/225Lorna
J.
FILENAME:151TablesawJig3.eps
ting with a rule, and adjust
cursor. ¿
Date:the
6-03
1153, or go to woodcraft.com.
Lorna J.
‹"
Now, let’s go sledding
‹" groove
woodmagazine.com
7
tablesaw jigs
RaisedPanel Jig
With this one jig,
you can build three
popular styles of
door panels for your
next cabinet project.
8
R
aised panels have long been a sign
of fine craftsmanship—perhaps
because they appear difficult to
make. But as you’ll see here, that
need not be the case. On page 10, we’ll
show you a simple method for using this
jig to cut panels with a tablesaw.
Combine scrap material with a few
hardware items and you’ll have a jig destined for a lifetime of service. See page
7, for a hardware source for the knobs.
Start with the basics
1
Cut two pieces of ‡" MDF to the
dimensions in the Materials List
to make the upright (A) and base (B).
Scrollsaw or bandsaw the 1fi" radii on
the two corners of (B), cutting outside the
line. Then sand to the line.
2
3
Using your dado blade, cut two ‡"
dadoes ‹" deep in the top of the base,
where shown on Drawing 1.
After adding an auxiliary fence to your
saw tablesaw rip fence, cut a rabbet
‡" wide and ‹" deep along the bottom
edge of the upright (A), where shown on
Drawing 1.
Next, drill ˇ" holes in the upright
(A) and at the ends of the slot locations in the base. Lay out the sides of the
slots, and scrollsaw them to shape with a
#12 blade. Cut two braces (C), as dimensioned on Drawing 2.
Drill ¸" pilot holes, and then glue
and screw the jig together using
#8×1fi" brass screws, where shown.
Tip: Use brass screws anytime your jig’s
screw holes are close to the saw blade.
4
5
8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs
2006
2 SLED PARTS VIEW
Now, add the extras
R=1fi"
3
Cut the clamping bar (F) to size, and
Cut the guide strip (D) to fit your
drill ˇ" holes, where
ˇ" slotshown. Lay
A miter-gauge
N
slot in depth and width.
out and shape the clamping bar curve, as
Trim
the piece to 28" long, and drill counshown on Drawing 1, using a bandsaw.
B O
5"
tersunk ‹" holes centered on the strip 3"
Sand smooth.
C Peach end. Attach
from
the PARTS
guide strip
to
Next, attach the 1¤"
clamping bar to
2 SLED
VIEW
the
the jig using the hardware shown.
D base
Q using the hardware shown.
3"
Cut the upright stops (E) to size, and
Tip: If you have trouble finding extra-long
4fi"
R the hole and counterbore hole,
E drill
machine
screws, cut two pieces of allˇ"
hole
1›"
where
on Drawing 2. Secure the
thread. Then secure the four-arm knobs
S shown
1‹"
F CLAMPING BAR
F
1"to the ends of upright (A).
stops
to the screws using 5-minute epoxy.
1
4
2
G
T
H
U
29"
J
K
V
ˇ" hole
1›"
F CLAMPING BAR
W 1"
X
Y
L R=1fi"
Z
M
ˇ" slot
fi"
1‹"
29"
1"
7fi"
11fi"
1‹"
3"
3"
4fi"
4fi"
on this
1"
fi" 4fi" ‡" dadoesCurve
Location
of edge
part E
4fi" ¤"
on front face
‹-20 x 4fi" F.H. ‹" deep
1›"
4 x 24" adhesivemachine
ˇ" screw
‡"
backed 120-grit
hole
sandpaper
Four-arm ˇ"Ahole
8"
UPRIGHT
knob
29"
1"
(Back faceFshown)
3"
#8
x
1"
brass
4fi"
‡"
dadoes
fi"
Location
of part E Panel
4fi" ¤"
FILENAME:164
F.H. wood screw2.eps
onDate:
front
‡" rabbet ‹" deepLocation
of 4 4-05
xface
24" adhesive3"
Lorna
J. sandpaper
‹" flatˇ"
washer
‹" deep
backed
120-grit
Compression
on
front
face
hole
1"
28" A spring
8"E
UPRIGHT‹" flat washer
(Back face shown)
fl" counterbore ‹" deep with a
3"
‡"
ˇ" hole centered inside
‡" rabbet
Location of 4 x 24" adhesiveˇ"
‹-20 knife thread insert
‹" deep
backed 120-grit sandpaper
slot
FINISHED SIZE
on front face
‡" rabbet ‹" deep
Part
T
W
L 28"Matl. Qty.
Materials List
B
base
‡" 11fi"
8"
¤"
8"
Location of 4 x 24" adhesivebacked 120-grit sandpaper
on front face
28"
3"
4fi"
1¤"
2 EXPLODED
VIEW
‡"
4fi"
fi"
‡" dadoes
‹" deep
upright
Location of part E
on front face
A
UPRIGHT
(Back face shown)
11fi"
B
BASE
A
6
‡" rabbet
‹" deep
‡" dadoes
‹" deep28"
5"
Remove the hardware and the clamping barBand guide strip, and sand all
parts to 150
grit. Now apply two coats of
BASE
finish,
sanding
between coats11fi"
with 180‡" dadoes
grit‹"abrasive.
deep
Cut a piece of adhesive-backed
120-grit sandpaper, and apply it to
3"
the jig face, as shown 4fi"
on
Drawing 1.
Then, reassemble the jig. ¿
‡" dadoes
‹" deep
ˇ"
hole
B
BASE
ˇ" slot 3"
4fi"
4fi"
3 PANEL CUTTING SLED
EXPLODED VIEW 3"
28"
5"
R=1fi"
1¤"
5
1"
1 PARTS VIEW
I
28"
28"
MDF
1
28"
MDF
1
C
braces
‡"
7fi"
11‹"
MDF
2
D
guide strip
›"
‡"
28"
M
1
E
upright stops
›"
‡"
8"
M
2
F
clamping bar
‡"
1›"
29"
M
1
3"
C
BRACE
fi"
#8 x 1fi" brass
F.H. wood screw
11‹"
E
¸"
pilot hole
‡" dado
‹" deep
A
UPRIGHT
Four-arm
knob
B
BASE
C
‡"
D
¸"
pilot hole
28"
‹" holes, countersunk
on bottom face
‡"
‹-20 x 2" F.H. machine screw
Materials key: MDF–medium-density fiberboard,
M–maple.
Supplies: #8×1½", #8×1" brass flathead wood screws;
anel 2.eps
‹-20×2" (2), ‹-20×4fi" flathead machine screws (2);
‹-20 four-arm knobs (4); ‹" flat washers (8); 1fi×›"
compression springs (2); ‹-20 knife thread insert (2);
4" adhesive-backed 120-grit sandpaper.
Panel 2.eps
woodmagazine.com
9
How to Cut
Custom Raised Panels
1 PANEL STYLES
Cut raised panels
with a tablesaw
A
N
B
O
C
P
D
Q
E
R
F
S
G
T
H
U
I
J
K
L
M
V
W
X
Y
Z
For the woodworker who doesn’t have a
router table or the budget for expensive
raised-panel bits, cutting raised panels
on the tablesaw is an effective alternative. This method does have one drawback:
You’ll need to invest time and elbow grease
into finish-sanding the panel bevels.
To solve the challenge of supporting
panels safely while cutting bevels, build
the panel-cutting jig shown on page 8.
THREE POPULAR PANEL STYLES
PLAIN-BEVEL
PANEL
BACK-CUT
PANEL
PROUD
PANEL
‡"
frame
‡"
frame
‡"
frame
Prepare the panels
Before cutting the door panels to size,
match the wood tones and arrange the grain
patterns for best appearance. For example,
center the cathedral (inverse V) pattern on
narrow, single-board panels. When gluing
up wider panels, use pieces cut from the
same board for consistent grain and color.
Next, decide which style of panel you
want. The drawing at right shows three
popular styles: a plain-bevel panel, one
that’s flush with the frame (called a backcut panel), or a proud panel (with the
panel raised above the frame). All will give
panels a custom look. Glue up the stock
needed to make your panel blanks. Then,
cut your panels to finished size.
Note: To minimize wood movement, we
suggest using boards no wider than 5"
when gluing up your panels.
›" rabbets
‹" deep
›" rabbet
‹" deep
Shoulder
Á"
1‡"
1‡"
Shoulder
‰"
¤"
‡" raised panels
PROS
• contemporary look
• easy-to-sand bevels
PROS
• shoulder detail
catches the eye
PROS
• can decorate shoulder
with profile router bits
CONS
• no panel detail to
catch the eye
CONS
• bevels are a bit more
difficult to sand
CONS
• bevels are a bit more
difficult to sand
Mark the bevels
Looking at the end of the panel blank, lay
out the desired bevel using a sliding bevel
square. Also, if your panel needs a tongue
and rabbet lay them out, at this time.
To cut a raised panel with shoulders (the
square lip on the face of the panel), first
adjust the tablesaw’s fence 1‡" from the
blade. Cut a saw kerf ¤" deep (‰" deep
if making proud panels) and 1‡" from all
four edges and ends of the panel’s face, as
shown in Drawing 3. This kerf will determine the shoulder location.
The following set-up procedure assumes that your miter-gauge slot aligns
parallel with your saw blade. If not, make
that adjustment.
With a steel rule, measure the distance
from the saw blade to the jig’s upright.
Move the jig side to side as needed so
the distance between the saw blade and
the jig is the same as the panel’s tongue
(and rabbet) thickness. When the upright
is the correct distance from the blade, and
FILENAME:164 Panel1.eps
parallel to the blade, tighten down the knobs
Date: 4-05
Set up the jig for Lorna J.
in the guide strip. Now, adjust the blade
smooth, accurate cuts
bevel, as shown in the photo page 11, at top.
For your jig to function well, it must slide
parallel to the saw blade with its upright
Let’s cut a raised panel
at a right angle to the saw’s tabletop. With
Clamp your panel into the jig, exterior
either blade or upright out of alignment,
face out, and cut the bevels. Panels can be
scoring and burning will occur.
cut in four passes through the saw. First,
10
cut across the end grain to reduce chip-out.
Then cut the bevels on the panel edges.
Move through the blade at a consistent
speed, slowing down only if the saw strains.
Note: If your saw bogs down in the cut,
you may need to use a thin-kerf blade or
make the cut in successively deeper passes.
Sand the panel bevels
Remove any saw marks with 100-grit
sandpaper and a hardwood block. Then
finish-sand the bevels with 150- and 220grit sandpaper. Take care when sanding
not to remove the ridge at the intersection
of the bevels. Stain the panels before you
assemble the door. ¿
Written by Pat Lowry
Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson
8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs
2006
5 SHOULDER PANEL
3 PANEL KERFS
DEFINE SHOULDERS
1‡"
1‡"
¤" saw kerfs
¤" deep
Adjust the saw blade
angle to match the
desired panel angle.
PANEL
FACE
4 DETAILING A PANEL
4 DETAILING A PANEL
To adjust the blade to match your bevel, place the panel into the jig with the exterior face
out. To adjust the angle and height of the saw blade, sight down the blade, and align it with
the layout marks, as shown above. Clamp a test piece into the jig and run it through.
Readjust the settings until the angle and bevel thickness are accurate.
Add detail to your raised panels
After raising the panel on your tablesaw, use a ¼" round-nose
bit in your router table to detail the square shoulder on the face
of the panel. Set the bit 1fl" from the fence, as shown below.
Then rout the detail, starting with the end grain first, followed
by the edge grain.
›" rabbet ‹" deep
›" rabbet ‹" deep
Waste
¼" round-nose detail
Waste
1fl"
‹" round-nose
router bit set to
‹" round-nose
1fl" cut ¤" deeprouter bit set to
cut ¤" deep
FINISHED CONTOUR
FINISHED CONTOUR
woodmagazine.com
A ¼" round-nose bit creates a distinct panel.
11
tablesaw jigs
CornerRabbeting
Jig
Variations on a Theme
Experiment with different combinations of
species for frames, keys, and decorative pins,
or try some of the looks shown below.
Dress up mitered picture frames with
face keys, and you’ll open up a world of
creative possibilities.
Potential key combinations include:
O
nce you master the precision needed to make tight miter joints,
you’re ready to explore ways to embellish them with face keys of
contrasting woods that break up the predictable appearance of a
standard frame.
This sophisticated look is simple to create. For starters, you can make
both the key stock and corner rabbets on the tablesaw where you cut the
miters. For an easy-to-make jig that steadies a mitered frame at the correct
angle for cutting corner rabbets on both faces, see the drawing below. The
sample frame corners, shown at right, use readily available ‡" stock cut
2" wide.
1 Walnut and mahogany
keys on mahogany
2 Walnut keys and
cherry pins on cherry
EXPLODED VIEW
3 Oak keys and
cherry pins on cherry
16"
1"
Backing
4 Cherry keys and
maple pins on maple
11"
11‹"
90°
¸" shank hole,
countersunk
45° support
bevels
Place lower screws above maximum
height of tablesaw blade.
#8 x 2" brass F.H. wood screw
5 Mahogany keys
on maple
Assemble the corner rabbeting jig so the support bevels and the bottom edge of the backing rest flat on your tablesaw. Place the lower pair
of screws at least 3½" above the lower edge of the backing and base to
avoid accidental contact with the tablesaw blade.
12
8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs
2006
Let’s make a facekeyed miter joint
In preparation, build a corner rabbeting
jig using ‡×1" supports and a piece of
MDF overlay plywood, ‡" Baltic birch
plywood, or MDF. You’ll also need assembled frames plus scrapwood frame
corners for practice.
To make key stock that works with the
2"-wide frame parts shown, resaw a piece of
‡" stock that’s 4fi" wide by roughly 8" long
to create two 2"-wide pieces of key stock.
The blank can be a single piece of wood or
an edge-glued combination of woods. Raise
your saw blade to 2" and set your fence to
cut a slot the distance from the face of the
blank slightly thicker than your saw kerf
will cut in your frames. Use a feather board
and pushstick for added control. Flip the
piece end for end and cut a second slot, as
shown in Photo A, leaving a fi" bridge in
the middle to connect the key stock to the
blank. Then, by hand or on a bandsaw, cut
the key stock free from the blank.
Cut the corner rabbets
Set your tablesaw blade height to 2" for
corners on 2"-wide stock. Make test cuts
in scrap miters to fine-tune your cutting
depth and position. Secure the mitered
frame in the jig, and set the fence so the
blade will cut a kerf-deep rabbet into the
workpiece corner, as shown page 12, at
top. By cutting the rabbet on the frame
face pressed tight against the jig, you’ll
minimize tear-out. For keys on both sides
of the frame, rotate the workpiece and
make a second cut.
Attach the keys
If necessary after sawing the keys, plane
them to just thicker than the depth of your
rabbet. Glue and clamp the key stock to
the corners on the front, back, or both
faces of the frame, as shown in Photo B.
Bandsaw the excess key stock from the
edges of the frame, as shown in Photo C.
Flush-sand the edges and faces of the keys
with the edges and faces of the frame.
Pushstick
A
Bridge
Feather
board
To cut the key stock, leave a bridge about
½" wide between the saw kerfs. Later,
you can remove the bridge with a bandsaw or handsaw.
How to further
decorate this joint
Face keys alone offer you dozens of
wood combinations, but your imagination needn’t stop there. Adding dowels or
plugs to the keys, as shown at right, gives
them even more character.
Begin by marking the locations of the
plugs on the keys, as shown in Photo D. We
placed these ›" plugs fi" from the long
edge of the key, spacing them 1" apart
and equal distances from the shorter
edges of the keys. For your plugs, use
either the frame wood species or introduce a third species to the joints.
These plugs extend through the key
and into the frame without emerging through the face on the other side.
Orient the grain of the plugs with
that of the keys to allow for wood
woodmagazine.com
B
C
Before gluing and clamping, plane the
face keys to about Î" thicker than the
depth of the key rabbets in the frame
stock. Then, glue and clamp.
To saw keys flush with the frame, remove
excess key stock with a bandsaw. Then,
sand the face and edges flush using a
random-orbit sander.
movement. Glue and seat the plugs,
leaving about ¤" above the surface.
Remove the excess with a flush-cutting saw, as shown in Photo E. Finish
by sanding the plugs flush with the
frame’s face. ¿
Written by Bob Wilson
D
E
Space the plugs an equal distance from
the miter joint line. Plug locations can be
adjusted to suit your key and frame sizes.
When using a flush-cutting saw to remove
plug stock above the key, cut parallel to
the direction of the key grain.
13
tablesaw jigs
SplineCutting Jig
A slight tilt of a saw blade
gives your corner splines
a whole new look.
16"
EXPLODED VIEW
4"
9"
#8 x 2" F.H. wood screws
11‹"
90°
¸" shank hole, countersunk
on back face
45° bevels
I
t doesn’t take much work to put a new
spin on traditional splined miter joints.
Just install the splines at an angle, as we
did above on a maple-and-walnut letter tray, and you get eye-catching results.
First, make the simple spline-cutting jig
for your tablesaw shown above. Then,
mark three evenly spaced spline locations
on a piece of scrap the same width as the
tray side.
Install a blade in your tablesaw that
produces the flattest possible kerf bottom.
(We used an outside blade from our dado
set.) Tilt the blade to 15°, and raise it so
it extends about halfway into the mitered
corner. Set your jig against the tablesaw
rip fence, place your marked scrap in the
jig, and adjust the fence to cut a test slot.
Now make the other slots, readjusting the
fence between cuts.
When you’re satisfied with the design,
place clear packing tape around the workpiece corners to reduce chip-out. Hold
the workpiece firmly in the jig, and cut
as shown in Photo A. Cut the top slot in
each corner, adjust the fence, cut all four
middle slots, adjust again, and cut the
bottom slots. Remove the tape.
14
Rip spline stock from the edge of a board
of contrasting stock, as shown in Photo B.
Match its thickness to the kerf—usually
¤". Then, cut individual splines from the
strips, making them slightly longer than
the slots. Spread yellow glue on the splines,
slip them into place, and let the glue dry.
Trim them off at the surface with a flush-
cutting saw, or use a dovetail saw followed by a chisel. Sand flush.
By varying the number and placement
of the corner splines, you can come up
with other designs. You might try different saw blade angles, too. ¿
Photographs: Hetherington Photography
Illustration: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson
A
B
Double-check the orientation of your workpiece before cutting. Here we’re holding
the bottom of the tray to the left, so the
slots will point downward.
To cut spline stock, use the thin-strip
ripping jig (see the how-to details, beginning on page 2) to cut spline stock. Reposition the fence between cuts.
8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs
2006
tablesaw jigs
Straight
Edge
Cutting Jig
Here’s a reliable way to
rip straight edges onto
ragged-edge boards.
HOMEMADE
HOLD-DOWN
A
ttempting to rip a straight edge
along a board with irregular
edges can be dangerous or
downright impossible. One
solution is to tack a straight board to
the irregular board with finishing nails.
But unfortunately, this method leaves
small nail marks in the top surface of
the workpiece.
So try this method: Construct a carrier
board from ‡" plywood to a width and
length to accommodate most of your
boards (14"×7' works fine in most cases).
As shown at right, you can quickly clamp
the workpiece to this carrier board, then
rip one edge. Remove the workpiece from
the carrier board, place the jig aside, and
position the just-ripped edge along the
fence to straighten the other edge. ¿
SECTION VI
Hold-down
Stock
Plywood carrier
HOMEMADE
HOLD-DOWN
SECTION VIEW
Hold-down
Stock
Plywood carrier
Project Design: Thomas Bruzan, Des Plaines, Ill.
Illustrations: Lorna Johnson
Fence
Bowed edge
Wing nut
Plywood
carrier
Stock
Fence
W
Stock
hold-down
Groove cut for bolt heads
Bowed edge
woodmagazine.com
Holes for
hold-down
adjustment
Wing nut
Stock
Plywood
carrier
15
tablesaw jigs
Protect-and Serve
Blade Rack
Keep your blades sharp, safe, and ready for
action with this wall-mounted system.
T
his accommodating holder keeps saw blades easily accessible, separated, and protected from damage. In addition to storage slots for standard blades, it also makes
room for a complete 8" stacked-dado set. Dowel pins provide a place for dado
shims, a blade stabilizer, wrenches, and throat plates. The rack handles blades from
7‹" to 10" in diameter.
Start by cutting the ‡×7fi×29fi" back to size. (If you want to store more blades, add 2"
to the length for each additional slot.) Now drill the screw and dowel holes.
Next, cut the ‡×3×29fi" sides. Using double-faced tape, temporarily join them together
face-to-face. This lets you lay out and machine both pieces identically.
Drill a fi" hole through both sides to hold the dowels you’ll add later. Lay out and cut the
radiused corners. Mark the locations of the ‹" starter holes for the slots, and then mark
the slot locations. Drill the starter holes, and cut the slots using a bandsaw or jigsaw. Cut
just inside the lines, and
then sand the slots smooth
#8 x 1fi" F.H. wood screw
using a piece of ¤" hard7fi"
¸" shank hole,
board wrapped in 100-grit
countersunk
sandpaper. Also sand off
#8 x 3" F.H. wood screw,
the sharp points on each
centered over a wall stud
slot, where shown.
1"
3"
To complete the rack,
R=fi"
screw the sides to the back,
1Œ"
and glue in the dowels.
Add a coat of clear fin9"
3"
Sand off
ish, and mount the holder
sharp
60°
to the wall by driving 3"
points.
2"
screws into a stud.¿
2"
29fi"
‹" hole
¸" shank hole,
countersunk
on back face,
›" from edge,
with a mating
Ï" pilot hole
in side
BACK
SIDE
29fi"
fi" hole
fi" dowel
2‡" long
9"
1fi"
2"
SIDE
1"
3‡"
fi" dowel
1‡" long
fi" hole
fi" dowel 2‡" long
3‹"
‡"
16
Note: Back and Sides are made
from ‡" birch plywood.
©Copyright Meredith Corporation 2006
8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs
2006