In addition to the Crosscut Sleds I also had to make a jig to cut the slots for the splines on the Maple And Padauk Box that I made. This is basically a cradle that holds your workpiece at a 45 degree angle to the tablesaw blade.

This was pretty simple and quick to build. It is just two pieces of 1″ X 4″ cut with 45 degree ends and then screwed to a piece of plywood so that two ends meet and are level with the bottom of the plywood.

To use it’s just a matter of setting your tablesaw fence to the depth that you want the slot cut and then cradle your workpiece in the jig and run it through the saw while keeping the back of the jig against the fence.

You can use this jig to put splines in boxes and picture frames.

Back to the shop…

When I made the Maple And Padauk Box last week I needed a 45 degree crosscut sled to cut the sides so I had to stop and make one first. I also made a 90 degree crosscut sled at the same time.

Both sleds are approximately 15″ X 11″ and made of plywood and Pine with Oak runners.

I find that these sleds make crosscuts a lot easier than using the miter and they minimize tearout.

I made the smaller 90 degree sled because often times I find my larger sled can be a bit of overkill when working with small pieces of wood like that used in making small boxes.

Back to the shop…

In preparation for the mortising I have to do for the Craftsman Coffee Table project I’m working on I built this simple mortising jig:

Although there are quite few different plans and ideas for building a mortising jig, as well as commercial jigs available, I chose this one because it’s quite simple and quick (an hour or so) to build - cut 1/4 hardboard (still commonly referred to as ‘masonite’) to size. Drill the holes to match your plunge router. Route out the slots for the guide screws. Cut the guides to length and drill the holes for the carriage bolts.

Continue reading 'A Simple Plunge Router Mortising Jig'

I mentioned in the last post that making the angles for the picture frames was rather easy using a miter jig so I thought I’d post a bit more info about the jig.

The problem with cutting 45 degree angles is that if your table saw is out of alignment by any amount you will not get a perfect 45. This may not be noticeable when putting only two pieces of wood together but when you have to make a square with 4 pieces you’ll find that there will be undesirable gaps at the miters. A 45 degree cutting miter jig, or as I call it - The Perfect Picture Framer Jig, will eliminate this problem.

Here is a top view of this simple jig:

Continue reading 'The Perfect Picture Framer Jig'

I finally got around to creating a circle cutting jig for the bandsaw today. This was spurred on by my recent purchase of a couple of bowl blocks that I needed to cut round.

Continue reading 'Bandsaw Circle Cutting Jig'