# Post your favorite shop built tool jig or fixture.



## Al B Thayer

Anyone have a jig, fixture or shop built tool they like, use a lot or are quite fond of. Post it. The good bad and the ugly. If you like it and it serves you well, let's see it. 















I built this a long time ago and use it for many tasks it's from a plan in a mag but can't remember which. 

Al


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## Rebelwork

Has served me well. 3 head router table.


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## Kansas Gary

Rebelwork said:


> Has served me well. 3 head router table.


WOW now that is what I call a router table............. Bet that set you back a few coins getting that set up like that....:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## woodnthings

*Yah, but.....*



Kansas Gary said:


> WOW now that is what I call a router table............. Bet that set you back a few coins getting that set up like that....:thumbsup::thumbsup:


It has a small footprint. It probably uses only one circuit for power? It's painted a pretty color....... :thumbsup:


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## Al B Thayer

Sweet Reb.

Panel, cope and stick?

What's the top made from?

Al


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## Rebelwork

Yes they are all wired to the same circuit on 10guage wire. The plates were donate from other woodworkers when I offered to buy there used plates but they sent them free(great guys). Space was an issue and I couldn't afford the WOODTEk or Weavers(13k) for doors anyway. Really wasn't that expensive other than routers and paint.


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## woodnthings

*one of my favorites*

I like this straight line rip jig I made based on other one's I've seen:










The other is the overarm dust sucker I made from 2" PVC. I've come up with better versions, just no photos at this time.


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## Rebelwork

Al B Thayer said:


> Sweet Reb.
> 
> Panel, cope and stick?
> 
> What's the top made from?
> 
> Al


Thx. If your referring to the dust/fence its a combination of MDF, pvc with birch fence. The counter is just PB.


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## ryan50hrl

That's a very cool router table man!!! Nice work!!


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## Mort

Geez, that router table is wicked! I hope I remember it when I have a shop larger than a postage stamp.


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## ryan50hrl

lol....ya, if I built that I'd still only be able to use one side.....


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## MT Stringer

My favorite item in the shop is by far and way, the adjustable height worktable I built this past year. :thumbsup: It also has two routers.  :yes:

I made the work table using a scissor jack and a two piece framework. This allows the top to be lowered to about 22 inches for assembly work. It can be raised to serve as an outfeed table for the planer or the table saw, or even leveled with the work bench for assembling bigger projects.

Then there are the two routers-a Bosch 1617 on one end and Triton 3 1/2hp on the other. When they are not needed, I can lift them out and insert a couple of filler plates so the table can be used for other things.

I have a small work area in a one car garage so this thing is really nice.

Mike


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## Al B Thayer

Great idea Mike. Knowing the value of having an assembly table at the right height makes the work so much better. Nice design, your never going to get that from a store.

Al


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## BernieL

I love your bench Mike. Did I miss an original posting of it? Are there more details on the mechanics of it? I'm interested in your design to add to my favorite jig - my workbench which many of you have already seen. Great thread Al. I hope to see other jigs I might have missed or forgotten about.


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## Al B Thayer

Bernie
Thanks for posting your award winning bench design. If most of you don't know. Bernie's bench design was picked and showcased in ShopNotes mag. for the system he has shown here. Which offers a gizzilon ways to work on and clamp your work.

I believe after that a few members here copied the concept. 

Al


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## Marv

I cut a lot of different sized circles almost daily so this is probably my favorite...


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## MT Stringer

Nice jig, Marv. I need to make one of those.

@ Bernie. I will try to upload a gallery.


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## MT Stringer

@Bernie - The original post is here.
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f13/adjustable-height-worktable-router-table-63418/

And I added pics to a gallery here. MobilePaul helped with a generic drawing that I worked from, making changes as I went. 

The scissor jack is from Harbor Freight, It is for RV's. I chose it over the cheeper lighter duty model simply because it comes with a nut welded on the jack and includes a speed wrench. I can easily run it up and down with a drill motor! :thumbsup:

Note: I have had a lot of weight on the table and the four bolts (w/knobs) hold securely.

I am not an engineer but this thing turned out nice.
Mike


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## Al B Thayer

Marv that one is priceless. Cuts really small circles too. Can you set the diameter and make that size exact?

Tell us more about how it's used. 

Al


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## BernieL

Great thread Al... I hope others decide to contribute. We could all benefit. For example - thank you Mike for your additional post. I enjoyed it and greatly benefited. I read your entire original post, viewed the pictures and I'm ready to make my bench height adjustable.

Thank you Marv... I've seen those circular router jigs but now I want to build one. Thanks again Marv


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## Marv

MT Stringer said:


> Nice jig, Marv. I need to make one of those.
> 
> @ Bernie. I will try to upload a gallery.





Al B Thayer said:


> Marv that one is priceless. Cuts really small circles too. Can you set the diameter and make that size exact?
> 
> Tell us more about how it's used.
> 
> Al





BernieL said:


> Great thread Al... I hope others decide to contribute. We could all benefit. For example - thank you Mike for your additional post. I enjoyed it and greatly benefited. I read your entire original post, viewed the pictures and I'm ready to make my bench height adjustable.
> 
> Thank you Marv... I've seen those circular router jigs but now I want to build one. Thanks again Marv


Thanks Bernie, Mike and Al! You guys have also given me some great ideas for future jig/fixture projects and so have the others in this thread including that very cool 3 headed router table!


Al, I made this to replace my worn out circle jig and update it a bit. One problem with the old single slot design was that as the slot became wider from wear the bit would chatter and leave a rough surface that needed lots of sanding. To cure that I made the grooves and used 1/8" Masonite hardboard glued into the sliding pivot pin assembly so it locks solidly with no play.
I cut a lot of different sized holes so the tape measure really cuts down my time as long as I remember it measures the radius and not the diameter (I also have to remember to add 3/8" for the bit when cutting a disc!). 
The range is about 2 1/2" to 28" by reversing the pivot pin assembly and/or changing the bolt location. Also, the "zero clearance" hole stopped the tear out on the splintery stuff and virtually no dust escapes using the Porter Cable 890 plunge router with integrated dust collection.

Here's the thread I made with a few more pics/details....

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f27/easily-adjustable-router-circle-jig-59939/


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## Al B Thayer

This is another tool I made in such a short time I thought I might try selling them. If it ever goes out of square or true. just bring it back by adjusting the screws in the end.















Al


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## BernieL

Al - do you do your own metal work? Nice solid looking tool and I like the adjustable feature.


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## Al B Thayer

Thanks Bernie. I like to do some work with brass and aluminum. 

Can't take credit for the adjustable design but I did copy it from a couple of pictures. It has two rods running through the handle with threaded inserts with screws. You can loosen it and push the pin out and take it apart. I sent three of these out in the last swap we had.

Al


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## Marv

Al B Thayer said:


> Anyone have a jig, fixture or shop built tool they like, use a lot or are quite fond of. Post it. The good bad and the ugly. If you like it and it serves you well, let's see it.
> 
> View attachment 138305
> View attachment 138313
> 
> 
> I built this a long time ago and use it for many tasks it's from a plan in a mag but can't remember which.
> 
> Al


Another jig I made years ago that's similar to one you made!


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## Jophus14

Great thread.


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## BigJim

This is a captive straight rip, I had a metal shop bend the aluminum, one 50 inches and one 100 inches, total cost $25.00. It don't look good but it works perfect, and I don't have to worry about the saw leading off the cut.

The third picture is the marking gauge to mark exactly where the blade will cut, just hook it on the track and align it to your measurement mark, clamp the track down and cut.

The wooden part is connected to the bottom of the saw, I use this saw just for ripping.


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## BigJim

One more, this is an adjustable shelf hole jig I drill shelf clip holes in cabinets and book cases with a router. I use a router bushing that slides into indentions in the jig then plunge a 1/4 brad point drill bit to drill the holes, it is much faster than the Rockler Jig. Not pretty as it has been used a lot, but it works.


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## Al B Thayer

Marv said:


> Another jig I made years ago that's similar to one you made!


I need a better scale like yours but the one Im using was my grandfathers. We must have read the same issue. Nice. 

Al


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## Al B Thayer

BigJim
Where's the roller bearings and adjustment screws. Machined to thousandths I'm sure. 

Great use of another material, bet its dead nuts on. You could call it track angle.

Thanks for your posts

Al


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## BigJim

Al, it is dead on, I can split a line with it, it is smooth and doesn't bind, no bearings needed.


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## Pauley

I made a utility cart that I seen in a shopsmith mag. It is the most useful thing I have made for my shop...without a doubt!




















Not shown in the photos are three drawers I had put in. For a small shop, this is awesome!


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## Al B Thayer

Pauley

Thanks for sharing it. I don't doubt for a minute it's a big help. I have a shop cart but it doesn't do as many tasks. Tucks away nicely too. I think I need to add the outfeed stand on mine too. 

Nice clean shop, but your going to get some ribbing over that. 

Al


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## Pauley

Thanks Al, that cart is so handy. As for the clean shop....I always clean up after a project. A clean shop is a safe shop.


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## BernieL

Thank you Big Jim and Pauley - having a small shop means limitations that need to be overcome by innovative jigs like a portable track saw and a multi purpose utility cart. And I agree with you Puuley - a clean shop is a safer shop. I work alone in mine and I also keep it clean


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## BigJim

Pauley, that is really nice and a good idea, I like your work bench also.


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## hawkeye10

BigJim said:


> This is a captive straight rip, I had a metal shop bend the aluminum, one 50 inches and one 100 inches, total cost $25.00. It don't look good but it works perfect, and I don't have to worry about the saw leading off the cut.
> 
> The third picture is the marking gauge to mark exactly where the blade will cut, just hook it on the track and align it to your measurement mark, clamp the track down and cut.
> 
> The wooden part is connected to the bottom of the saw, I use this saw just for ripping.


Big Jim help me understand. Looking at the pictures it looks like the saw is riding along the aluminum guide but it looks like the saw is also cutting the guide as well as the wood. I know this is not what is happening but to me it looks that way. Maybe I am just brain dead. I could use a jig like that to cut sheets of plywood. 

Thanks Don


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## Pauley

BigJim said:


> Pauley, that is really nice and a good idea, I like your work bench also.



Thanks. Actually, it's a harbor freight workbench, and I really abuse it. Since that photo, I had ordered a replacement vise (like the one that comes with the bench) and mounted it on the front. I think the extra vise was 18 dollars.


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## Scurvy

*Bench as ultimate jig/tool*



Al B Thayer said:


> Bernie
> Thanks for posting your award winning bench design. If most of you don't know. Bernie's bench design was picked and showcased in ShopNotes mag. for the system he has shown here. Which offers a gizzilon ways to work on and clamp your work.
> 
> I believe after that a few members here copied the concept.
> 
> Al


Al, thanks for kickstarting the thread & Bernie thanks for your bench/"jig." This is perfect timing for me as I'm trying to figger out my portable bench situation: I'm using a Makita track saw and trying to decide which system to go with: MFT or T-slotted. One basic assumption I'm making is that I will use a sacrificial skin/scraps in either set up in order to not cut the top, so the concern of chopping the T-slot to useless bits is eliminated. Has anyone compared the 2 systems and shared their experiences/views? Bernie, did you get to play w/ an MFT prior to your build?

Shoot, I could even do a hybrid version, but I think for a me a qualifier would be to go w/ 3/4" holes instead of Festool's 20mm holes because there are so many, much cheaper 3/4" dog-hole accessories in the market. Thoughts or experiences (pix)?


Bradley


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## Dodis

Scurvy said:


> Al, thanks for kickstarting the thread & Bernie thanks for your bench/"jig." This is perfect timing for me as I'm trying to figger out my portable bench situation: I'm using a Makita track saw and trying to decide which system to go with: MFT or T-slotted. One basic assumption I'm making is that I will use a sacrificial skin/scraps in either set up in order to not cut the top, so the concern of chopping the T-slot to useless bits is eliminated. Has anyone compared the 2 systems and shared their experiences/views? Bernie, did you get to play w/ an MFT prior to your build?


_This may be a useful option for your tracksaw, Scurvy... I use mine with the homemade saw guides._

So far, my favorite jig has been the Knock-Down Cutting Table from Woodsmith. I also attached it to a set of stamped sheetmetal sawhorses to make permanent legs for it. Tunred out to be just the right height to put behind my truck and slide plywood onto it for cutting before carrying to the shop.

The only tweak I made to the dimensions is to size the widths of the members to double the depth my circular saw will cut because I ganged up all the pieces and made the notch cuts all at once at the full depth of my CS.

Probably will build another soon as I let my contractor use mine when putting up Hardie siding, so it is pretty well cut up now. Looks like he didn't bother to adjust his cutting depth... Can't be mad though, getting good prices for his work and I am making sure he can do it good and easy! :thumbsup:


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## BernieL

Scurvy - my original bench had dogs but I needed more when I retired 5 years ago because I got serious about woodworking. I got the idea for the tracks after staring at my router table which has a built in track. But I also wanted a dual crank end vise and my new budget said not yet. That's when I got the idea for the removable pipe clamps as my dual crank vise. The whole set up has been sweet to say the least. Every time I've run into a problem, my bench has come to the rescue. I don't know if you've seen the whole thread, but just look at the pictures and get some ideas. Another guy Chris jumped in at one point with a variation which you might find interesting. Her is the link

:1eye:


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## Scurvy

Dodis said:


> So far, my favorite jig has been the Knock-Down Cutting Table from Woodsmith. :thumbsup:


Mike, yes the WS cutting grid is nice, I just completed mine yesterday -- hence my question. I did 2 tweaks:


 Was to cut 2 of the joists and 2 of the cross-members a few inches deeper in order to "capture" the rail of the sawhorses. No clamps or weird separate capture plates needed now.
I used 1/2" shop grade plywd for mine and it works great while being 2/3 the weight, or less, of the 3/4". Unfortunately, the shop grade I used was some Sande ply from HD that I discovered has luan face plies and the freakin' "factory edges" weren't cut straight -- real garbage that caused me to have to go back and trim cut every piece straight! I would recommend going to a real lumber yard to buy real shop grade; very smooth, very strong. I applied 1 coat of polyurethane before cutting in order to give it a bit of protection.:thumbsup:


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## jciccare

Big Jim, your captive rip guide is the simplest I've seen, and the aluminum track is thinner to clamp to the workpiece than wood in other designs. I happen to have a 2nd circular saw I can dedicate, so two questions: (1) what gauge aluminum? (2) Is there any significance to the second vertical slot in the wood L-section guide piece, visible to the left of the guide slot that's on the aluminum edge in the first photo?


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## BigJim

hawkeye10 said:


> Big Jim help me understand. Looking at the pictures it looks like the saw is riding along the aluminum guide but it looks like the saw is also cutting the guide as well as the wood. I know this is not what is happening but to me it looks that way. Maybe I am just brain dead. I could use a jig like that to cut sheets of plywood.
> 
> Thanks Don


Don the wood in the picture is fastened to the shoe of the saw, the saw blade is actually about 3/4 inch from the aluminum but cuts flush with the wood fastened to the shoe of the saw. The saw is a left hand saw (blade on the left).

jciccare, the aluminum is 3/32 inch thick, that other slot is nothing, I just grabbed some scrap and that shallower cut just happened to be there. LOL


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## Scurvy

Big Jim, where did you get that chunk 'O 'lum-i-nin-ium, so wide?


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## BigJim

A metal fabricating shop, I had them brake one 50 inches and another 100 inches back then the two pieces with the brake was $25.


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## PhilBa

Scurvy said:


> Al, thanks for kickstarting the thread & Bernie thanks for your bench/"jig." This is perfect timing for me as I'm trying to figger out my portable bench situation: I'm using a Makita track saw and trying to decide which system to go with: MFT or T-slotted. One basic assumption I'm making is that I will use a sacrificial skin/scraps in either set up in order to not cut the top, so the concern of chopping the T-slot to useless bits is eliminated. Has anyone compared the 2 systems and shared their experiences/views? Bernie, did you get to play w/ an MFT prior to your build?
> 
> Shoot, I could even do a hybrid version, but I think for a me a qualifier would be to go w/ 3/4" holes instead of Festool's 20mm holes because there are so many, much cheaper 3/4" dog-hole accessories in the market. Thoughts or experiences (pix)?
> 
> Bradley


I am going through the same thought process. Have a makita like you (man, is the track saw a great invention or what) and find I am using it for all sorts of things other than breaking down sheet goods. I love not having to shove a big piece of plywood across my table saw. I'm at the point where big is like 30x40 or so.

As such, I'll probably build an MFT like table (actually putting the holes in my current outfeed table) with maybe one or two t tracks. I'm leaning towards the 20mm flavor as that seems to be the direction the market is going. Also the 20mm stuff seems a lot more precise to me.

Yeah, qwas dogs and such are a bit more expensive but I'll probably take the pegboard + template approach to make my holes. Looks easy enough to do. Got to get past some other projects before I tackle this one, though. I think the peg board with 20mm holes on the same grid makes for a great sacrificial surface - you can dog right though them and it all aligns precisely.


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## jciccare

BigJim said:


> The third picture is the marking gauge to mark exactly where the blade will cut, just hook it on the track and align it to your measurement mark, clamp the track down and cut.
> 
> ....the saw blade is actually about 3/4 inch from the aluminum but cuts flush with the wood fastened to the shoe of the saw. The saw is a left hand saw (blade on the left).


Ah, thanks for pointing out the 3/4" offset. So to confirm, is the setup sequence: 
1. Draw the cut line (or at a minimum, start- and end-marks) on the workpiece
2. Place marking gauge on track and use it (not the track edge) to position the track relative to the cut line at one end of the cut; set 1st clamp. (The track edge will now be 3/4" from the cut line there.)
3. Repeat at the far end of the cut; set 2nd clamp
4. Presumably, go back and check the first mark 
5. Cut

Any particular reason for the offset being 3/4"?


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## Dodis

Scurvy said:


> Was to cut 2 of the joists and 2 of the cross-members a few inches deeper in order to "capture" the rail of the sawhorses. No clamps or weird separate capture plates needed now.
> I used 1/2" shop grade plywd for mine and it works great while being 2/3 the weight, or less, of the 3/4".


 Scurvy,

I too was thinking of 1/2" for my next one. My first was just some A/C 3/4" I had for something that didn't get built... The other sheet I used to make the Boy Scouts Patrol Table (picnic table) for my neice & husband (they are small enough to fit on it :blush.

I permanently attached the two capture plates to the two sawhorses, and glued in the vertical rails. Now setup is just unfold the legs, drop in the long rails and fully engage the slots on one side laying them in the opposite slots. Then I just pull the other sawhorse in/out until the rails drop in place.

And I like the idea of adding some finish next time, especially to keep the 1/2" sealed.


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## Scurvy

Dodis said:


> I permanently attached the two capture plates to the two sawhorses, and glued in the vertical rails. Now setup is just unfold the legs, drop in the long rails and fully engage the slots on one side laying them in the opposite slots. Then I just pull the other sawhorse in/out until the rails drop in place.


Yes, the grid is great, except the deployment can be a bit fussy, so your technique is helpful. Does the permanently attached capture plate w/ the vertical rails get whacked or damaged?

I found that the slot cutting exercise was a bit problematic, probably due to the crapping plywd I used, which seems to have gotten some fiber-bloom after I applied my water-based PU finish -- yeah, I could improve things by sanding it all down and giving it another coat, but these are consumable and that just seemed to be too much work. What I found was that the exactly sized dado slots were just a bit too tight and I had to go thru and sand all of them for a usable fit. They are still tight but should loosen up w/ more use. Did you experience this? How did you arrive at your slot sizing?


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## Scurvy

PhilBa said:


> I am going through the same thought process. Have a makita like you (man, is the track saw a great invention or what) and find I am using it for all sorts of things other than breaking down sheet goods. I love not having to shove a big piece of plywood across my table saw. I'm at the point where big is like 30x40 or so.
> 
> As such, I'll probably build an MFT like table (actually putting the holes in my current outfeed table) with maybe one or two t tracks. I'm leaning towards the 20mm flavor as that seems to be the direction the market is going. Also the 20mm stuff seems a lot more precise to me.
> 
> Yeah, qwas dogs and such are a bit more expensive but I'll probably take the pegboard + template approach to make my holes. Looks easy enough to do. Got to get past some other projects before I tackle this one, though. I think the peg board with 20mm holes on the same grid makes for a great sacrificial surface - you can dog right though them and it all aligns precisely.


Phil, HA, after using my track saw, the phrase that comes to mind is "years of suffering" at the hands of sheet goods! A fantastic use for it is as a sort of jointer replacement -- it makes it a breeze to joint an edge, even up to 8-footers.

20mm, yea you're probably right about this being a market trend as everything goes metric, but even the Brits still build furniture in SAE, all around the world construction lumber/goods are still SAE, so SAE will continue to be around for quite a while longer. At least I see that we're going to be waffling between SAE & metric for a lot longer, and I really wish we could just go all metric and be done with it -- base 10 math is just so much easier.

Just like you, my project list isn't allowing me to execute the table top yet. So it sounds like standard 1/4" pegboard will land directly on the 96mm grid that Fester uses, true? Yes, that template approach appears to be capable of producing pretty much perfect results and is what I was planning on using.

-- Bradley


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## BigJim

jciccare said:


> Ah, thanks for pointing out the 3/4" offset. So to confirm, is the setup sequence:
> 1. Draw the cut line (or at a minimum, start- and end-marks) on the workpiece
> 2. Place marking gauge on track and use it (not the track edge) to position the track relative to the cut line at one end of the cut; set 1st clamp. (The track edge will now be 3/4" from the cut line there.)
> 3. Repeat at the far end of the cut; set 2nd clamp
> 4. Presumably, go back and check the first mark
> 5. Cut
> 
> Any particular reason for the offset being 3/4"?


That is exactly the way I do it.

No there isn't a reason, I just asked for the tracks to be 6 inches wide, or something like that, and that is how they turned out after they made the brake.

I have tried to come up with a better way to clamp the track to the sheet of plywood and this is what I think will work: use a piece of 1/4 inch plywood wide enough to allow the blade to cut it, that way you could just use the edge of the 1/4 plywood to define where the cut will be. Let the 1/4 plywood stick out the other side enough that you can get a clamp on it. 

The way I fastened the track down was using a 5/8 inch screw I screwed the track down on the back side of the plywood. To make the saw slide easier, use some Johnson's Paste wax or silicone spray, either does a fair job, just don't get any on your wood.


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## PhilBa

Scurvy said:


> So it sounds like standard 1/4" pegboard will land directly on the 96mm grid that Fester uses, true? Yes, that template approach appears to be capable of producing pretty much perfect results and is what I was planning on using.
> 
> -- Bradley


The peg board in the US is on 4" centers. But the hole spacing doesn't matter as long as it's uniform. A bunch of FOG folks have made MFT top replacements with different spacing. By the way, I'm going to try making the template jig myself. If all else fails, I'll buy the one from the FOG guy. This is a great excuse to buy another router!

By the way, it's no so much that the dogs are metric but rather that seems to be where the innovation is happening.


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## Belg

Bernie, I think you forgot the link to your build?? I would love to see it. Thanks Pat


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## Scurvy

There's a cool thing I saw at FOG called the MFSlab, which is on YouTube. Simply put, it's a MFT slab that has been improved by a San Francisco GC who created a CAD file that they sell for $10 and might even include a full-size print of their slab. They use the slab on saw horses, or boxes, or the floor, etc... but it's just an improved MFT top that they have produced by taking a chunk of MDF to a local CNC shop. They say 1 sheet of big MDF plus the CNC work costs them $150 for 2 MFSlabs.

-- Bradley


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## Dodis

Scurvy said:


> Yes, the grid is great, except the deployment can be a bit fussy, so your technique is helpful. Does the permanently attached capture plate w/ the vertical rails get whacked or damaged??


Nothing gets whacked, the long rails only have about a 2 1/2" drop to fully engage both slots, with my setup process.



Scurvy said:


> I found that the slot cutting exercise was a bit problematic, probably due to the crapping plywd I used, which seems to have gotten some fiber-bloom after I applied my water-based PU finish -- yeah, I could improve things by sanding it all down and giving it another coat, but these are consumable and that just seemed to be too much work. What I found was that the exactly sized dado slots were just a bit too tight and I had to go thru and sand all of them for a usable fit. They are still tight but should loosen up w/ more use. Did you experience this? How did you arrive at your slot sizing?


I gave some thought before I started on the slots because I didn't feel like cutting that many slots with my crappy jigsaw. So I measured the max depth my circular saw would cut, ripped the short rails down to double that (except the two on the capture plate, 1/4" wider to include the dado in the base). Then I clamped all 3 long rails (then all 6 short rails), marked the slot locations and cut through them with my CS at full depth, just like nibbling out a wide kerf on the table saw. Mine are close to tight, but a light push on top and they drop right in. I marked them right at 3/4" which as we all know is more than the thickness of *3/4"* plywood. So it worked out lucky there. :thumbsup:

Since I'll be dragging it out this week sometime, will take pics of the setup process and either add them here or just start another thread...


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## Al B Thayer

Dodis said:


> _This may be a useful option for your tracksaw, Scurvy... I use mine with the homemade saw guides._
> 
> So far, my favorite jig has been the Knock-Down Cutting Table from Woodsmith. I also attached it to a set of stamped sheetmetal sawhorses to make permanent legs for it. Tunred out to be just the right height to put behind my truck and slide plywood onto it for cutting before carrying to the shop.
> 
> The only tweak I made to the dimensions is to size the widths of the members to double the depth my circular saw will cut because I ganged up all the pieces and made the notch cuts all at once at the full depth of my CS.
> 
> Probably will build another soon as I let my contractor use mine when putting up Hardie siding, so it is pretty well cut up now. Looks like he didn't bother to adjust his cutting depth... Can't be mad though, getting good prices for his work and I am making sure he can do it good and easy! :thumbsup:


I like it. Prolly stores in a very small space. 

Thanks for sharing

Al


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## Justin Huisenga

Cutting jig for Flex and radius casing.


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## Justin Huisenga

Home made clamps to glue up radius door head. They tighten with an impact driver.


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## Justin Huisenga

Cabinet lift. Works on beams. They're hollow so they don't weigh that much.


----------



## Justin Huisenga

Router sled for re-stiling doors, cutting in floor guides on pocket doors, and auto bottoms.


----------



## Justin Huisenga

Stair tread jig that automatically references a guide rail.


----------



## Justin Huisenga

A couple of carts used for doors, sheet goods, etc. I can walk a 3'0" 8'0" door to its opening one handed.


----------



## new2woodwrk

Justin Huisenga said:


> Cabinet lift. Works on beams. They're hollow so they don't weigh that much.


I like that - can be used for other things as well I would think - hollow? 

Did you use 1x4 etc? to make?


----------



## BernieL

I don't know how the "one eye" symbol got in place of my link, but it is an active link. I'm not the best with these computers... here is the link again

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/versatile-small-shop-work-bench-unique-40361/

Justin - Those are great shop helps. I remodeled my kitchen a few years ago and made some helping hands, but they were not as good as yours. I would almost say that you were in the moving business or maybe a rigger of some sorts at one time in your life... Thanks for the posts


----------



## Justin Huisenga

new2woodwrk said:


> I like that - can be used for other things as well I would think - hollow?
> 
> Did you use 1x4 etc? to make?



The beams being lifted are hollow. The lift itself can only handle about 200lbs.

The post and bottom cross piece are made out of laminated 3/4" ply making them basically an LVL.


----------



## Justin Huisenga

BernieL said:


> I don't know how the "one eye" symbol got in place of my link, but it is an active link. I'm not the best with these computers... here is the link again
> 
> http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/versatile-small-shop-work-bench-unique-40361/
> 
> Justin - Those are great shop helps. I remodeled my kitchen a few years ago and made some helping hands, but they were not as good as yours. I would almost say that you were in the moving business or maybe a rigger of some sorts at one time in your life... Thanks for the posts



Never a mover or a rigger just a carpenter.


----------



## Rebelwork

Justin where I know you from?


----------



## Al B Thayer

Justin Huisenga said:


> A couple of carts used for doors, sheet goods, etc. I can walk a 3'0" 8'0" door to its opening one handed.


Oh I need one of these in the worst way. I have plenty of wheels laying around too.

thanks
Al


----------



## Justin Huisenga

Rebelwork said:


> Justin where I know you from?



Not sure. I haven't made it to MO for work yet.

I am a member at a couple other sites as well. You did PM me when I first joined here.


----------



## Justin Huisenga

Al B Thayer said:


> Oh I need one of these in the worst way. I have plenty of wheels laying around too.
> 
> thanks
> Al



I get the most use out of the one on the right. It was made for door slabs, plywood and counter tops. 4' material will balance itself on the cart unless there is a strong wind and can be moved around one handed. It has a very tight turn radius and can roll over cords and hoses because of the 2 pneumatic wheels. The one on the left was made to move windows and is adjustable for different jamb depths.


----------



## woodnthings

*I use one like this....*










I get dog tired of pushing though....:shifty:


catching some air .....









I gotta get a back up camera ....


----------



## notskot

I built a crosscut extension for my TS. I’ve had big crosscut sleds in the past that helped with crosscut capacity, but sometimes pulling out the sled is a hassle, plus my shop is really small so finding a convenient location to store the sled has proven to be problematic. This 4” extension was very simple, stays in place, and doesn’t take up any extra space since it sits right above the fence support bracket. My TS is left tilt, so I don’t need left side rip capacity, and have already slid the fence rails over more to the right for added rip capacity, and out of the way. 

This extension could have easily been wider for even more capacity, but at some point it would make it’s presence known and would get in the way. I had a piece of 4-1/4” phenolic material laying around that fit the bill perfectly. I added some spacers underneath until the surface of the phenolic extension was flush with the saw top. Now I can pull my miter gauge back an additional 4” without loosing control of the miter gauge off the front edge of the table. Pretty simple mod, and was about as close to free as you can get!


----------



## woodnthings

*I like the concept...infeed support*

It would not have occured to me to add an infeed support like that. I've used roller and stands for long planks and larger panels, but not a "shortie" like you have. If I were to make one, I would like a clip on better than a bolt on. The Delta Unifence poses some attachment issues with either way unless it's attached on the bottom where there is a slot.

Thanks for the idea! :smile:


----------



## Al B Thayer

Notskot

No more gauge flop. Great idea. I've been on the end of that abrupt flop many times. Most likely it wouldn't have to be any deeper because the cut would be done another way if it were longer. 

Phenolic is a good material to have at hand. I made a template with it last week.

Thanks

Al


----------



## Al B Thayer

Nice selfie Oby Juan.

Al


----------



## Rebelwork

Justin Huisenga said:


> Not sure. I haven't made it to MO for work yet.
> 
> I am a member at a couple other sites as well. You did PM me when I first joined here.


Weren't you setting up a shop at one time?


----------



## Justin Huisenga

Rebelwork said:


> Weren't you setting up a shop at one time?


Not me.

I'm a field carpenter/millwork installer. I like working in the field. The amount of shop work I do isn't enough for me to justify the overhead of setting up a bigger shop than what I have. I usually do about a dozen built ins, mantels, short runs of custom trim, etc a year and can do them with the space I have.

If there is a version of me out there that has the kind of space pictured I'm both a little jealous and wish him the best of luck.


----------



## Justin Huisenga

A few more jigs.

These are sub fences for cutting larger crown in position than the saw is capable of stock. The fences are removable and use the portion of the blade that is behind the stock fences to get the extra capacity. The biggest crown I've used them on was about 8" but there's room for larger.


----------



## Justin Huisenga

A quick and dirty dovetail jig for lack of a better term to make the gutae on a bunch of Beaux Arts triglyphs for a cabinet cornice. My dovetail jig couldn't get the correct spacing and the designer wanted the slight radius on the pins.


----------



## Justin Huisenga

A simple vacuum pod work support. I have them made in multiple configurations and sizes. Very useful for long runs of large crown, balancing single stand alone cabinets or any other place I need an extra hand.


----------



## Rebelwork

My mistake I thought you were the same person...


----------



## Al B Thayer

Justin Huisenga said:


> A few more jigs.
> 
> These are sub fences for cutting larger crown in position than the saw is capable of stock. The fences are removable and use the portion of the blade that is behind the stock fences to get the extra capacity. The biggest crown I've used them on was about 8" but there's room for larger.


Slick setup. But I thought you guys cut crown flat with those saws.

Al


----------



## Al B Thayer

Justin Huisenga said:


> A simple vacuum pod work support. I have them made in multiple configurations and sizes. Very useful for long runs of large crown, balancing single stand alone cabinets or any other place I need an extra hand.


That idea sucks!

Thanks for sharing

Al


----------



## Justin Huisenga

Al B Thayer said:


> Slick setup. But I thought you guys cut crown flat with those saws.
> 
> Al


I prefer to cut in position. It's faster. It only requires changing the miter vs miter and bevel and its more accurate. To cut on the flat usually requires a SCMS. I own a couple of these but prefer fixed saws for accuracy. Sliding saws have some degree of flex in the head when extended on their rails and more moving parts to go out of adjustment or wear out.


----------



## Dodis

For those waiting... Finally got a couple of pics of my cutting table setup process.

First is the leg assembly. The capture plate attached to a cheap set of steel sawhorses.
_You can see why I plan to build another..._

Cutting Table 1e by Mr_Dodis, on Flickr

Once the long supports are in place, notched into one leg, resting in the notch of the other, just drag the leg assembly until the suppots drop into place. Then add the cross supports.

Cutting Table 2e by Mr_Dodis, on Flickr


----------



## Al B Thayer

Dodis

Thanks for sharing your fav. Do you have to put them in a certain order or are they interchange?

Al


----------



## Al B Thayer

Justin Huisenga said:


> A quick and dirty dovetail jig for lack of a better term to make the gutae on a bunch of Beaux Arts triglyphs for a cabinet cornice. My dovetail jig couldn't get the correct spacing and the designer wanted the slight radius on the pins.


Slick idea. I missed this one.

Thanks
Al


----------



## Dodis

Al B Thayer said:


> Dodis
> 
> Thanks for sharing your fav. Do you have to put them in a certain order or are they interchange?
> 
> Al


Al, I measured the spcing carefully to make sure I could interchange/rotate the pieces. (though I managed to get interrupted in the shop and cut slots in the long rails wrong, TWICE  . Just glued in some fillers and cut them right). All the same length rails were clamped together (short then long) for cutting the slots so they would all be the same spacing. I set my circular saw to max depth and nibbled out the slots, then ripped the pieces down to twice the slot depth.


----------



## BlueMacGyver

*My Fav Jig*

https://youtu.be/DlrTlv3pkjg









I like this jig I made it with velcro and a table vise to do mortise and tenons. It wil make you want to head to the garage!


----------



## Al B Thayer

BlueMacGyver said:


> https://youtu.be/DlrTlv3pkjg
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I like this jig I made it with velcro and a table vise to do mortise and tenons. It wil make you want to head to the garage!


Oh come on. Post some pics and brag. Looks like you have a winner.

Al


----------



## Marv

My latest fixture upgrade to fit between my miter gauge and large sled...


----------



## Scurvy

*Long T-bolts*

Hey Marv, Nice jig, I checked out your PhotoBucket collection on it. In one view you set it up w/ very long T-bolts, why? I have been noodling on something like this fence approach for my RAS. Cheers, Bradley


----------



## Marv

Scurvy said:


> Hey Marv, Nice jig, I checked out your PhotoBucket collection on it. In one view you set it up w/ very long T-bolts, why? I have been noodling on something like this fence approach for my RAS. Cheers, Bradley


 Thanks Bradley! Those are basic toilet bolts and I was just mocking it up when I took the first few pictures where they are long however I cut them off during the final construction. BTW, I made several of my own flip stops over the years and they were OK however I've had the Kreg flip stops on a few different fences for some time now and they are well worth the cost IMO (I have never re adjusted them and they are still solid with no play).


----------



## Pirate

stock pusher. Use it all the time. Shown with narrow foot.


----------



## Joe Lyddon

Looks very interesting...

Possible to show more pics with various configurations?

COOL...

What kind of fence are you using?

The black knob, I presume, locks the slider in place... For what? 
Preset for positioning work piece away from fence for a miter cut?

Thank you!


----------



## Pirate

Knob (off CM ras) is just to push on. 
The fence is a Jet Exacta (Biesemeyer clone) with a t track for attachments, as in pictures.
Vega roller to keep stock against fence.
Aux fence, feather board and stop block also shown.
The Vega roller does a great job holding wood down and against the fence.





Joe Lyddon said:


> Looks very interesting...
> 
> Possible to show more pics with various configurations?
> 
> COOL...
> 
> What kind of fence are you using?
> 
> The black knob, I presume, locks the slider in place... For what?
> Preset for positioning work piece away from fence for a miter cut?
> 
> Thank you!


----------



## Joe Lyddon

This is supposed to be a "Pusher" right?...
A safe way to Push wood through a cut?
In your first picture there is a small strip being pushed... somehow... Can't see how it's hooked onto anything & doesn't look like it's being "Pushed".

In the 2nd pic, you have a Tall Sacrificial fence behind the pusher... how does the Pusher work here?

I'm confused... (doesn't take much) 

Maybe you're just showing how the Sac. Fence would be attached for it's special purpose... 

Then just a Feather board example... A Stop Block example, etc.
... and NOT a setup to really be used as it's shown?

Do you use thicker attached goodies to the Pusher... ? (in place of or in addition to the white plastic sheet in Pic.#1)


----------



## Belg

*Tablesaw miter gauge extension*

This allows me to put much larger stock between the blade and my miter gauge works really well for me.


----------



## Belg

*Tablesaw miter gauge extension*

This allows me to put much larger stock between the blade and my miter gauge works really well for me.


----------



## Pirate

If you look at the bottom of the white "foot" there is a notch, to push the stock thru.
On wider stock, I use a push stick and the Vega roller.
The sac. fence, featherboard and stop block are all there just for the picture.
With the Vega roller, I don't use the featherboard any more. 
The stop block, for repeat cross cuts, is 1" thick, so using the tape, just add 1"


----------



## woodnthings

*You've got me confused ...*











I can see a "straddle" type jig on a Biesemeyer style fence, but why the additional center track? Would it hold other jigs or hold downs?

It seems to me that a "L" shaped slider with various thickness shoes for the narrow widths of stock to be pushed would be all that I would need. The different shoes could be attached similarly with threaded studs and wing nuts or nutserts and flat head screws for no side interference. I may have to make something like that... ?

On the other hand, a thin rip jig may be a better answer since the off fall is away from the fence and won't get trapped and want to kickback.


----------



## Pirate

The t track is to attach the Vega stock roller, as well as aux. fence, featherboatd, etc. With the pusher, cutting thin strips is much faster and more accurate results, than having to move fence each time. 
No kickbacks as the stock is pushed all the way past the blade.





woodnthings said:


> I can see a "straddle" type jig on a Biesemeyer style fence, but why the additional center track? Would it hold other jigs or hold downs?
> 
> It seems to me that a "L" shaped slider with various thickness shoes for the narrow widths of stock to be pushed would be all that I would need. The different shoes could be attached similarly with threaded studs and wing nuts or nutserts and flat head screws for no side interference. I may have to make something like that... ?
> 
> On the other hand, a thin rip jig may be a better answer since the off fall is away from the fence and won't get trapped and want to kickback.


----------



## BernieL

I'm back - had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands and much more distracting - the birth of our 6th granddaughter who was 11 weeks premature. She is doing very, very well at the start of her 4th week.

Al - I love this thread and want to thank you once again. 

I noticed I had mentioned a work bench by my friend Chris Curl (we miss you). He basically built a "New Finagled" work bench and incorporated some of my t-track ideas. He hasn't been active for a while but his bench is worth mentioning. I hope I get the link correct

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f13/swiss-army-knife-workbenches-51807/


----------



## Develin

BernieL said:


> I'm back - had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands and much more distracting - the birth of our 6th granddaughter who was 11 weeks premature. She is doing very, very well at the start of her 4th week.


Really happy to hear that the little one is doing well and congratulations on your sixth grandchild! Hope your surgery went really well too.

So, I have read this post quite quickly and I hope I didn't miss this but can I post some hand tools jigs or is this power tools only? Because I have lots of both hehe! You might think of me as a collector of jigs, some pretty and others barely functional!

Dev


----------



## BigJim

Develin said:


> Really happy to hear that the little one is doing well and congratulations on your sixth grandchild! Hope your surgery went really well too.
> 
> So, I have read this post quite quickly and I hope I didn't miss this but can I post some hand tools jigs or is this power tools only? Because I have lots of both hehe! You might think of me as a collector of jigs, some pretty and others barely functional!
> 
> Dev


Post away, we would love to see your power and hand tool jigs.


----------



## Develin

Well I have loads of jigs but I do have a favourite... it's a thicknessing jig for a hand plane which I have used to plane stock as small as 3mm x 10mm. Sometimes thin strips or inlay is really tough to machine. This gives me a super fine smooth surface on all edges where it wasn't safe to achieve a high finish with the power tools I own.

The sides of the plane run on the strips of wood which I attach using double sided tape normally and then I plane the timber down until it takes no more shavings. Works a treat for my circumstances.


----------



## BernieL

Thanks for making this site a bit more interesting with your post Develin - interesting jig for hand planes. Now you stated you have more jigs - you got my curiosity... so please post again.


----------



## Rebelwork

Justin Huisenga said:


> A quick and dirty dovetail jig for lack of a better term to make the gutae on a bunch of Beaux Arts triglyphs for a cabinet cornice. My dovetail jig couldn't get the correct spacing and the designer wanted the slight radius on the pins.


Looks very similar to work done here. Wonder If they used a jig?


----------



## Rebelwork

A pocket hole jig I believe from Shopnotes. This jig works very well based off a Castle pocket hole machine...


----------



## Rebelwork

I made this years ago for single demountable hinges. Works well but went to concealed so I didn't have to carry so many finishes..


----------



## Toolman50

Justin Huisenga said:


> A quick and dirty dovetail jig for lack of a better term to make the gutae on a bunch of Beaux Arts triglyphs for a cabinet cornice. My dovetail jig couldn't get the correct spacing and the designer wanted the slight radius on the pins.


Question: in the picture, it appears you did not run the cornice to the ceiling. Did you run crown mold on top of this?
Beautiful work. Not the type of cabinetry you would see in a middle class home.


----------



## Toolman50

Al B Thayer said:


> That idea sucks!
> 
> Thanks for sharing
> 
> Al



Al,
I was slow to catch it, but I got it. Good one! 
A simple jig can make a big difference. 
Jim


----------



## Toolman50

Rebelwork said:


> Looks very similar to work done here. Wonder If they used a jig?


Outstanding detail work. This looks like something first created from the late 1700's to me. This type work can't be duplicated by the average trim carpenter. 
I love this forum. 
Jim


----------



## BWSmith

Rebel,post #109.....and this chit really,really does matter.


One element has "half space"...near the 90(outside corner).And the other element has a "whole space".

Just sayin,this is so incredulously wronk....that words can't do justice.

Most "students" will see it....but still,get it wrong.The very best to you,hoping those kids of yours grow up with the appreciation you have for the "finer things".


----------



## BWSmith

OK....I'm a bloomin idjit.Warner Const. has youngins.......Rebel is "just" a hard workin stiff that,post's really good pics.

He also....along with Warner really are the metric that we can use these days.just sayin.


----------



## mengtian

*Spline Jig*

Simple yet effective. I only did the track on one side for simplicity sake and it give me all the range I need for boxes up to 20 inches (plus the fact it was last piece of track I had and needed to make a jig LOL)


----------



## Bob in St. Louis

That's very cool.
Definitely on my 'to-do' list.


----------



## mengtian

Bob in St. Louis said:


> That's very cool.
> Definitely on my 'to-do' list.


 I do lots of picture frames and I like to use splines for strength.


----------



## Al B Thayer

mengtian said:


> Simple yet effective. I only did the track on one side for simplicity sake and it give me all the range I need for boxes up to 20 inches (plus the fact it was last piece of track I had and needed to make a jig LOL)



This is very useful. I do the same on frames.

Thanks to all you guys that posted your junk. Thanks to all the great comments and thumbs up. KEEP THEM COMING!

Al


----------



## Al B Thayer

Rebelwork said:


> I made this years ago for single demountable hinges. Works well but went to concealed so I didn't have to carry so many finishes..



Reb

Love the long narrow table. Excellent setup. I enjoy working on a narrow router table for regular routing too.

Al


----------



## mengtian

Al B Thayer said:


> Thanks to all you guys that posted your junk.
> Al


 Sorry,,,that is too disturbing:laughing:


----------



## Justin Huisenga

Toolman50 said:


> Question: in the picture, it appears you did not run the cornice to the ceiling. Did you run crown mold on top of this?
> Beautiful work. Not the type of cabinetry you would see in a middle class home.


Crown spanned from the horizontal "shelf" to the ceiling. The ceiling was clad in T&G which hadn't yet been installed when the picture was taken. The ceiling was off level 5/8"ish from one end of the room to the other and in order to maintain the reveal on the shelf I had to incrementally change the rise/spring angle of the crown as I worked around the room. The horizontal marks on the saw sub fences show the changes.


----------



## Al B Thayer

Anyone have any more of their junk to post? 

Al


----------



## Pirate

Here is a shot of the underside of my circular saw xero clearance cutting guide. 

Al, I found the 1/2 collet. It was hiding!


----------



## Justin Huisenga

Zero clearance insert. Basically a homemade version of the Colliflower inserts. Made of MDO with scrap p-lam. The insert is in a sliding dovetail and is made of scrap Azek. Doesn't really have much effect on tearout but it speeds up trimming cuts.


----------



## Justin Huisenga

Biscuiting jig for casing. Spans the back relief on the trim to keep it from rocking. I also mark the centerline for the biscuits on it. Small fence eases registration and the back has sandpaper spray glued on to keep it from sliding around.


----------



## Pirate

Made this to be able to reset fence to exact place.
Actually made $100 from a wood mag. for the tip:yes:


----------



## Justin Huisenga

These fences are for casing. I rarely use them any more as I deal with fewer and fewer McMansions. The little black strips at the saw throat change the angle of the saw from 45* to 44.5* when dropped into the detent. I used them for trim packages with 2 1/4" casing. That size is too small to be easily preassembled with Clam Clamps so I would tack the long points with a pinner then counter bore and screw. The 44.5* angle splays the legs out. As the units are installed the legs get pulled in putting permanent on the short points


----------



## Justin Huisenga

The jig, if you want to call it one, that I use most is my miter saw stand or more specifically the wings. They are made of 3/4" ply and banded with 1x. There are mounting brackets for fences to be used with repetitive stops. The cross grain t-track is for attaching a crown stop or any number of other cutting jigs. 

The wings nest together referenced off 4 Dominoes and lock together with window sash locks. A shoulder strap makes load in and out easy. The base stand is a compact Dewalt also with a shoulder strap. All stand components transport into the job in one trip.


----------



## Scurvy

Justin, #1: What a great bunch of jigs you've shared, thank you! #2: I get it that your work is necessarily mobile, and it looks like your CSMS is your most used power tool; that said, as a dedicated RAS user, I will point out that a radial arm saw would serve your methods and style quite well ... in your shop. My RAS gives me better results than my Bosch CSMS, with greater capacity, the ability to rip and plough, and I can make my own mouldings too.

I am sure I will be speaking for many members when I say that I look forward to your future posts, thanks for sharing!

-- Bradley


----------



## Al B Thayer

Scurvy said:


> Justin, #1: What a great bunch of jigs you've shared, thank you! #2: I get it that your work is necessarily mobile, and it looks like your CSMS is your most used power tool; that said, as a dedicated RAS user, I will point out that a radial arm saw would serve your methods and style quite well ... in your shop. My RAS gives me better results than my Bosch CSMS, with greater capacity, the ability to rip and plough, and I can make my own mouldings too.
> 
> I am sure I will be speaking for many members when I say that I look forward to your future posts, thanks for sharing!
> 
> -- Bradley



Which model do you own Bradley? While the RAS can do many cuts. None well enough for me. Unless you leave the arm in the 90 degree spot and never move it. 

Al


----------



## unclefester

PhilBa said:


> The peg board in the US is on 4" centers. But the hole spacing doesn't matter as long as it's uniform. A bunch of FOG folks have made MFT top replacements with different spacing. By the way, I'm going to try making the template jig myself. If all else fails, I'll buy the one from the FOG guy. This is a great excuse to buy another router! By the way, it's no so much that the dogs are metric but rather that seems to be where the innovation is happening.


The spacing on the MFT tops are set so it's a 45 or 90 spacing.

I've used the top as my template for my own cutting top.


----------



## Justin Huisenga

Scurvy said:


> Justin, #1: What a great bunch of jigs you've shared, thank you! #2: I get it that your work is necessarily mobile, and it looks like your CSMS is your most used power tool; that said, as a dedicated RAS user, I will point out that a radial arm saw would serve your methods and style quite well ... in your shop. My RAS gives me better results than my Bosch CSMS, with greater capacity, the ability to rip and plough, and I can make my own mouldings too.
> 
> I am sure I will be speaking for many members when I say that I look forward to your future posts, thanks for sharing!
> 
> -- Bradley


I spend a lot of time in front of a miter saw. I've considered getting a RAS. The are a number of shop tasks it would simplify. I'm mainly a field carpenter and my little shop is primarily used for supporting field work so I keep it fairly streamlined. The only tool out of the ordinary is a small moulder.

The saw pictured is a fixed DW716 miter saw. They are no frills work horses. I prefer fixed to sliding because they tend to be much more accurate and tune up easier because there are fewer moving parts.

Most of the jigs I make aren't worth showing. They are quick and dirty one offs that get tossed when I'm done with them. Just about everything I've shown are modified versions of ideas that I picked up from other millwork guys I've worked with, around, or talked to online. I've been very fortunate to work around some very talented carpenters.


----------



## Scurvy

Justin (& Al), I actually have 2 RAS, a Delta 40C(14") and a 30C(10"-12") that I use for framing/renovation and furniture fun and games.

I sold my cabinet saw because, as an urban dweller, shop space is an extreme problem and the cabinet saw simply required far too much floor space in the CENTER of the darn shop -- a huge space planning error. Instead, I first acquired the 40C because the RAS is designed to be installed against a wall, which implies that not only does it require less than 1/2 the floor space of a TS, it also implies that such an installation makes for shared/multi-use/multi-station bench space. To that end, I acquired my 30C and it is installed right next to the 40C, and this setup allows me to use one for crosscut/miter/bevel ops, and the other for rip/plough/moulding ops; that's all in less than 7' of counter space. The center of my shop is reserved for the single most important too of all, the workbench, which of course is movable for flexibility.

Justin, in the heyday of the post-War housing boom, the RAS was a routine and key field tool! Granted, these were placed outside on the jobsite and not moved around much, but they were widely used in situations that justified the time overhead of placing a heavy shop tool on the jobsite. Delta was particularly innovative in this capacity: They made the saws so that the arm's endcap was easily accessed so that the entire saw carriage could be removed from the base saw (which rendered it unusable and therefore unworthy of theft), and the carriage's power could be easily disconnected from the base saw. My 30C also sports a switchable dual voltage motor; the idea being that the RAS could be used w/ 220V in the shop, then moved to the jobsite and connected to 110V power and run by simply flipping a toggle switch.

Al, diving into Mr. Sawdust's tome, "How to Master the Radial Arm Saw," will quickly get one on track with how to properly setup and use a RAS to the greatest effect. You can be sure that I get precision and quality that is at least as good as with the TS, along with a far more versatile tool that doesn't need jigs to get the job done accurately. Lots of folks have  suffered through "accuracy" issues because of a number of setup errors and/or total misses.


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## Scurvy

PhilBa said:


> I'm leaning towards the 20mm flavor as that seems to be the direction the market is going. Also the 20mm stuff seems a lot more precise to me.


Phil, Lee-Valley is producing some outstanding 3/4" dia. format accessories, as does a company called "Atlas" I think (autoset clamps sold at Rockler), and so do many others. In fact, the 3/4" holes make it very easy for the DIY approach. My present thinking is to use BOTH diameters!


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## mengtian

Pirate said:


> Made this to be able to reset fence to exact place.
> Actually made $100 from a wood mag. for the tip:yes:


I use this.....


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## Al B Thayer

Scurvy
We'll just have to agree to disagree. Your certainly a one in a million using a RAS rather than a table saw. I see you have a bigger more expensive model like I mentioned. I would welcome a challenge to produce cuts as accurate as my Unisaw. Ain't happening. 

Most guys that brag about the great cuts they get with a RAS forget to mention they never move the arm. 

Have you got any shop built fixtures you would like to share in the thread?

Al


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## PhilBa

unclefester said:


> The spacing on the MFT tops are set so it's a 45 or 90 spacing.
> 
> I've used the top as my template for my own cutting top.


yes, that's true - it comes from uniform (ie square) spacing. Noting magical, just geometry.


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## PhilBa

Scurvy said:


> Phil, Lee-Valley is producing some outstanding 3/4" dia. format accessories, as does a company called "Atlas" I think (autoset clamps sold at Rockler), and so do many others. In fact, the 3/4" holes make it very easy for the DIY approach. My present thinking is to use BOTH diameters!


Yeah, I've looked at the LV stuff. Nice. How are you going to use both diameters?


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## Justin Huisenga

This is a system I use to measure casing. The idea is borrowed almost entirely from Jim Chestnut's articles. The real take away from the articles aren't his Clam Clamps but the measuring system.

The main component is the measuring stickers. I use address labels. They are 1" x 4" rulers with no numbers on them. I put them on either edge of a piece of scrap of the same thickness as the casing with the center lines exactly lined up. For 6'8" doors the length of the measuring stick is 84" and the center line for the sticker is 81". I go around the house and using the stick I measure the distance from the floor to the underside of the head jamb. I write the measurement down as either + or - the number of marks the jamb is above or below the center line. For example if the jamb is 81 3/8" is written down as +6. 80 7/8" is written down as -2. These numbers get written down on a cut list.

When I get rolling on actually cutting I will cut a bunch of right and left legs that are a couple inches long using stops. When I cut them to rough length I don't turn the saw back to 90* I just leave it set at 45*. It saves a lot of time unnecessarily turning the saw.

To set the measuring stick to the saw I lay it on the wings so that the CL of the stick is 3-4 inches to the left of the blade and clamp it with the saw's material clamp. I take another of the stickers and line the center line of it up with the sticker on the stick.


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## Justin Huisenga

Because the measurements are taken to the underside of the jamb I now have to add to them for the length of the miter and the reveal. To do that I use a piece of scrap casing and a 1/4" spacer. These are set on the table of the fixed stop and slid over to the bottom end of the measuring stick and the stop is tightened down. I switch out the 5' fences I normally use on my wings to an 8' fence and add a DeWalt arm support to handle the extra weight of the fence.

The casing gets slid over to the stop so the long point hits it and from the sticker on the fence the bottom gets marked off the sticker on the fence and cut off square. When cutting both the miters and cutting off square I raise the wings on the saw so they are 1/2" higher than level forcing me to push the casing down hard to flatten it out at the base of the saw. The extra force required helps to keep the casing from moving when it gets cut and it eliminates the 1/2 moon cuts you get when the casing moves.

I cut off all casing regardless of the direction of the miter from the left hand side of the saw. Because of this I took some time when building the fences and the wings to make sure that the register dead square to the blade across the entire length of the stop.

I measure casing heads with a tape measure and they get cut off flip stops. They are the only part of it I use a regular tape for. To measure them at the saw I use the tape measures dadoed into my saw wings.

The system sounds kinda complicated but it isn't. It's much easier to do than explain and is very idiot resistant.


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## LostHasher

Al B Thayer said:


> Anyone have a jig, fixture or shop built tool they like... // The good bad and the ugly.


In the "ugly" category...
I'm currently doing a complicated vinyl siding job and have to hang a series of strips backwards; top to bottom, not bottom to top. I saw a face gauge online (see pic below), realized it was what I needed, and figured I'd make a couple. Scrap wood and countersunk screws. 

They're saving a ton of time. I push the loose strip up the wall as it sits on the lip of the gauge. When the top of the gauge hits the installed strip above, I brace the loose piece with my arm and bang in a roofing nail. Do that a few times and link the strips with a store-bought siding "removal" tool.

I usually spend more time making the tools than using them. Not with these.


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## Scurvy

The dual format would have to come about by making every other hole fit the "odd" (or other) hole diameter, and then stagger that spacing between adjacent rows and columns. This doesn't seem like a real sacrifice to me, as the +-6" hole spacing seems closer than necessary.


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## Jim Frye

*Tool Triggered Extension Cord...*

This one isn't really my all time favorite shop built accessory, but it sure does get a lot of use. My dust collector is an industrial ShopVac that has a tool triggered feature. Plug your tool into the vac and when you turn the tool on, the vac fires up and runs until after you turn to tool off. Nice feature, but it is limited to 12 amps. total for the tool and the vac. Turns out it was only really useful with sanders and the like. My table saw, planer, miter saw, and the table mounted router just pull too much current for the vac's circuitry. So I made this tool triggered extension cord. It's based on a Sears switch, an exterior duplex electrical box, 12 ga. wire, and a plate magnet. The magnet lets me position it on steel tool stands. 

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/memb...op-tools/42457-tool-triggered-extension-cord/


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## Belg

Justin Huisenga said:


> I've considered getting a RAS. The are a number of shop tasks it would simplify.


Justin (guys), Could you expand on what tasks would be easier? The only thing I use mine for is ploughing dados on longer stock. Thanks Pat


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## Toolman50

Belg said:


> Justin (guys), Could you expand on what tasks would be easier? The only thing I use mine for is ploughing dados on longer stock. Thanks Pat


The RAS is excellent for cross cutting. 
Dados can be veiwed from the top while cutting. Also same when cutting tenons. 
Moldings like Dentil mold are easily cut on the RAS.


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## Brian(J)

Jim Frye said:


> This one isn't really my all time favorite shop built accessory, but it sure does get a lot of use. My dust collector is an industrial ShopVac that has a tool triggered feature. Plug your tool into the vac and when you turn the tool on, the vac fires up and runs until after you turn to tool off. Nice feature, but it is limited to 12 amps. total for the tool and the vac. Turns out it was only really useful with sanders and the like. My table saw, planer, miter saw, and the table mounted router just pull too much current for the vac's circuitry. So I made this tool triggered extension cord. It's based on a Sears switch, an exterior duplex electrical box, 12 ga. wire, and a plate magnet. The magnet lets me position it on steel tool stands.
> 
> http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/memb...op-tools/42457-tool-triggered-extension-cord/


Jim,
I'm not getting it. How is the current turned on and off? I've built three different versions of this type of switch and am wondering how yours works.


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## Jim Frye

Brian(J) said:


> Jim,
> I'm not getting it. How is the current turned on and off? I've built three different versions of this type of switch and am wondering how yours works.


The gray box strapped to the outlet box is a Sears Craftsman tool triggered switch. I simply added it to a heavy duty extension cord I made. The Craftsman accessory does all the switching. The switch has a primary outlet for the tool and the ShopVac plugs into the switched port.


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## Belg

*vacuum switch*



Brian(J) said:


> Jim,
> I'm not getting it. How is the current turned on and off? I've built three different versions of this type of switch and am wondering how yours works.


http://www.rockler.com/i-socket-110...ixVQhN_-7ItN2FPbIeIOYsGLroJXhedyvyhoCspTw_wcB
This is the one I use they work really well.


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