8 Shop Tested
Tablesaw Jigs
A
sk seasoned woodworkers about
the benefits of stocking a shop
with a variety of hardworking
jigs. They’ll likely tell you that
some jigs get used again and again, while
others gather dust. We guarantee that
these eight jigs will be worth your invest-
ment in time and materials.
Thin-Strip Ripping Jig
page 2
Dead-On 90° Crosscut Sled
page 6
Corner-Rabbeting Jig
page 12
Straight Edge Cutting Jig
page 15
1 DP-00508a
For example, after you take an eve- helpers from Baltic birch plywood
ning or two to build the sled on page 6, and hard maple. If you prefer, you can
we predict that you’ll constantly use substitute medium-density fiberboard
the crosscut sled for repetitive cuts. (MDF) for plywood and another dense
The four-sided tapering jig and spline- hardwood for maple. See Sources on
cutting jig provide you with more page 7 for help in buying the inexpen-
specialized techniques. sive hardware items you’ll need for the
We constructed most of these shop jigs in this plan.
Four-Sided Tapering Jig
page 4
Raised-Panel Jig
page 8
Spline-Cutting Jig
page 14
Blade Rack
page 16
woodmagazine.com
 tablesaw jigs

Thin-
Strip
Ripping
Jig
Here’s a safety-
minded jig that will
make you feel more
comfortable ripping
tiny pieces.

S
ometimes you need to rip several thin
strips of wood to equal thickness to
serve as edging, veneer, or bending
stock. Slicing off thin stock on the
fence side of the blade, however, could prove
unsafe. That’s because it becomes awkward to
use your blade guard and pushstick when you
cut close to the fence. The solution: Run the
wide portion of your workpiece between the
fence and blade, cutting the strips on the side of
the blade opposite the fence. You could accom-
plish this by measuring for each cut, but that’s
tedious and inaccurate. This thin-strip ripping
jig does the job safely, accurately, and quickly.
Refer to Sources on page 7 for hard-
ware for this project.
First, build the jig
1 Cut a piece of ‡" plywood to the
dimensions shown for the base on
page 3. Cut a dado on the bottom side of
the base for the guide bar, where shown.
Now, cut the ‡" dado on the top side of
the base for the sliding bar.
2 Cut two pieces of maple to size for
the miter-slot guide bar (adjust the
dimensions shown if necessary to fit
your tablesaw’s slots) and the sliding
bar. Center the miter-slot guide bar in
the bottom dado, and glue it in place.
Drill a pair of ˇ" holes in the sliding
bar, where shown, scrollsaw the materi-
al between them, and smooth the inside
of the slot with a file.
3 Set the jig in your tablesaw’s left
miter-gauge slot. Place the sliding bar
in the dado with its left end flush with the
base. Slide the jig forward, and mark the
point where a left-leaning sawblade tooth
touches the bar. Make a second mark fi"
closer to the base. Remove the bar, and
crosscut it at the second mark.

A B C
To make a cursor, scribe a line across Size your thin-strip ripping jig to suit your Remove the jig before making the cut so
the acrylic indicator with a sharp knife tablesaw, so that a 1" screw in the guide the workpiece doesn’t bind between the
and a square. Color the scribed line with bar can contact the blade. Install a zero- rip fence and the screw head. Replace the
a permanent marker. Wipe off the excess clearance throat plate to prevent the jig in the slot without making any adjust-
ink with a cloth, leaving a fine line. sawn strip from falling into the saw. ments to set up the next cut.

2 8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs 2006

 Four-arm knob with ‹" insert

#8 x 1" brass F.H. wood screw

EXPLODED VIEW

‹" flat washer ˇ" slot

#8 x ‡" F.H. wood screw

Œ" 1fi"
¸" shank hole,
countersunk
INDICATOR on top 1" 1fi"
2"
SLIDING BAR
9"

Cursor line ‡" dado

17⁄32" deep

‹ x 1fi x 2" clear acrylic 1fi" section of steel rule

‡" ‡"
2"

6‡"
‡"

‡" dado ¤" deep

BASE

3"
4"
⁄ " pilot hole
7 64
4fi" fi" deep
fi x ‡ x 9"

‹" hole, countersunk

on bottom side
fi"

MITER-SLOT GUIDE BAR

‹-20 x 1fi" F.H. machine screw

4 Drill a 7 ⁄64" pilot hole in the sliding

bar, centered on the end you just
cut. Drive a brass screw halfway into
the wood. (We used brass to avoid any
chance of damaging a tablesaw blade.)
You’ll turn this screw in or out to fine-
tune your jig’s basic “zero” setting, or to
adjust it for a blade of different thick-
FILENAME:151TablesawJig1.eps
ness orDate:
with6-03
a different tooth set.
7 Cut a piece of ‹" acrylic to the
dimensions shown for the indicator.
Drill and countersink the two mounting
holes, and scribe and mark a cursor
line, as shown in Photo A . Attach
the indicator to the base, and add
the knob.
Now, cut some strips
for the desired strip thickness, and re-
tighten the knob.
Position your workpiece against the rip
fence, and move the fence to bring the left
edge of the workpiece against the screw
head, as shown in Photo B. Lock the
fence, set the jig out of the way, and you’re
ready to cut a strip, as shown in Photo C.
After completing the cut, clean up the

5 From theJ.bottom side of the assembly,

Lorna
drill and countersink a ‹" hole through
the miter-slot guide bar and base for
the machine screw that holds the plas-
tic knob. Sand all of the wood parts to
180 grit, and apply three coats of clear
finish.
To cut a thin strip with the jig, place
its guide bar in the left-hand miter
gauge slot on your tablesaw. Loosen
the knob, set the cursor to zero (the
bottom end of the rule), and retighten
the knob. Slide the jig so that the brass
screw head is beside the saw blade.
workpiece on the jointer. Replace the jig
in the slot. Then unlock the rip fence,
move it to bring the jointed edge against
the screw head, lock the rip fence, re-
move the jig, and saw another strip. Re-
peat the process as many times as neces-
sary to produce all of the strips that you

6 Make a mark 1" from the left end of

the sliding bar. Cut the first 1fi" from
an inexpensive steel rule, align its left end
with the mark, and attach it with epoxy.
Turn the screw in or out with a screw-
driver until the head lightly contacts a
left-leaning tooth. Pull the jig toward
need for your project. ¿
Written by Jim Pollock with Jeff Mertz
and Kevin Boyle
you, loosen the knob, set the cursor Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson

woodmagazine.com 3
 tablesaw jigs

Four-Sided
Tapering Jig
Here’s a slick way to taper
four sides of a table leg—all
with one simple jig.

Y
ou can taper one side of a table leg
without much head-scratching,
but tapering all four sides equally
presents more of a challenge. With
this jig, however, you can cut all four tapers
without changing your setup. You simply
rotate your workpiece between cuts.
Locate the hold-downs to suit the length
of your workpiece. (The pivot block can
sit at either end of the jig.) If your tablesaw
has a 10" blade, you can handle workpieces
up to 2" thick.
Refer to Sources on page 7 for hard-
ware for this project.
Build the jig
the groove, with each hole centered in the
groove and fi" from the end. Cut a 3" piece
from each end to make two hold-down
bases. Next, glue one guide bar piece in
the groove on each hold-down base. After
the glue dries, drill a ‹" hole through each
assembly, using the previously drilled
holes as guides.
4 Cut a maple blank to ‡×2×12" to
make the pivot block. (We begin with
an oversized piece to assure safety during
the cutting process.) Cut a rabbet on one
end of the blank, where shown on Draw-
ing 1a. Now, drill two holes to form the
ends of the adjustment slot, remove the
material between the holes with a coping
bottom edge of the blank. Next, drill a ‹"
hole centered in the groove 2fi" from the
rabbeted end. Glue in the 3fi" guide bar
piece, making it flush with the rabbeted
end. After the glue dries, drill a ‹" hole
through the blank, using the previously
drilled hole as a guide. Trim the blank to
3fi" in length. Sand and finish the assembly.
5 Assemble the hold-downs as shown.
For the pivot block, file or grind one
edge of the washer flat, as shown on
Drawing 1a, and then assemble the nut,
screw, and washer as shown. Adjustable
up or down in the slot, this screw serves
as an indexing pin. Once set for a partic-
ular workpiece, it guarantees that every

1 For the base, cut a piece of ‡" ply-

wood to the size shown on Drawing
1, then cut a piece of ‹" hardboard to the
saw or scrollsaw, and clean up the slot
with a file. Cut a ‹" groove centered on the
cut in the sequence is an equal distance
from the center of the workpiece.

same dimensions.

2 Cut fl" dadoes ‰" deep in one face

of the plywood, where dimensioned.
Glue the hardboard to the dadoed face
with yellow glue. Now, clamp the as-
sembly between two scraps of plywood
to ensure even pressure. After the glue
dries, remove the clamps, set your dado
blade for a ‹"-wide cut, put an auxiliary
fence on your miter gauge, and cut a slot
through the hardboard, centered over each
plywood dado, as shown in Photo A.

3 Cut a piece of maple to ‹×›×12",

then cut two 3" pieces and one 3fi"
piece from this blank for the guide bars.
For the hold-down bases, cut a piece of
‡" plywood to 1fi×12". Cut a ‹" groove
down the center of one face of this ply-
wood, where dimensioned on the drawing.
Drill two ‹" holes near opposite ends of
A B
After cutting dadoes in the plywood base, Diagonal lines on the end of the workpiece
glue the hardboard to the dadoed face. locate the hole that fits onto the indexing
Mount the two outside blades of a dado pin. Draw the cutline for the final shape,
set in your tablesaw, and cut slots through and extend the lines to the edges to help
the hardboard centered over each dado. you position the workpiece on the jig.

4 8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs 2006

1 EXPLODED VIEW 1" plastic knob
Four-arm knob
1" plastic knob ‹" flat washer with ‹" insert
HOLD-DOWN Clamp
‹" flat washer ‹" flat washer
‹" nylon nut ‹ x 1" brass roundhead
HOLD-DOWN Clamp fi" PIVOT BLOCK machine screw,
‡ x 1fi x 3" plywood
nut, and washer
‹" nylon nut
fi" Ç" slot
‡ x 1fi x 3" plywood ‹" groove ‹ x › x 3"
‰" deep, guide bar
‹" groove ‹ x › x 3" centered
‰" deep, guide bar ‹"‹"
groove
holes Œ" ‹" 20›"
‹ x 3" ‰" deep, centered 11›"
centered panhead ‹ x 7›"
› x 3fi"
‹" holes Œ" ‹" 34›"
machine screw GUIDE BAR
‹ x 3" 20›" 12"
11›"
panhead 7›" ‹" slots
machine screw 12" ‹" deep,
centered over
fl"fl" dadoes
‡" ‹ x 3" panhead
fl" 7‰"
machine screw
‡" 11‰"
7‰" A N
‹ x 12 x20‰"
36" hardboard fl"
11‰"B O fl" dadoes
P 20‰" fl" ‰" deep BASE ‡ x 12 x 36" plywood 34Ø
C
D Q 34Ø"

E R
S
F
1a PIVOT BLOCK
G T
3fi"
H U ¨" rabbet ˇ" deep
Tap into tapering 3fi"
V ¨"
To taper a leg, cut your workpiece Ito its
¨" rabbet ˇ" deepturn clockwise (as viewed from the pivot- ‹"
finished length, then rip it to the square
J W ing end),
¨" reclamp, and cut.
dimensions that you want for the unta- X
‹"This jig also serves another purpose, as 2fi" fl"
pered section at the upper end. DrawKa line shown in Photo D. When you need to cut a ‹" hole
on all four faces to mark where the taper Y2fi" single taper, fl"mark its start and stop points
L 2" ‡"
will begin. Drill a ‹" centering hole ‹"›"
Zhole on the end and edge of your workpiece.
deep at the center of the2" bottom end,M and Remove the ‡" indexing pin from the end Ç" slot
add cut lines to show the final dimen- block, and nest the end of the workpiece in
sions of that end, as shown in Photo B. the notch.Ç" Align
slot the marks with the edge
‰"
‹" washer,
Draw cut lines on the face connecting of the jig, and clamp. Place your hold-downs ‹" groove filed to allow
‹ x › x 3fi" ‰" deep, nut to engage
the leg-bottom marks ‰" with the taper- against ‹"the
washer,
workpiece. Tighten the pivot GUIDE BAR centered
‹" groove filed to allow the rabbet
start marks. This helps ‹ youx› visualize
x 3fi" ‰"thedeep,block nutintoplace,
engageand make the cut. ¿
final shape, and serves asGUIDE
a safetyBAR centered
reminder the rabbet
as you push the jig across the saw.
Mount the leg-centering hole on the
indexing pin. Slide the pivot block until
the planned outside face of the leg aligns
with the edge of the jig. Turn the knob to
lock the pivot block in place. Now, near
the upper end of the leg, align the taper-
start cutline with the edge of the jig. Slide 3a PIVOT BLOCK
the hold-down blocks against the leg, and FILENAME:151TablesawJig2.eps
tighten the nylon nut on each one to set the Date: 6-03
block’s position. Tighten the top knob on
FILENAME:151TablesawJig2.eps Lorna J.
Date:
eachLorna 6-03
hold-down to clamp the leg in place.
J.
Raise the saw blade ‹" above the leg.
Butt the jig to the fence, move the fence
until the saw blade just clears the left
side of the jig, and then make the cut, as C D
shown in Photo C. To make each of the Hold the taper jig tightly against the The width and adjustability of the taper
three remaining cuts, loosen the hold- tablesaw rip fence as you cut. Before jig allow you to handle a wide range of
starting each pass, make certain that angle cuts. Here, with the jig flipped end-
down knobs, rotate the leg one-quarter your left hand is well away from the line. for-end, we’re shaping a simple leg.

woodmagazine.com 5
 tablesaw jigs
Dead-On 90°
Crosscut Sled
When you build this sled, your
accuracy and efficiency at the
tablesaw will soar.
A
reliable tablesaw miter gauge
handles a lot of crosscutting
tasks, but not all. It rides in just
one slot, and supports the work-
piece on just one side of the blade, allow-
ing for slop. This problem disappears,
however, with an accurate crosscut sled.
Our design is both inexpensive and sim-
ple to build. Plus, it includes reliable,
adjustable stops for repeatable cuts. From
the moment you put this jig to use at your
tablesaw, you’ll discover that making
right-angle cuts is easier and safer.
Build a real workhorse
1 Select a flat piece of ‡" plywood, and
cut the platform to the dimensions
shown on Drawing 1.
2 Cut two fi×3×30" maple pieces for the
fence, and cut a fl" groove ‰" deep
in the face of one piece, where shown
on Drawing 1a. Glue the two blanks
together, keeping the edges flush and the
A B
Two pennies shim the miter-slot guide
bars slightly above the tablesaw surface.
Place a couple of these stacks in each
miter-gauge slot, and set the bars on top.
6 8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs
groove on the interior of the lamination.
After the glue dries, cut a ‹" groove cen-
tered on the fl" groove. Then, cut a rabbet
along the front of the bottom edge and a
fi" groove centered along the top edge.
3 From ‡" maple, cut the blade guard
sides and end. Glue and screw the end
to the sides. Now, screw the blade guard
to the fence, where shown on Drawing 1.
4 Cut the front rail from ‡" maple. Use
a jigsaw to cut a notch, where shown,
for the blade to pass through. Attach the
front rail and the fence to the platform
with screws.
5 Cut, sand, and finish two top blade
guard supports. Using a fine-toothed
tablesaw blade, cut a piece of ‹" clear
acrylic to size for the blade guard cover.
Attach the cover to the supports and the
front rail.
6 From ‡" maple stock, cut two strips
to serve as miter-slot guide bars. Set
your tablesaw rip fence 8¤" to the right
Keeping the right end of the platform against
the rip fence, set the sled assembly on
the guides. Press down firmly to stick the
bars to the platform.
of the blade, and lower the blade below
the table’s surface. (Note: Make sure your
fence is parallel to the miter gauge slot
before proceeding.) Apply double-faced
tape to the top of each guide bar, and at-
tach the bars to the platform, as shown in
Photos A and B. Remove the assembly
from the saw, and permanently attach the
bars with screws.
7 Cut a piece for the stopblock, and cut
a dado in the back, where shown. Cut
a guide bar, and glue it into the dado.
Drill a shank hole through the block and
bar, where shown. Now, cut a piece of ‹"
acrylic plastic to size for the stopblock in-
dicator. See Drawing 1b. Drill, saw, and
file smooth the slot, where shown. Make
a cursor line, as shown.
8 Remove the top blade guard, sand the
jig, and apply three coats of finish.
Reattach the blade guard, assemble and in-
stall the stopblock, place the crosscut sled
on your tablesaw, and make a cut from
C
Hold the workpiece firmly against the
fence as you make a cut. Keep your hands
outside the blade guard, and don’t cut
through its end.
2006
 1 EXPLODED VIEW #8 x ‡" F.H.
wood screw
#8 x ‡" F.H. TOP BLADE GUARD ¤" shank hole,
wood screw countersunk
TOP
#8 x ‡" BLADE GUARD
F.H. ¤" shank hole,
wood screw countersunk
TOP BLADE GUARD ¤" shank hole,
countersunk

⁄ " pilot hole

7 64 ‡"
⁄ " pilot hole
7 64 ‡" 6¨" ‹ x 3‹ x
30" ‡ x ‡ x 16‹" clear ac
6¨" ‹ x 3‹ x 22‡" supports
7⁄64" pilot hole ‡"
‡ x ‡ x 16‹" clear acrylic
30" 2" supports ‹ x 3‹ x 22‡"
FRONT RAIL 6¨"
2" 30" ‡ x ‡ x 16‹" clear acrylic
FRONT RAIL 7›" ‡ x 18 x 30" supports
7›" 2" plywood 6¨"
FRONT RAIL ‡ x 18 x 30" 1fl" #8 x 1fi" F.H.
plywood 6¨" wood screw
1fl" ‹ x 1 x 1‡" #8 x 1fi"‡F.H.
7›" x 18 x 30"
8¤"screw
clear acrylic wood plywood 6¨"
‹ x 1 x 1‡" 8¤" 1fl" #8 x 1fi" F.H. BLADE GUARD ‡"
3" acrylic
clear wood screw
‡" #8 x 1fi" F.H.
BLADE
3" ‹ x 1 x 1‡"
#6 x 1" roundhead 8¤" wood screw
wood clear
screwacrylic ˇ" holes ‡"
#6 x 1" roundhead
3"
wood screw ‹" hexhead bolt
ˇ" holes
A #6 x 1" roundhead 1fi" long
N ‹" hexhead bolt
wood screw 1fi" long ˇ" holes 3‡"
B O ‹" hexhead bolt 3" 3‡"
Four-arm knob 3‡"
3" 1fi" long Self-adhesive
N P with ‹" insert 3‡"
C Four-arm knob Fence 3‡" measuring rule
with ‹" insert STOPBLOCK Self-adhesive
O D Q Fence measuring rule3"
STOPBLOCK Four-arm knob 4‡"
Self-adhesive
P with ‹" insert 1 x 3 x 30" measuring ruleˇ x3‹"‡ x 18"
E R PLATFORM Fence
STOPBLOCK 1 x 3 x 30" miter-slot guide bars 4‡"
PLATFORM ˇ x ‡ x 18"
Q S ‡ x 1‹ x 2Í" miter-slot guide bars
F stopblock
‡ x 1‹ x 2Í" ‹ x fi x 1‹" 1 x 3 x 30" ˇ x ‡ x 18"
R G PLATFORM guide bar
T stopblock ‹ x fi x 1‹" miter-slot guide bars
S guide‡bar
x 1‹ x 2Í"
‹" dado ‹" deep
H U #8 x 1fi"stopblock
F.H.
wood screw ‹ xŒ"
fifrom
x 1‹"top edge
#8 x 1fi" F.H. ‹" dado ‹" deep guide bar #8 x fi" F.H. wood screw
T V
I wood screw Œ" from top edge #8 x fi" F.H. wood screw
U J #8 x 1fi" F.H. ‹" dado ‹" deep
W Œ" from top edge
the front edge through the fence. Use wood a screw #8 x fi" F.H. wood screw
V X
K rule to set the stopblock 4" from the kerf.
W Y Mark the center of the stopblock on its top
L
X Z end, align the 4" line on the self-adhesive 1a FENCE SECTION VIEW 1b INDICATOR DETAIL
1‡"
M measuring tape with that mark, and attach 1‡"
Y
the tape in the fence groove. Use tin snips fi" groove „" deep Á" ¤ x fi" slot
(to fit measuring rule) 1‡"
Z to cut off the portion of the tape extend-
fi" groove „" deep Á" ¤ x fi" slot fi" 1"
ing beyond the left end of(to
thefit fence.
measuring rule)
Place 1"
fi" groove „" deep fi" Á" ¤ x fi" slot
the indicator on the stopblock, align the Œ" rule)
(to fit measuring Ø"
cursor with the tape’s 4" line, Œ" and attach
Ø" fl" fi" ›" 1"
the indicator to the block with a screw. fl" ‹" ›" Score a line on the acrylic with a knife,
‹" ‹"Œ"groove Ø" and color it with a permanent marker.
Score a line on the acrylic with a knife,
Now, let’s go sledding
‹" groove
ˇ" deep fl" fl" groove
and color it with a permanent marker. ›"
If a workpiece fits ˇ" deep the fencefl" groove ‹"¤" rabbet
between ‰" deep Score a line on the acrylic with a knife,
‹" groove and color it with a permanent marker.
and the front rail, you can cut it on your‰" deep ¤" deep
¤" rabbet ˇ" deep fl" groove
fi"
crosscut sled, as shown¤" in Photo C. Use
deep ‰" deep
the stopblock to cut multiple piecesfi"to ¤" rabbet
the same length, provided that length falls ¤" deep
Sources fi"
within the stopblock’s range. Remove the For the jigs on pages 2–8, we used these Sources:
stopblock when cutting pieces that extend Stainless steel rule no. 06K20.06, 1¼" four-arm plastic
beyond that range. When you install a knob no. 00M55.30. Call Lee Valley at 800/871-8158, or
FILENAME:151TablesawJig3.eps
blade of a different thickness or 6-03
Date: with go to leevalley.com.
FILENAME:151TablesawJig3.eps
a different tooth set than the one used
Lorna J. to
Date: 6-03 Hold-down no. 142398 (bolt and knob); self-
calibrate
Lorna J. your stopblock, check the set- adhesive rule, no. 08Y42. Call Woodcraft at 800/225-
FILENAME:151TablesawJig3.eps
ting with a rule, and adjust
Date:the cursor. ¿
6-03 1153, or go to woodcraft.com.
Lorna J.

woodmagazine.com 7
 tablesaw jigs
Raised- R 2
aised panels have long been a sign
of fine craftsmanship—perhaps
because they appear difficult to
make. But as you’ll see here, that
Panel Jig
need not be the case. On page 10, we’ll
show you a simple method for using this
jig to cut panels with a tablesaw.
Combine scrap material with a few
With this one jig,
hardware items and you’ll have a jig des-
tined for a lifetime of service. See page
7, for a hardware source for the knobs.
you can build three
Start with the basics
popular styles of
door panels for your 1 Cut two pieces of ‡" MDF to the
dimensions in the Materials List
to make the upright (A) and base (B).
next cabinet project. Scrollsaw or bandsaw the 1fi" radii on
the two corners of (B), cutting outside the
line. Then sand to the line.
8 8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs
Using your dado blade, cut two ‡"
dadoes ‹" deep in the top of the base,
where shown on Drawing 1.
3 After adding an auxiliary fence to your
saw tablesaw rip fence, cut a rabbet
‡" wide and ‹" deep along the bottom
edge of the upright (A), where shown on
Drawing 1.
4 Next, drill ˇ" holes in the upright
(A) and at the ends of the slot loca-
tions in the base. Lay out the sides of the
slots, and scrollsaw them to shape with a
#12 blade. Cut two braces (C), as dimen-
sioned on Drawing 2.
5 Drill ¸" pilot holes, and then glue
and screw the jig together using
#8×1fi" brass screws, where shown.
Tip: Use brass screws anytime your jig’s
screw holes are close to the saw blade.
2006
 R=1fi" 28"
2 SLED PARTS VIEW
Now, add the extras
1 Cut the guide strip (D) to fit your
A miter-gauge
N slot in depth and width.
3
Cut the clamping bar (F) to size, and
drill ˇ" holes, where
ˇ" slotshown. Lay
out and shape the clamping bar curve, as
5 Remove the hardware and the clamp-
ing barBand guide strip, and sand all
parts to 150
BASEgrit. Now apply two coats of
Trim
B O
the piece to 28" long, and drill coun- shown on Drawing 1, using a bandsaw. finish, sanding
‡" dadoes
between coats11fi"
with 180-
tersunk ‹" holes centered on the strip 3" Sand smooth. 5" grit‹"abrasive.
deep
C Peach end. Attach
from
the
D base
2 SLED the PARTS
Q using the hardware shown.
VIEW
guide strip to
4
Next, attach the 1¤" clamping bar to
the jig using the hardware shown. 6 Cut a piece of adhesive-backed
120-grit sandpaper, and apply it to

2
3" 3"
Cut the upright stops (E) to size, and Tip: If you have trouble finding extra-long
4fi"
the jig face, as shown 4fi"on Drawing 1.
E drill
R the hole and counterbore hole,
1›" machine
ˇ" hole screws, cut two pieces of all- Then, reassemble the jig. ¿
whereS shown on Drawing 2. Secure the thread. Then secure the four-arm knobs
F F CLAMPING BAR 1‹"
stops1"to the ends of upright (A). to the screws using 5-minute epoxy.
G T 29" 1"
H U
1 PARTS VIEW
V 1›" ˇ" hole fi" 4fi" ‡" dadoes Location of part E 4fi"
I ¤"
‹" deep on front face
W 1" F CLAMPING BAR 1‹"
J ˇ"
X 29" 1" hole A
K 8"
Y 3 PANEL CUTTING SLED UPRIGHT
28" (Back face shown)
L R=1fi" EXPLODED VIEW 3"
Z
M ‡" rabbet Location of 4 x 24" adhesive-
ˇ" slot B
BASE ‹" deep backed 120-grit sandpaper
on front face
11fi" 28"
‡" dadoes
5" ‹" deep28" fi"
R=1fi"
1¤"

ˇ" slot 3" B 3"

4fi" BASE 4fi"
7fi" C
11fi"
‡" dadoes
5" ‹" deep BRACE
fi"
2 EXPLODED
1¤" VIEW #8 x 1fi" brass 11‹"
3" 3" 1‹" F.H. wood screw
4fi" 4fi" E ¸"
fi" 4fi" ‡" dadoesCurve on this
Location of edge
part E 4fi" ¤" 1" pilot hole
‹-20 x 4fi" F.H. ‹" deep on front face
1›"
machine 4 x 24" adhesive-
ˇ" screw ‡" backed 120-grit
‡" dado
hole A ‹" deep
Four-arm ˇ"Ahole sandpaper
knob UPRIGHT 29" 8" UPRIGHT
(Back faceFshown) 1"
Four-arm
3" 4fi" #8 x 1" brass
fi" ‡" dadoes Location of part E Panel
FILENAME:164 4fi" ¤" knob
F.H. wood screw2.eps B
‡" rabbet ‹" deepLocation onDate:
front xface
of 4 4-0524" adhesive-
‹" flatˇ"
washer
‹" deep backed Lorna J. sandpaper
120-grit 3" BASE
Compression ¸"
hole 1" on front face pilot hole
28" A spring C
UPRIGHT‹" flat washer 8"E
(Back face shown)
3" fl" counterbore ‹" deep with a
ˇ" hole centered inside ‡"
‡" rabbet Location of 4 x 24" adhesive-
Materials List ‹" deep ‹-20 knife thread insert
backed 120-grit sandpaper
ˇ"
slot
‡"
28"
FINISHED SIZE on front face D
Part T W L 28"Matl. Qty. ‡" rabbet ‹" deep
‹" holes, countersunk
A upright ‡" 8" 28" MDF 1 on bottom face
3"
B base ‡" 11fi" 28" MDF 1
C braces ‡" 7fi" 11‹" MDF 2 ‡"
D guide strip ›" ‡" 28" M 1 ‹-20 x 2" F.H. machine screw
E upright stops ›" ‡" 8" M 2
F clamping bar ‡" 1›" 29" M 1

Materials key: MDF–medium-density fiberboard,

M–maple.
Supplies: #8×1½", #8×1" brass flathead wood screws;
anel 2.eps
‹-20×2" (2), ‹-20×4fi" flathead machine screws (2);
‹-20 four-arm knobs (4); ‹" flat washers (8); 1fi×›"
compression springs (2); ‹-20 knife thread insert (2);
4" adhesive-backed 120-grit sandpaper.

woodmagazine.com 9
Panel 2.eps
 How to Cut
Custom Raised Panels
1 PANEL STYLES

Cut raised panels

with a tablesaw THREE POPULAR PANEL STYLES
For the woodworker who doesn’t have a
router table or the budget for expensive PLAIN-BEVEL BACK-CUT PROUD
raised-panel bits, cutting raised panels PANEL PANEL PANEL
on the tablesaw is an effective alterna-
tive. This method does have one drawback:
You’ll need to invest time and elbow grease
‡" ‡" ‡"
into finish-sanding the panel bevels. frame frame frame
A N To solve the challenge of supporting
panels safely while cutting bevels, build
B O the panel-cutting jig shown on page 8.
C P
Prepare the panels
D Q Before cutting the door panels to size,
E R match the wood tones and arrange the grain ›" rabbets
›" rabbet
patterns for best appearance. For example, ‹" deep
‹" deep
S center the cathedral (inverse V) pattern on
F
G T narrow, single-board panels. When gluing Shoulder Shoulder
up wider panels, use pieces cut from the 1‡" 1‡"
Á"
H U same board for consistent grain and color.
V Next, decide which style of panel you
I
want. The drawing at right shows three ‰"
W ¤"
J popular styles: a plain-bevel panel, one ‡" raised panels
X that’s flush with the frame (called a back-
K
Y
cut panel), or a proud panel (with the
L panel raised above the frame). All will give
Z panels a custom look. Glue up the stock
M
needed to make your panel blanks. Then, PROS PROS PROS
cut your panels to finished size. • contemporary look • shoulder detail • can decorate shoulder
Note: To minimize wood movement, we • easy-to-sand bevels catches the eye with profile router bits
suggest using boards no wider than 5" CONS CONS CONS
when gluing up your panels. • no panel detail to • bevels are a bit more • bevels are a bit more
catch the eye difficult to sand difficult to sand
Mark the bevels
Looking at the end of the panel blank, lay
out the desired bevel using a sliding bevel The following set-up procedure as- cut across the end grain to reduce chip-out.
square. Also, if your panel needs a tongue sumes that your miter-gauge slot aligns Then cut the bevels on the panel edges.
and rabbet lay them out, at this time. parallel with your saw blade. If not, make Move through the blade at a consistent
To cut a raised panel with shoulders (the that adjustment. speed, slowing down only if the saw strains.
square lip on the face of the panel), first With a steel rule, measure the distance Note: If your saw bogs down in the cut,
adjust the tablesaw’s fence 1‡" from the from the saw blade to the jig’s upright. you may need to use a thin-kerf blade or
blade. Cut a saw kerf ¤" deep (‰" deep Move the jig side to side as needed so make the cut in successively deeper passes.
if making proud panels) and 1‡" from all the distance between the saw blade and
four edges and ends of the panel’s face, as the jig is the same as the panel’s tongue Sand the panel bevels
shown in Drawing 3. This kerf will deter- (and rabbet) thickness. When the upright Remove any saw marks with 100-grit
mine the shoulder location. is the correct distance from the blade, and sandpaper and a hardwood block. Then
FILENAME:164 Panel1.eps
Date: 4-05 parallel to the blade, tighten down the knobs finish-sand the bevels with 150- and 220-
Set up the jig for Lorna J. in the guide strip. Now, adjust the blade grit sandpaper. Take care when sanding
smooth, accurate cuts bevel, as shown in the photo page 11, at top. not to remove the ridge at the intersection
For your jig to function well, it must slide of the bevels. Stain the panels before you
parallel to the saw blade with its upright Let’s cut a raised panel assemble the door. ¿
at a right angle to the saw’s tabletop. With Clamp your panel into the jig, exterior
Written by Pat Lowry
either blade or upright out of alignment, face out, and cut the bevels. Panels can be Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson
scoring and burning will occur. cut in four passes through the saw. First,

10 8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs 2006

5 SHOULDER PANEL

3 PANEL KERFS
DEFINE SHOULDERS

1‡"

1‡"

¤" saw kerfs Adjust the saw blade

¤" deep angle to match the
desired panel angle.

PANEL
FACE

To adjust the blade to match your bevel, place the panel into the jig with the exterior face
out. To adjust the angle and height of the saw blade, sight down the blade, and align it with
the layout marks, as shown above. Clamp a test piece into the jig and run it through.
Readjust the settings until the angle and bevel thickness are accurate.
4 DETAILING A PANEL
4 DETAILING A PANEL

Add detail to your raised panels

After raising the panel on your tablesaw, use a ¼" round-nose
bit in your router table to detail the square shoulder on the face
of the panel. Set the bit 1fl" from the fence, as shown below.
Then rout the detail, starting with the end grain first, followed
by the edge grain.
›" rabbet ‹" deep
›" rabbet ‹" deep

Waste ¼" round-nose detail

Waste
‹" round-nose
1fl" router bit set to
‹" round-nose
1fl" cut ¤" deeprouter bit set to
cut ¤" deep

FINISHED CONTOUR
FINISHED CONTOUR
A ¼" round-nose bit creates a distinct panel.

woodmagazine.com 11
 tablesaw jigs

Corner-
Rabbeting
Jig Variations on a Theme
Experiment with different combinations of
species for frames, keys, and decorative pins,
Dress up mitered picture frames with or try some of the looks shown below.
face keys, and you’ll open up a world of Potential key combinations include:

creative possibilities. 1 Walnut and mahogany

O
keys on mahogany
nce you master the precision needed to make tight miter joints,
you’re ready to explore ways to embellish them with face keys of
contrasting woods that break up the predictable appearance of a
standard frame.
This sophisticated look is simple to create. For starters, you can make
both the key stock and corner rabbets on the tablesaw where you cut the
miters. For an easy-to-make jig that steadies a mitered frame at the correct 2 Walnut keys and
angle for cutting corner rabbets on both faces, see the drawing below. The cherry pins on cherry
sample frame corners, shown at right, use readily available ‡" stock cut
2" wide.

EXPLODED VIEW
3 Oak keys and
16" cherry pins on cherry

1"

Backing
4 Cherry keys and
11" maple pins on maple
11‹"
90°

¸" shank hole,

countersunk 45° support
Place lower screws above maximum bevels 5 Mahogany keys
height of tablesaw blade. on maple
#8 x 2" brass F.H. wood screw

Assemble the corner rabbeting jig so the support bevels and the bot-
tom edge of the backing rest flat on your tablesaw. Place the lower pair
of screws at least 3½" above the lower edge of the backing and base to
avoid accidental contact with the tablesaw blade.

12 8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs 2006

Let’s make a face-
keyed miter joint
In preparation, build a corner rabbeting
jig using ‡×1" supports and a piece of
MDF overlay plywood, ‡" Baltic birch
plywood, or MDF. You’ll also need as-
sembled frames plus scrapwood frame
corners for practice.
To make key stock that works with the
2"-wide frame parts shown, resaw a piece of
‡" stock that’s 4fi" wide by roughly 8" long
to create two 2"-wide pieces of key stock.
The blank can be a single piece of wood or
an edge-glued combination of woods. Raise
your saw blade to 2" and set your fence to
Pushstick
Feather
board
Bridge
A B
To cut the key stock, leave a bridge about
½" wide between the saw kerfs. Later,
you can remove the bridge with a band-
saw or handsaw.
How to further
decorate this joint
Face keys alone offer you dozens of
wood combinations, but your imagina-
tion needn’t stop there. Adding dowels or
plugs to the keys, as shown at right, gives
them even more character.
Begin by marking the locations of the
plugs on the keys, as shown in Photo D. We
placed these ›" plugs fi" from the long
edge of the key, spacing them 1" apart
and equal distances from the shorter
edges of the keys. For your plugs, use
either the frame wood species or intro-
duce a third species to the joints.
These plugs extend through the key
and into the frame without emerg-
ing through the face on the other side.
Orient the grain of the plugs with
that of the keys to allow for wood
woodmagazine.com
cut a slot the distance from the face of the
blank slightly thicker than your saw kerf
will cut in your frames. Use a feather board
and pushstick for added control. Flip the
piece end for end and cut a second slot, as
shown in Photo A, leaving a fi" bridge in
the middle to connect the key stock to the
blank. Then, by hand or on a bandsaw, cut
the key stock free from the blank.
Cut the corner rabbets
Set your tablesaw blade height to 2" for
corners on 2"-wide stock. Make test cuts
in scrap miters to fine-tune your cutting
depth and position. Secure the mitered
frame in the jig, and set the fence so the
blade will cut a kerf-deep rabbet into the
Before gluing and clamping, plane the
face keys to about Î" thicker than the
depth of the key rabbets in the frame
stock. Then, glue and clamp.
movement. Glue and seat the plugs,
leaving about ¤" above the surface.
Remove the excess with a flush-cut-
ting saw, as shown in Photo E. Finish
D E
Space the plugs an equal distance from
the miter joint line. Plug locations can be
adjusted to suit your key and frame sizes.
workpiece corner, as shown page 12, at
top. By cutting the rabbet on the frame
face pressed tight against the jig, you’ll
minimize tear-out. For keys on both sides
of the frame, rotate the workpiece and
make a second cut.
Attach the keys
If necessary after sawing the keys, plane
them to just thicker than the depth of your
rabbet. Glue and clamp the key stock to
the corners on the front, back, or both
faces of the frame, as shown in Photo B.
Bandsaw the excess key stock from the
edges of the frame, as shown in Photo C.
Flush-sand the edges and faces of the keys
with the edges and faces of the frame.
C
To saw keys flush with the frame, remove
excess key stock with a bandsaw. Then,
sand the face and edges flush using a
random-orbit sander.
by sanding the plugs flush with the
frame’s face. ¿
Written by Bob Wilson
When using a flush-cutting saw to remove
plug stock above the key, cut parallel to
the direction of the key grain.
13
 tablesaw jigs

Spline-
Cutting Jig
A slight tilt of a saw blade
gives your corner splines
a whole new look. 16"

EXPLODED VIEW 4"

9"

#8 x 2" F.H. wood screws

11‹"

90°
¸" shank hole, countersunk
on back face
45° bevels

I
t doesn’t take much work to put a new Rip spline stock from the edge of a board cutting saw, or use a dovetail saw fol-
spin on traditional splined miter joints. of contrasting stock, as shown in Photo B. lowed by a chisel. Sand flush.
Just install the splines at an angle, as we Match its thickness to the kerf—usually By varying the number and placement
did above on a maple-and-walnut let- ¤". Then, cut individual splines from the of the corner splines, you can come up
ter tray, and you get eye-catching results. strips, making them slightly longer than with other designs. You might try differ-
First, make the simple spline-cutting jig the slots. Spread yellow glue on the splines, ent saw blade angles, too. ¿
for your tablesaw shown above. Then, slip them into place, and let the glue dry.
Photographs: Hetherington Photography
mark three evenly spaced spline locations Trim them off at the surface with a flush- Illustration: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson
on a piece of scrap the same width as the
tray side.
Install a blade in your tablesaw that
produces the flattest possible kerf bottom.
(We used an outside blade from our dado
set.) Tilt the blade to 15°, and raise it so
it extends about halfway into the mitered
corner. Set your jig against the tablesaw
rip fence, place your marked scrap in the
jig, and adjust the fence to cut a test slot.
Now make the other slots, readjusting the
fence between cuts.
When you’re satisfied with the design,
place clear packing tape around the work-
piece corners to reduce chip-out. Hold
the workpiece firmly in the jig, and cut
as shown in Photo A. Cut the top slot in A B
Double-check the orientation of your work- To cut spline stock, use the thin-strip
each corner, adjust the fence, cut all four piece before cutting. Here we’re holding ripping jig (see the how-to details, begin-
middle slots, adjust again, and cut the the bottom of the tray to the left, so the ning on page 2) to cut spline stock. Repo-
bottom slots. Remove the tape. slots will point downward. sition the fence between cuts.

14 8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs 2006

 tablesaw jigs

Straight
Edge
Cutting Jig
Here’s a reliable way to
rip straight edges onto
ragged-edge boards.
HOMEMADE

A
SECTION VI
ttempting to rip a straight edge HOLD-DOWN
along a board with irregular
edges can be dangerous or
Hold-down
downright impossible. One
Stock
solution is to tack a straight board to
the irregular board with finishing nails.
But unfortunately, this method leaves
small nail marks in the top surface of
Plywood carrier
the workpiece.
So try this method: Construct a carrier HOMEMADE SECTION VIEW
board from ‡" plywood to a width and HOLD-DOWN
length to accommodate most of your
boards (14"×7' works fine in most cases).
As shown at right, you can quickly clamp Hold-down
the workpiece to this carrier board, then Stock
rip one edge. Remove the workpiece from
the carrier board, place the jig aside, and
position the just-ripped edge along the
fence to straighten the other edge. ¿ Plywood carrier

Project Design: Thomas Bruzan, Des Plaines, Ill.

Illustrations: Lorna Johnson

Fence

Bowed edge Wing nut

Plywood
Stock carrier

Stock
Fence hold-down Holes for
W hold-down
Groove cut for bolt heads adjustment

Bowed edge Wing nut

woodmagazine.com Plywood 15
Stock carrier
 tablesaw jigs

Protect-and Serve
Blade Rack
Keep your blades sharp, safe, and ready for
action with this wall-mounted system.

T
his accommodating holder keeps saw blades easily accessible, separated, and pro-
tected from damage. In addition to storage slots for standard blades, it also makes
room for a complete 8" stacked-dado set. Dowel pins provide a place for dado
shims, a blade stabilizer, wrenches, and throat plates. The rack handles blades from
7‹" to 10" in diameter.
Start by cutting the ‡×7fi×29fi" back to size. (If you want to store more blades, add 2"
to the length for each additional slot.) Now drill the screw and dowel holes.
Next, cut the ‡×3×29fi" sides. Using double-faced tape, temporarily join them together
face-to-face. This lets you lay out and machine both pieces identically.
Drill a fi" hole through both sides to hold the dowels you’ll add later. Lay out and cut the
radiused corners. Mark the locations of the ‹" starter holes for the slots, and then mark
the slot locations. Drill the starter holes, and cut the slots using a bandsaw or jigsaw. Cut
just inside the lines, and
then sand the slots smooth #8 x 1fi" F.H. wood screw
using a piece of ¤" hard-
7fi" ¸" shank hole,
board wrapped in 100-grit countersunk
sandpaper. Also sand off #8 x 3" F.H. wood screw,
the sharp points on each centered over a wall stud
slot, where shown.
1"
To complete the rack, 3"
screw the sides to the back, 1Œ" R=fi"
and glue in the dowels.
Add a coat of clear fin- 9"
3"
Sand off
ish, and mount the holder sharp 60°
to the wall by driving 3" points.
2"
screws into a stud.¿
2"

29fi" ¸" shank hole, ‹" hole

countersunk
BACK on back face,
›" from edge,
with a mating
Ï" pilot hole
in side

SIDE 29fi"
fi" hole

fi" dowel
9" 2‡" long
2" 1fi"
Note: Back and Sides are made
SIDE from ‡" birch plywood.
1" fi" dowel
1‡" long fi" hole
3‡"

fi" dowel 2‡" long

3‹"
©Copyright Meredith Corporation 2006
‡"
16 8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs 2006