I’m always looking for ways to streamline my woodworking. Thrifty (read cheap) woodworker that I am my preference is to problem solve with shop-made woodworking jigs rather than commercially produced jigs. Here are my three favorite shop-made woodworking jigs for cabinetmaking: Dado Sizer For years I used the T and E method (Trial and Error)…
A simple jig and a pattern cutting bit make big dados a small concern. My friend, Tim, showed up recently with the need to make a sign frame out of 4 x 4s. In order to make the frame for the sign rock solid we wanted to cut dados into the vertical posts to received…
Trim routers are great for small operations. I wanted to make some precisely fitting holes for flower pots, but the circle cutting jig for my full-size router was too big. So I decided to make a small version for my trim router. Additionally, I wasn’t thrilled about the fence that came with my trim router,…
This simple clamp rack solves two problems. It holds a boat load of bar clamps, (there are 46 on mine) and it provides support adjacent to the table saw. You can build the whole thing from home center materials. Casters make it mobile so you can easily move it from bench to saw. Here are…
One of the very first things I learned as a woodworker was to cut dadoes using a router and template. I’ve come to really appreciate the precision of the results, even though the setup and execution are more time consuming than other dado cutting methods. Template routed dadoes are clean, flat bottomed, tear out free,…
Need to make dadoes, Daddy-O? I think the table saw provides one of the easiest ways to do this. There are a couple of limitations, and I’ll cover those later, but when it comes to set up and cuts, I think the table saw is the grooviest way to cut a groove. Here’s some background…