Most used / loved home made jig in your workshop?

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david123

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I couldn't find a thread on this, so, my most used jig is my cross cut sledge. My original one was a bit basic, so my latest one has built in stops and extended stops for longer pieces. The other jig I like and use a lot a lot is my mitre jig. I love making jigs and could spend most of my days making them.
The angle of the photo makes it seem wider than it is, I also have extensions for the outboard stops.
 

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Very tricky!
I think that most used and most loved are two different ones in my workshop. And, of course, it depends on how you define a jig.

I shall take it to mean a shop-made gadget that is used in conjunction with a tool or a machine to make the job quicker, safer, easier or more accurate than I can do by hand. Will that do?

In that case, my most used is my short rip fence. I never rip anything without it, and it also doubles as a handy store for spanners, spare arbour and that sort of thing related to the saw.

Most loved has to be my Ultimate Tablesaw Tenon Jig. Although I made it some years ago (I need to remake it, it's got a bit damaged in the last few years) I still get a kick out of seeing my tenons fit exactly time after time, and knowing that there will be no clean-up necessary afterwards. When I die I know I have left something good behind. OK, it may not be much for a whole life, but it is my offering.

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That picture looks a bit untidy because the workpiece is too large for just the toggle clamp which is part of the jig, and I've had to use a trigger clamp as well.

But this is why I love it:

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Today I am using my Domino support jig, very pleased with that one too.
 
I made a router sled looks very similar to the first picture in this thread, but with an inner table made from a 2 ft x 1 ft kitchen tile mounted on four bolts. Fully adjustable to 0.5 mm on each corner. I hot glue the pieces down and the router is mounted on an MDF board which slides side to side across the top of it.
Couldnt make my boxes without it.
 
As you know Steve, I bought your DVD set a few years ago and very useful they have been. I must admit your tenon jig is one that I must get around to making. The new house has now almost had its makeover now so I guess there is no excuse.
 
Mike, yes. I use it as a mini thickenesser /planer. I have one of those and thats fine for metre plus lengths, but absolutely useless for anything below 1 metre because of the amount of snipe at each end. I generally rip a plank to 10mm, then just cut to size and then "plane" it with the router to any thickness I want.
I usually use 8mm for sides of boxes, but often go to 3mm thick for dividers.
 
david123":1nbye4z3 said:
As you know Steve, I bought your DVD set a few years ago and very useful they have been. I must admit your tenon jig is one that I must get around to making. The new house has now almost had its makeover now so I guess there is no excuse.

No excuse, Dave, no excuse! :)

Post a picture when you do, or it never happened...

S
 
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