DIY Network

Jigs and Fixtures for the Band Saw, Disc Sander and Drill Press From "Wood Works" episode WWK-613

This simple jig, made from scrap plywood, transforms a simple router into a hand-held milling machine.

In this special episode of DIY Wood Works, host David Marks discusses and demonstrates the uses of jigs and fixtures in woodworking. In this segment, he features jigs and fixtures used in conjunction with the band saw, disc sander and drill press.

Note: The online summary of this special Wood Works episode on Jigs and Fixtures contains a number of references to past episodes of the program. You may click on the boldfaced episode numbers in order to link to the online summaries of those particular shows.

A Hand-Held "Milling Machine"

If you need to joint a piece of wood that's too wide for your jointer, you can create a plywood platform to turn your router into a hand-held milling machine. Simply secure the stock to the workbench using hot-glue or double-stick tape, then rout the surface bit-by-bit, using a carbide bit, to mill the stock flat.

Some of the tools and jigs featured in this episode include:

Trammel-arm jig
Miter jig
Miter gauge
Tenoning jig
Tapering jig
Table-saw cradle jig
Dovetail jig
Mortising jig
Dado jig
Drill-press jig
Table saw
Table router
Plunge router
Band saw
Drill press
Clamps
Safety glasses and ear protection

Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses, and follow proper safety precautions, when working with wood, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc.

advertisement

	Figure A
	Figure B

Jigs and Fixtures for the Band Saw

• One of the more elaborate jigs used in this series was the custom dovetail jig used to create the dovetail joinery for a wooden tool-chest on the band saw (figure A) in
  Wood Works episode 308.

• This jig was made from MDF and attached to the bed of the band saw. The stock was slid into the blade at an angle to create the angled cuts for the dovetail joinery (figure B).

• Since there is a great deal of repetition in making dovetails, David created a series of spacers to make cutting the pins easier.
  

  	Figure C
  	Figure D

  
  

• The bed of the band saw was tilted to 14 degrees.

• To cut the half-pin, the stock was set against the fence, and a stop-block was used to prevent the cut from going beyond the scribed line. For the remaining cuts, he slid in corresponding spacers until all cuts were made (figure C).

• The process was then repeated on the other side of the stock.
  
  
• Then, the bed of the band saw was tilted to 14 degrees in the opposite direction to finish the cuts (figure D). Using this jig, a series of dovetails was created in a fraction of the time it would have taken if working by hand.
  

  
  

• For cutting very large pieces of stock at the band saw, consider using a band-saw table extension for added support. This fixture extends the bed to give additional room to work (figure E).

• With its 2x4 legs, the table extension can support a heavy work load (figure F).

• David used this fixture to cut the bases in the coopered hall-table in
  Wood Works episode 509.

  Figure E

  Figure F

  
  

  	Figure G
  	Figure H

• To sand beveled surfaces at the disc sander, David created a set of jigs that attach to the bed and allow small stock to be guided into the disc to create the appropriate angle (figure G).

• A similar jig, set at a very acute angle, is used to create scarf joints. The jig positions the wood at a slight angle and acts as a fence as the long tapers are sanded into the ends of the wood (figure H).

• Scarf joints are long diagonals cut from wood which can be joined together to look like a single, seamless piece of stock. David used this technique to extend the ebony inlays on the bubinga coffee table in
  Wood Works episode 212.
  

• A circle-sanding jig creates perfect circles at the disc sander. It has a pivoting arm and fixed pin. Once the stock is mounted on the pin, it slides up against an adjustable stop which controls the depth of the cut (figure I).

• The stock is rotated as the excess material is sanded away, leaving a symmetrical disc (figure J).

  Figure I

  Figure J

  
  

• An adjustable fence is beneficial at the drill press to hold stock stationary for positioning holes consistently.

• A machinist's vise helps secure small work-pieces on the bed of the press (figure K).

• A hole-spacing jig has evenly spaced pre-drilled (figure L) to ensure exact placement of the holes you want to drill in a given piece of stock. Align the jig to the end and side of the stock, and secure it with double-stick tape. Then follow the jig to drill your evenly spaced holes.

  Figure K

  Figure L

  
  

Tip: When designing and making jigs and fixtures, make them out of the most inexpensive materials possible and practical -- such as MDF or scrap plywood. Most jigs are expendable, and are only used for a current job. If, however, you're creating a jig that you think you'll use for multiple projects, consider making it out of a more durable material such as Baltic birch, apple plywood or a hardwood.

Tip: There are numerous magazines devoted to fine woodworking, and they frequently feature articles or descriptions of creative jigs and fixtures. David recommends keeping a notebook of magazine clippings of these for reference.

In the segment that follows, David demonstrates the uses of some accessories that make woodworking safer.

RESOURCES :

Woodworking Techniques: Best Methods for Building Furniture from Fine Woodworking
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking magazine
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561583456

David Marks Website
David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com

Woodworker's Guide to Wood: Softwoods, Hardwoods, Plywoods, Composite, Veneers
Model: 080836878
Author: Rick Peters
(2000)
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com

Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com

The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619