Shop-Made Shims

If you routinely use shims in your shop or on your DIY projects, stop running to the home center to buy them. You can make shims in your shop using your table saw and a really simple shop-made jig. This video gives you all the dimensions you need to build the jig. When it comes to blade selection, a 40-tooth ATB works really well for this process.

Most commercially made shims are pine. A nice benefit to making your own shims is that you can use any material you want. A hardwood shim often works better than a softwood shim, giving the project more support. You can also make your shims from a variety of thicknesses, giving you a lot of shim options. All those short offcuts that you’ve set aside for “someday” can finally get put to use.

Shims are just for wedging things into the right spot. Jimmy Diresta has a great sanding tip that uses shims. Check it out.