March monthly contest - DIY shop aids and tools - Voting poll added
- Thread starter Phil S
- Start date
My favorite shop jig is for sanding. I use it for sanding everything including my fine fretwork.
It starts with a pre finished shelf I had. I put one of those non-slip router and sanding pads on it. Fasten a strip of 1/4 scrap wood to two sides to hold it. Now I can power sand everything and I don’t have to be concerned about it flying about and breaking. Even when it has over 300 holes. Big or small as long as it fits on the jig, it’s safe. Even the owls and turtles got the fuzzies sanded off the back on this jig.
Because just the 2 sides are fastened, the piece can move just a bit and does not get stressed enough to break. I didn’t make up this jig, I saw it in a YouTube Video.
It starts with a pre finished shelf I had. I put one of those non-slip router and sanding pads on it. Fasten a strip of 1/4 scrap wood to two sides to hold it. Now I can power sand everything and I don’t have to be concerned about it flying about and breaking. Even when it has over 300 holes. Big or small as long as it fits on the jig, it’s safe. Even the owls and turtles got the fuzzies sanded off the back on this jig.
Because just the 2 sides are fastened, the piece can move just a bit and does not get stressed enough to break. I didn’t make up this jig, I saw it in a YouTube Video.
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I recently build a crosscut sled with the intention of making modules to add on as I needed. The main purpose for me is to play around with box building.
I designed it in Fusion 360 and built it with a "quick change" zero clearance insert for when I change blades or blade angles. The inserts come in and out in less than 30 seconds, and will save me from having to build a new sled when the blade section gets chewed up.
So far I've made a simple bevel attachment and a spline jig. I plan to build a box joint jig and a fixture to hold a box when I cut the lid off on the table saw. I could also build a dovetail jig, but the table saw is not a great tool for cutting dovetails.
I wrote up the full assembly instructions on a blog page I just started: Spotted Dog Woodshop – Making things better by making better things
Fusion 360 Rendering:
Actual Completed Sled:
Zero Clearance Inserts (one has been used with my thin kerf blade):
Spline Joint Attachment Rendering:
Actual spline Jig:
I designed it in Fusion 360 and built it with a "quick change" zero clearance insert for when I change blades or blade angles. The inserts come in and out in less than 30 seconds, and will save me from having to build a new sled when the blade section gets chewed up.
So far I've made a simple bevel attachment and a spline jig. I plan to build a box joint jig and a fixture to hold a box when I cut the lid off on the table saw. I could also build a dovetail jig, but the table saw is not a great tool for cutting dovetails.
I wrote up the full assembly instructions on a blog page I just started: Spotted Dog Woodshop – Making things better by making better things
Fusion 360 Rendering:
Actual Completed Sled:
Zero Clearance Inserts (one has been used with my thin kerf blade):
Spline Joint Attachment Rendering:
Actual spline Jig:
Thanks!
The stop block is something I found lying around the shop. I've probably had it for 25 years and never used it. I drilled a few more holes in it so it would fit the fence.
Not sure which inserts you're referencing. The zero clearance inserts are something I thought about for a while and made. With the "bridges" on each end of the insert, they hold their shape and can be removed and replaced easily. The holes in the fence and the pressed in inserts are there for a potential future need for alignment pins. I haven't found a need yet, but it was easier to drill them before assembling the sled.
My tablesaw is a 1985 Craftsman 113 contractor model w/ cast wings, and both left and right side fence rails. I decided to get rid of my small router table and incorporate the router into a new wing. I looked at the Bench Dog solid cast iron wing but couldn’t decide if the fence was what I wanted. So I decided to build my own.
I took off the left wing and both fence rails, replaced the fence rail spacers with hardened steel bed rails (free) & almost exactly same thickness as the spacers. Remounted the rails, mounted the extra wing on the far right side. In addition to reinforcing the long span, this provided a wide lip which supports the router wing.
The wing is two 3/4 inch MDF thick, framed in red oak along the edges, and covered with laminate top and bottom.
The gold extruded Miter and T-tracks are all Incra brand. As is the extra thick router plate w/ magnetic snap in centers.
The brackets mounted on top are a left and right stop block.
They swing around to the back side for storage. I think the bracket mounts were originally from a refrigerator door.
Add a easy access stop switch which kills both the table saw and the router.
The router fence lower faces are Ipe, and can be loosened and expanded to fit up to 3.5 inch wide bit’s. The left face can also accept spacers for use in jointing.
Anyway it’s huge but I have a pressure washer, shop vac, and stick welder that all fit under the wings.
Shaper fence for raised panels. Glued on a hardwood edge to a piece of plywood. Drilled a hole for the shaper shaft. Clamped the fence to the table and lowered the raised panel bid down into the plywood, making a recess. I cut out a chute for dust and shavings. I clamped on a regular fence on top of the plywood strip and made a clamp on guard to cover the raised panel cutter.
The rig works nicely, is easy to set up, no gap for a corner to dip into, and very safe from errant fingers.
Hole for the spindle and dished out area from the RP cutter plus the dust channel on the right.
Actual fence part
How the cutter fits
Auxilliary fence clamped on top.
front guard bandsawn out from some scrap cherry.
front guard clamped in place
Operator's view.
Back view showing chip channel.
The rig works nicely, is easy to set up, no gap for a corner to dip into, and very safe from errant fingers.
Hole for the spindle and dished out area from the RP cutter plus the dust channel on the right.
Actual fence part
How the cutter fits
Auxilliary fence clamped on top.
front guard bandsawn out from some scrap cherry.
front guard clamped in place
Operator's view.
Back view showing chip channel.
I'm enjoying these contests, both entering and seeing what everyone else submits. Great ideas, ingenuity and craftsmanship!
This month's contest was a tough choice. Most of you know how much I enjoy making tools, so narrowing this down to one entry has been a challenge. In the end I decided on the Moxon vise I built a few years ago. It's proved to be one of the most useful tool accessories in my shop and (IMHO) a must for anyone cutting dovetails by hand or otherwise working with small parts. I built this vise not long after my work bench, in part to use when making the bench drawers in the cabinet base (The bench base has 18 drawers, so lots of dovetails were cut).
You can find many examples of Moxon vises on the internet. For mine I had two key goals: 1) raise the work piece up to a more comfortable height for tasks like cutting dovetails, and 2) have a way to tighten the vise with one hand while holding the piece I'm working on with the other. The answer to the latter is a chain drive that turns both screws at once. Here's a picture of the finished result.
Most of the wood used is pecan left over from the workbench with a few walnut accents added. The crank handle is cherry. The various other parts were ordered off the internet or made by me. For example, I made the brass buttons on the end of the shafts from cabinet door knobs sawn in two with a threaded screw added. I did outsource the turning on the screw shafts to a local machine shop.
After a bit of calibration I was able to adjust the chain and sprockets such that the vise face and body are parallel. A simple turn of the crank locks the work piece in place without any movement. Here you can see a mock-up I made of the chain mechanism that I used as a prototype before boring the holes in the actual vise.
I don't include all the pictures and details in this post. If you want to see all the steps, and make one of your own, have a look at the plans in the resources section of the forum. @Dave Richards was generous to provide a detailed parts diagram using SketchUp, and I give a step-by-step process of the build (including pictures and sources of parts).
One thing you'll notice in the first photo are the two T-tracks cut into the vise top. Most recently, I made a set of hold-down clamps that fit into these. These are very helpful when you need a third (or fourth) hand.
This month's contest was a tough choice. Most of you know how much I enjoy making tools, so narrowing this down to one entry has been a challenge. In the end I decided on the Moxon vise I built a few years ago. It's proved to be one of the most useful tool accessories in my shop and (IMHO) a must for anyone cutting dovetails by hand or otherwise working with small parts. I built this vise not long after my work bench, in part to use when making the bench drawers in the cabinet base (The bench base has 18 drawers, so lots of dovetails were cut).
You can find many examples of Moxon vises on the internet. For mine I had two key goals: 1) raise the work piece up to a more comfortable height for tasks like cutting dovetails, and 2) have a way to tighten the vise with one hand while holding the piece I'm working on with the other. The answer to the latter is a chain drive that turns both screws at once. Here's a picture of the finished result.
Most of the wood used is pecan left over from the workbench with a few walnut accents added. The crank handle is cherry. The various other parts were ordered off the internet or made by me. For example, I made the brass buttons on the end of the shafts from cabinet door knobs sawn in two with a threaded screw added. I did outsource the turning on the screw shafts to a local machine shop.
After a bit of calibration I was able to adjust the chain and sprockets such that the vise face and body are parallel. A simple turn of the crank locks the work piece in place without any movement. Here you can see a mock-up I made of the chain mechanism that I used as a prototype before boring the holes in the actual vise.
I don't include all the pictures and details in this post. If you want to see all the steps, and make one of your own, have a look at the plans in the resources section of the forum. @Dave Richards was generous to provide a detailed parts diagram using SketchUp, and I give a step-by-step process of the build (including pictures and sources of parts).
One thing you'll notice in the first photo are the two T-tracks cut into the vise top. Most recently, I made a set of hold-down clamps that fit into these. These are very helpful when you need a third (or fourth) hand.
A dear friend gave me a pecan cookie, ~30" in diameter, 4" one side and 7" on the other. The tree was a family memory that had to come down. The family wanted a table top.
I built the Rockler router sled but used plywood laminated for the main structure and 2X4s and 2x6s for the cross bracing/blocking. I've added casters to the legs so that I can roll it outside for use and not worry about dust inside the s'hanger. I also added casters to one side so that I can tilt it onto its side when stored and take up less floorspace.
Here it is on its side casters about to install the leg casters.
For the cookie flattening, I added rail (1-1/2" EMT) supports in the middle to minimize the flex - not shown in the photo.
Here's the cookie and sled before rolling it outside to start flattening.
First two or three passes complete in this photo. The cookie is now flat on both sides. The moisture is still a little high, 10-14% so I've sealed it with shellac before processing further.
For those who need to know the cutter head from Klingspor is an Amana Spoilboard 3FL X 2-1/2"D X 1/2"SH, SKU # AMRC2255.
Future plans include lowering the work level and perhaps designing a way to include a router table insert on one end. Need a decent plate and lift.
I built the Rockler router sled but used plywood laminated for the main structure and 2X4s and 2x6s for the cross bracing/blocking. I've added casters to the legs so that I can roll it outside for use and not worry about dust inside the s'hanger. I also added casters to one side so that I can tilt it onto its side when stored and take up less floorspace.
Here it is on its side casters about to install the leg casters.
For the cookie flattening, I added rail (1-1/2" EMT) supports in the middle to minimize the flex - not shown in the photo.
Here's the cookie and sled before rolling it outside to start flattening.
First two or three passes complete in this photo. The cookie is now flat on both sides. The moisture is still a little high, 10-14% so I've sealed it with shellac before processing further.
For those who need to know the cutter head from Klingspor is an Amana Spoilboard 3FL X 2-1/2"D X 1/2"SH, SKU # AMRC2255.
Future plans include lowering the work level and perhaps designing a way to include a router table insert on one end. Need a decent plate and lift.
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Accurate tenon jig.
The width of the tenon is accurately set via two stops. Set first stop for inset of one cheek, then second stop to tenon width + kerf.
Cut one cheek, slide the upper platform to the other stop and cut the second cheek. Flip the board over (keeping the same side "in") cut the other end.
Once dialed in, stock thickness variation has no effect on accuracy of tenon.
Offset (non-centered) tenons easy to do.
The width of the tenon is accurately set via two stops. Set first stop for inset of one cheek, then second stop to tenon width + kerf.
Cut one cheek, slide the upper platform to the other stop and cut the second cheek. Flip the board over (keeping the same side "in") cut the other end.
Once dialed in, stock thickness variation has no effect on accuracy of tenon.
Offset (non-centered) tenons easy to do.
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What is the shield made out of? Does the iron get hot?
I covered the front of the sheild with dimond plate so wouldn't burn plywood
