# Help with a router jig



## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

I've been making some clock picture frames for some family members and since I was a making a few of them I decided to make some jigs to speed things up with the router. For these I need to route out a pocket on the back to recess the clock movement, a 5x3" oval for the picture frame, and a 4x6" recess in the back for the glass and picture and matting. So I cut out some plywood jigs that I could use a bushing and 1/4" router bit to route these recesses out and have them look nice and be consistant since my freehand routing of a square didn't seem to go so well!

My problem I ran into was being able to clamp the jigs to the piece of wood. I clamp the jig and wood to a bench and then go to route out the recess but because the pieces are smaller I can't clamp it and still be able to run the router around without moving the clamps 2-3 or even 4 times. I'm not sure what my best option is here. I thought about making the jigs bigger and clamp out farther but then the work piece wouldn't reall be clamp well. So I'm at a lost here and hope someone with more experience can give some suggestions here.

Here is a picture kind of showing the wood and jig and my issue I am running into. I didn't take any pictures of it all clamped up. This jig is actually just to trace the oval to cut on the scroll saw but it is basically the same thing as the two others, one of them you can see above the wood.



A pic of my little helper cleaning out the square recess on the back where the clock movement goes.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*my first thought is*

make a hinged frame with a base, a spacer for your workpiece thickness and a top/jig piece. When you open the top/jig locate your work in the oval where you want it and then by closing the top it will squeeze together and hold the work in place. The hinges should be flush with the top so they don't interfere with the router base. They could just be leather straps. The spacer should be a touch thinner than your workpiece so it will grab it OR put a grippy material on the bottom of the top to keep it in place. You get the idea...... it's a giant clamp to hold the workpiece and jig in position. :yes: bill


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## dmh (Sep 18, 2010)

You could use two sided tape (carpet tape) to stick your template to the piece to be cut.

I was also thinking the same thing as woodnthings except just use screws to clamp the jig together. (if I didn't get up to take a leak I would have beat ya to it :laughing


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Hi ponch - I think bill likely has the more elegant approach, however, if I read it right, your finished product wont be able to vary much as the thing sandwiches everything. Double face tape is a good solution and I would suggest a 23 guage pin nailer to tack the templates down. A 23 guage pin that's only about 1/8 to 1/4" longer than the template will have plenty of grab and will only leave a tiny hole that, in most cases, can be patched with a drop of water.:smile:


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

Thanks for the help guys.

What if I just made the jig longer, so there was 6-8" of overhang on each side of the work piece and then clamped on the edges? This should hold the workpiece but the only thing I would be worried about would be "cupping" of the jig over the top of the workpiece messing with the depth of the recess. I think this might work and it would work with different thicknesses of wood also. 

I have some double sided carpet tape I could try. Does the sticky goo mess with the wood at all when finishing it or does light sanding get rid of any residue?

A 23 gauge pin nailer would be nice but I don't have one and I would like to come up with a way to just clamp these if possible.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

You can put tabs on the underside of the jig to fit the subject piece. IOW, the tabs position the jig, and the subject piece doesn't move.









 







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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

ponch37300 said:


> Thanks for the help guys.
> 
> What if I just made the jig longer, so there was 6-8" of overhang on each side of the work piece and then clamped on the edges? This should hold the workpiece but the only thing I would be worried about would be "cupping" of the jig over the top of the workpiece messing with the depth of the recess. I think this might work and it would work with different thicknesses of wood also.
> 
> ...


Hi ponch - best tape I've found so far is Duck brand from Walmart. The residue pretty well rolls up when rubbed, a rag with some paint thinner or alcohol will clean up whatever is left. The absolute worst tape is the Rhino tape from Home Depot. I haven't found anything short of laquer thinner or acetone to clean that up and even then it isn't good..Great tape for carpets though:smile:
May think about shopping for a 23 guage though. I didn't think I'd use one much until I got it. Now it's the most used nailer I've got. I just love the microscopic holes that usually don't need patched, especially if it's a paint project:thumbsup:

Oh yeah, you can prevent/reduce the "cupping" issue by adding a couple of spacer blocks near where you are clamping.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*A hinged clamping frame*

By hinging the frame and applying pressure downward with the router it should hold the workpiece securely. A non slip pad between the jig and work will better hold it. I wouldn't use 2 sided tape personally...too much bother for me.... applying and clean up. Some of it sticks like crazy!
The workpieces appear to be live edge pieces which vary in size and shape so any predetermined tabs may not work for all the different shapes and sizes. Small brads driven in from the top and just piercing the bottom of the top jig may also work. No need to nail completely through the work piece IF it is secured to the bench. If not, then yes, nail completely through.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I wouldn't use a hinged apparatus. Too much that could go wrong with spacing for the hinge, having it seat tightly enough, and hoping the non skid padding doesn't skid. Holding it down could present other problems like the router holding it down may not be sufficient.

If there were any quantities of these to make, I would make the subject pieces alike, so a jig with tabs would fit properly, as per subject piece. If trying to attain some degree of duplicity, the machining process would be identical. Much less hassle than nailing or taping, IMO.









 







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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

Lots of good ideas. The pieces are "tree slabs" I bought. So they are different sizes. I'll try and get a picture of what I'm thinking about doing today and see what you guys think. A pinner gun would be nice but not really in the budget right now, I do have a few 18 and 16 gauge nailers but I think they will leave to big of a hole.

These aren't mass produced, just a handful of them for familiy members. The idea of the jigs was more for a cleaner look, my freehand routing didn't turn out so good!

I think I just came up with a jig that will work. I'm going to see what I can come up with later today and will post picks. Thanks for all the help, sometimes it's a great tool to just be able to write ideas down and discuss them and come up with a new idea!


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

ponch37300 said:


> The pieces are "tree slabs" I bought. So they are different sizes.


Now you tell us.









 







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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> Now you tell us.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry I thought the pictures showed this. They are all pretty close to 3/4". 

Well I re thought things today and put together something I think will work, I didn't test it out yet but I think it will be good.

Here is a picture, the jig will be screwed to the lower work support and the work piece will be slid in and then clamped to the work support.


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

How about making the template a bit bigger, and attaching with dold downs from the bottom, like I do with my "track saw" straight edge.


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

If the surface of the workpiece is flat and smooth,you could route out the bottom of the template, with a vac port in the edge, and use a vacuum pump to hold it in place.


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## notmrjohn (Aug 18, 2012)

I saw that slab right off. Looks like you got it solved, ponch, way to go, I knew you could do. So I won't waste your time with my vastly superior idea.


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