# Must Have Jigs



## clschaffer (Mar 26, 2017)

Hi All,

I'm a newbie getting my feet wet in the wonderful world of woodworking. I just ordered a Grizzly G1023RLWX (be here Thursday :grin. Today I purchased a Laguna 14/12 Band Saw and I've got a router which will be mounted to my Grizzly. My question is what are some jigs that are must have's that I can make? If certain jigs are better off purchased please note the jig and recommended model. If you are aware of any good sites where I can get plans for any of the jigs that would be greatly appreciated as well.

Projects of interest: boxes, picture frames, kids toys etc. Smaller crafts, nothing big as of now.

Thank You,

Chad


----------



## subroc (Jan 3, 2015)

I suppose the answer to that is what do you want to make? Or, every jig imaginable or none at all.

I expect a good place to start is a table saw cross cut sled.


----------



## renraw9002 (Mar 19, 2016)

I second the table saw cross cut sled for a lot of purposes, but as subroc said. We can't really make suggestions without knowing which direction with woodworking you want to go. If you're new to it, try a few different things and see what feels "right". Some people love turning, but I haven't even tried it and I can already tell I won't have the patience for it.

I thought I was always going to make larger furniture type stuff like my microwave stand, bathroom cabinets, toy boxes, etc., but I'm discovering I have a knack for little craft type things and they're actually a lot of fun. Made a little wine rack, a key holder, a kitchen utensil holder (in progress), and I'm gonna be making a sort of small shoe rack here starting tomorrow. The little things are great for my work schedule. work a few hours in the morning on them, knock them out, and go to work and show off what I did that day and get 50 questions about how I can work that hard before coming to do an 8 hour shift.


----------



## clschaffer (Mar 26, 2017)

Hi subroc,

I plan on making some boxes, picture frames etc. No real clear path. Just getting into the hobby and plan on going with the flow. I'm just looking for some jigs that are commonly used with a table saw, band saw and router.


----------



## clschaffer (Mar 26, 2017)

renraw9002- Items you've mentioned you enjoy building is in line with some of my ideas and plans.


----------



## subroc (Jan 3, 2015)

clschaffer said:


> Hi subroc,
> 
> I plan on making some boxes, picture frames etc. No real clear path. Just getting into the hobby and plan on going with the flow. I'm just looking for some jigs that are commonly used with a table saw, band saw and router.


A sled is the perfect first jig then. YouTube has several great videos that show all sorts of methods on how to make them. I expect if you watch a handful of them you will be well armed and have a clearer idea of the features you might want on a sled. That said, for a first effort keep it reasonably basic that way you will gain experience and some success from that effort.

Good luck, whatever you decide.


----------



## renraw9002 (Mar 19, 2016)

clschaffer said:


> renraw9002- Items you've mentioned you enjoy building is in line with some of my ideas and plans.


On that note, then assuming you don't have the money to drop on a miter saw for crosscutting. I would make a jig for your circular saw (assuming you have one) to make quick and accurate cross cuts instead of having to set up some sort of guide every time you need to make a cut. Here's mine and it's saved me a buttload of time.

Another jig I made because I definitely don't have the money for a jointer is a jig for my router to flatten rough surfaces. Obviously mine isn't nearly as accurate as a jointer would be, but so far for the projects i've done it's served me well enough.


----------



## clschaffer (Mar 26, 2017)

subroc and renraw9002, Thank You both for the input. Gives me something to get started on. renraw9002 I like the looks of your router jig. That's a great idea, and I'm in the same boat as you. My pockets aren't deep enough as of now for a jointer.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I wouldn't be too concerned with jigs. When you make a project and see the need for a jig for something go ahead and make one. I don't keep most of the jigs I make. It's so long between the use of a particular jig it takes too much space to save them all.


----------



## bargoon (Apr 20, 2016)

As already mentioned a cross-cut sled is really useful especially for long stock. If you're going to get into box making (something I'm looking at) you need to make jigs like a 45 degree cross-cut sled, angle mitre sled, keyed mitre sled, etc. A good book is "Box Making" by Doug Stowe plus there is a lot of info on You Tube.
Cheers


----------



## WesTex (Jan 5, 2014)

I agree with Steve. Start building things and make a jig when you find a need. Many jigs are one-off anyway. Besides my crosscut sled I only have two jigs I keep. 
One is a circle cutting jig for a router, and the other is a jig for the router table for trueing wood wheels. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## woodchux (Jul 6, 2014)

Good advice from previous posts. Consider adding some push sticks (various widths) and some feather boards which always are handy on projects. Add a TS sled - in straight cuts and another in 45 degree cuts. Some books on jigs/fixtures are available, and magazines (like Woodsmith & Fine woodworking) offer special issues. Also look through some WW catalogs for jigs & other items for each of your "toys", which you can probably make for a lot less $. As Steve has stated "some projects may need a jig", only if that operation on another project will be repeated. Be safe.


----------



## clschaffer (Mar 26, 2017)

Thank You All for your input. I appreciate it!!! By the way, you all make a newbie feel welcome to the hobby. This forum and it's participants have been very helpful and welcoming.


----------



## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

If you manage to get a decent table saw spend $65 for a MiterSet jig.. You definitely won't regret it especially if you're making picture frames.. 
www.miterset.com
It definitely beats those fabulous 45.1853° 45° angles..


----------



## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Build an exact width dado jig for your router.

And while we are at it, consider the Bosch 1617EVSPK router combo. The fixed base will clamp to your cast iron table on the right side of the new saw. Note: You can't relocate that wing to the left side because the motor housing is in the way, but you will find that out soon enough.

The plunge base can be used for hand held operations. I have two of those kits and at times, the bits stay in the router so I don't have to change 'em out. And I have a Triton mounted under a table. 

Good luck. Attached is my drawing for the dado jig. It is based on the jig The Wood Whisperer built and demonstrates in his YouTube video with the exception being the knobs are on top for easy access. It works great. All you need is a 1/2 inch pattern bit to make dados for 3/4 inch material (including 3/4 plywood that is not actually 3/4 inches thick). That is why the jig works so well. You don't have to change blades to a dado stack and try to figure out what shims to add to get the desired width of the dado. With the jig, simply stick you material in the slot, tighten the knobs, and you are ready to route.


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*My favorite jig*

This straight line rip jig save time over using a jointer to straighten edges:



I needed to straight line many, actually dozens of pieces, so I made a "jig" rather than scab on strips each time, which is way too time consuming for me.... "snap on" then rip and "snap off'"...next piece... :yes:
I made two sizes,one long enough for 8 footers and a 54" for shorter boards. I used 1/4" hardboard for the bottom and a 1 X 3" piece of Oak for the toggles to mount on. It looks like this:


----------



## clschaffer (Mar 26, 2017)

MT Stringer said:


> Build an exact width dado jig for your router.
> 
> And while we are at it, consider the Bosch 1617EVSPK router combo. The fixed base will clamp to your cast iron table on the right side of the new saw. Note: You can't relocate that wing to the left side because the motor housing is in the way, but you will find that out soon enough.
> 
> ...


Great info! Thank You for your help.


----------



## clschaffer (Mar 26, 2017)

woodnthings said:


> This straight line rip jig save time over using a jointer to straighten edges:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very nice, Thank You. This is a jig I can see being very helpful since I don't own a jointer.


----------



## clschaffer (Mar 26, 2017)

allpurpose said:


> If you manage to get a decent table saw spend $65 for a MiterSet jig.. You definitely won't regret it especially if you're making picture frames..
> www.miterset.com
> It definitely beats those fabulous 45.1853° 45° angles..


That's a cool jig. Just ordered it. Thank You for pointing me in that direction.


----------



## renraw9002 (Mar 19, 2016)

clschaffer said:


> subroc and renraw9002, Thank You both for the input. Gives me something to get started on. renraw9002 I like the looks of your router jig. That's a great idea, and I'm in the same boat as you. My pockets aren't deep enough as of now for a jointer.


Oh that photo is of my circular saw jig lol. Just line up my pencil line with the notch and cut.


----------



## clschaffer (Mar 26, 2017)

renraw9002 said:


> Oh that photo is of my circular saw jig lol. Just line up my pencil line with the notch and cut.


Lol ok Thank You for the correction. Being a newbie I would've completed it and spent the rest of the day figuring it out.


----------



## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

Here are a few I made and use
Use the stock pusher all the time

Adjustable stock pusher
Fence stop block (1" thick)
Sleds. 1, big. 1 small
Sacrificial fence
Feather boards
Edge straightening sled
Taper jig


----------



## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

Then you have to store the jigs. Here are some of them.
I use my small sled (just wider than miter slots are apart) for cutting small pieces. 
The pusher is great for ripping 1/8" + strips safely. Sets up fast, and is great for keeping your fingers. 
Someone always asks, what's the big knob and t track do. T track is for other jig attachment, and the big knob is for pushing and, lateral adjustment. And pencil storage.


----------



## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

clschaffer said:


> That's a cool jig. Just ordered it. Thank You for pointing me in that direction.


You're welcome. I'm already prepared for the online petition telling me to shut up about it. As far as I'm concerned it's the best thing since sliced bread although I've yet to make a sandwich with it. Pastromi on MiterSet just doesn't sound like it would go together.


----------



## clschaffer (Mar 26, 2017)

Pirate said:


> Then you have to store the jigs. Here are some of them.
> I use my small sled (just wider than miter slots are apart) for cutting small pieces.
> The pusher is great for ripping 1/8" + strips safely. Sets up fast, and is great for keeping your fingers.
> Someone always asks, what's the big knob and t track do. T track is for other jig attachment, and the big knob is for pushing and, lateral adjustment. And pencil storage.


Good Stuff Pirate. Thank You for sharing. I'll look into them for sure.


----------



## clschaffer (Mar 26, 2017)

allpurpose said:


> You're welcome. I'm already prepared for the online petition telling me to shut up about it. As far as I'm concerned it's the best thing since sliced bread although I've yet to make a sandwich with it. Pastromi on MiterSet just doesn't sound like it would go together.


Lol!!! I watched the video on their site and it looks like it's a great tool.


----------



## olehunter234 (Nov 19, 2016)

if you are thinking of making toys with wheels a jig to cut circles on the band saw or router is very simple and not very large. I would post a pic but the tech I cant master. if you wand picks I can email them to you.


----------



## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I guess you youngsters can save your jigs and fixtures for use again in the future, some of us can't remember what they were for let alone how to use them.


----------



## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I agree with the others that you build jigs when you need them.

Nobody has mentioned my problem, which is finding the time to build nice, quality jigs that I can use over and over. Instead, I build far too many one-and-done jigs of low quality, and often a higher safety risk. It is so tempting and easy to cobble something together that does the job just well enough to "get away with it." 

Add to it the pressure to build real projects. You could spend a day or two building a super crosscut sled, but when the day is done, you walk out of the shop empty handed, and your family wonders what you did with all the time.

I see guys come into our woodworking club with handmade squares, jigs, and other shop gadgets. They are tools for real work, finished to last many lifetimes. I would love to have nice things like that. Sometimes I buy what I need at the local Rockler, but would prefer to make my own. Commercial sleds and jigs are available from many sources, but you can build them yourself for a _tiny_ fraction of the cost.

Example 1:
Instead of building or buying the crosscut sled that I truly need, I keep grabbing a straight board and clamping it to my miter gauge as a "miter fence". It isn't the same. What I need is a true crosscut sled, but a good one takes time to make. 

Example 2: 
I am making a simple oak wall shelf for my spouse. I needed to straighten and joint one edge of the board. Instead of a nice straight line jig like @woodnthings made, I grabbed a straight board from the pile, put on a bunch of double tape, and jointed the edge of the oak board. It was the same the last time I jointed a board, and the time before that, ad infinitum. 

_It is hard to stand there and look at a board that needs an edge jointed. I could take the time to buy parts and build a straight line jig ... or in the drawer there is plenty of double tape ready to use._ :-(

The solution is obvious. I am not seeking advice for what is a time management and self-discipline issue. All I want is to share the warning with @clschaffer. 

*Off Topic:*

A long time ago, I learned a rule-of-thumb that says, "If you repeat the same task three times, automate it."

I have heard that the definition of "idiot" is someone who repeats the same mistake over and over, but hopes for a better outcome.

Decent hold down clamps aren't cheap. I just bought some cheap ones at eBay (4 for $7.50). They are tiny; too small to be useful for a straight line jig. The photos didn't indicate how small they are, and I assumed that they were the same size as the ones woodnthings used. I was wrong. They are nearly useless toys. As usual, if the price is too good to be true...


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Ebays toggle clamps are rated .......*

In a prior reply, I suggested that your safety was a priority over the convenience of speed. You agreed. Now don't let us down and get the correct toggles! :wink:

They are rated by the number of lbs of pressure applied which would be an indication of size...?

In this case, 220 lbs of holding capacity:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Stock-2pcs-201C-Quick-Release-Holding-Metal-Horizontal-Toggle-Clamp-220Lbs/391583877210?hash=item5b2c37c85a&enc=AQADAAAC8FjVrDbVsZ8oH%2F8PNHtt9VX4%2Fw7FZcmMuqsX8uaFEduVbg2KH4gtqeYEmmWTVIA6M%2BHboKdYLBbhhnkHMj883n%2B3FVi5nOBp9p16ysgyzCJHL070BcIUV%2BIgXUg%2BLpExhJhouzfIe9wFW9hQ6yA5EOlSQe%2FQNl9ydw5H1zPxHT2BTd8XTjrbx%2B6dVFLaYqcuM73C5fLVXT6pgcrHAQ%2BSf9GY%2FSKZHlC8uwwz4WJXo0m%2B%2BXnzEym2XHEvF0%2Bh%2F97O5MZ104cpZcFxt548mQfOCGiBB5ssVJ2ByvVKAffaiQlgmTGUNWwqfGf%2F6mD1mX5%2FBFaER5cMX8%2F4j4cjCE4OO9OJvdI%2BiHuhpE33MpX2o0GPHH0kFr1mYAyLZE8iHvIHn458xiUhZR46VXorUS0d2jg5CD0IC1rNwxXc1mKO7MDnT6GoxcqzhVuROA57Bbzye7jBeB2ox7rCDdLNSjL1Mxdwp3qxREKeOspK5xE7H0jJw8ekSv8X65Sp1pehNP9OImcmSvhSFLcsID1v7xqks4%2FSCxp1%2FTYIJvQPT36k22VudaAM8bJbHSvu95adK635wB%2FZn7E2Y1XoPVpssM1EPkLC%2FJFbHhlaGLEX2YPZR4ppc8n%2FgIV2xDwy22sh6S2x2OaCZEsPWGB6UT0UW3LnvTh9hq2WvMGFXRD%2FJWYqbLSE%2FoN7FEvy9u0Rf%2BN%2FD6IywlN9xJ4j6fob0jXcSpzCV0oETjuBpceyzIXrNURSIQKV4%2BsJKjY8xVWITi02e6aGKAQQTjB7V3tp09WAGnM2lCPUsqvjRbTRC6f9FXUy42C%2BlWsbf%2Fe46J%2Bp223MaIwQxbsiJLne%2FPQbqlDL%2BrDmFGFHTxqp353h40NEOF%2B88wytRyU5DFvKX16OAAL9NMp1s%2FUztbSVtiJIf4ZS0pK6tw9fLKmU5KisAyyp5dVxljfPqkls8TqXd2MNOl%2FdsM%2F0VWKZTHTogrLfDXaiJ3K%2BC3wdKVf4z9DueNayeavj0EzQ&checksum=39158387721035a6e8baaeea41a2a2a4fa7fa7e29ac3&frcectupt=true&autorefresh=true


In this case 500 lbs of holding capacity:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Stock-2...b81c15610ae66&frcectupt=true&autorefresh=true


----------



## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

A bench hook or 2 or 3 always come in handy.
Google 'Bench Hook' and it will show photos and show how they are used. that is why i think you should have more than 1


----------



## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

woodnthings said:


> In a prior reply, I suggested that your safety was a priority over the convenience of speed. You agreed. Now don't let us down and get the correct toggles! :wink:
> 
> They are rated by the number of lbs of pressure applied which would be an indication of size...?
> 
> ...


Yeah, I'm workin' on it. The ones I bought are rated for 150 pounds, which is probably enough, especially if I use all 8 of them. The real problem is that the 150 pounds are applied so close to the edge. The hold down clamps are tiny. 

I want to make sure that the next hold downs that I buy will extend far enough over the jointed board to hold it securely in place. 

Thank you for the links. They don't have dimensions, but with your help, I have a much better idea of what to look for.


----------

