By Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk

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8 All-Star Router Jigs Make your tool a multi-tasker with this problem-solvig arseal.

Believig the router should be saved for edge treatmets, it sat idle o the shelf as I struggled to build projects with a collectio of rough carpetry tools ad a rebuilt radial-arm saw.

Additioally, jig-mouted routers provide great small-shop solutios. You ca capitalize o their versatility i limitedspace shops, performig tasks otherwise reserved for large heavy machiery.

1 8 All-Star Router Jigs Make your tool a multi-tasker with this problem-solvig arseal. By Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk W he I bought my first router twety years ago, visios of roudovers, chamfers, ad ogees filled my head. Believig the router should be saved for edge treatmets, it sat idle o the shelf as I struggled to build projects with a collectio of rough carpetry tools ad a rebuilt radial-arm saw. Now several years ad four routers later, I view the tool as a multi-taskig Swiss-army kife, ready to parter with ay umbers of jigs ad accessories. Additioally, jig-mouted routers provide great small-shop solutios. You ca capitalize o their versatility i limitedspace shops, performig tasks otherwise reserved for large heavy machiery. Beyod that, 26 you ca employ selected jigs to rout paels too uwieldy to safely machie o a router table. Over the ext few pages, we ll help you build a arseal of hardworkig router jigs, some of which are fresh spis o old, reliable classics. I tweaked the desigs ad used quality materials to make a sweet collectio of precisio achievers that suit several eeds while providig years of service. With just a small ivestmet i time ad materials the resultig jigs wo t just look good, they ll ramp up your craftsmaship too. Note: Some of the jig dimesios may require adjustmets to fit your machie. See Makig the Jigs to Fit, page 31. Cuttig circles, arcs, ad ovals After hagig the fial sheet of drywall i my last shop, my drywall square foud a higher Mark lies o the acrylic to idicate the bit s locatio. Nip the corers off the bottom block for smaller circles.

Figure 1: Trammel Jigs Circle-Cuttig Jig Oval-Cuttig Jig callig. Attached to a router base, the 48" alumium bar ow serves as the trammel arm for my circle-ad ovalcuttig jigs.

Istead, I adhered the bottom piece to the workpiece with doublefaced tape. I ve also foud that a large 1-ich diameter dowel allows the blocks to spi more smoothly tha smallerdiameter pivot pis.

2 Figure 1: Trammel Jigs Circle-Cuttig Jig Oval-Cuttig Jig callig. Attached to a router base, the 48" alumium bar ow serves as the trammel arm for my circle-ad ovalcuttig jigs. I made the pivots i similar fashio, allowig them to share the same router base. The two-block pivot (show opposite page) routs circles without drillig pivot holes i the workpiece. Istead, I adhered the bottom piece to the workpiece with doublefaced tape. I ve also foud that a large 1-ich diameter dowel allows the blocks to spi more smoothly tha smallerdiameter pivot pis. As show i Figure 1, above, the acrylic piece o the top block clamps the trammel arm to the pivot block ad shows the radius of the arc you re routig. To set the radius gauge, etch the acrylic to match your bit ad attach it to the pivot as show at left. Attach the arm to the base, make a test cut at a kow legth, ad the trim the bar so that the umbers match the cut. The oval-cuttig jig is a larger variatio of the circlecuttig jig. Ulike related jigs that require fussy router-cut dovetailed grooves, this simpler stacked versio ca be easily made with your table saw. Cut the base to size. The set the blade bevel agle to 7 ad rip the top quadrat pieces ad the UHMW guide strips. Use the guide strips as spacers durig assembly of the quadrat pieces to esure a sug slidig fit ad screw the parts i place. Trim off the corers, or trim the etire jig to make smaller ovals. Like the two-block pivot, tape the oval-cuttig pivot to the workpiece. Secure the trammel arm with two bolts through same-size holes i the arm. Establish a ceterpoit at the major ad mior axes, ad the jig will do the rest. Guide strips Positio the router so that the bit touches the mior axis. The mark a hole for your pivot bolt. The mior axis guide strip is perpedicular to the arm. Threaded hole Rotate the router trammel to the major axis ad drill a hole for the secod pivot. Scrap Photos: Doug Rowa 27

Figure 2: T-Square ad Straightedge Squeeze the shelf material betwee the sacrificial guides (Iset) to set the dado width. Factor i the guide thickess whe settig bit depth.

Both work well for rabbets, dadoes ad grooves. You ca also use them for eatly trimmig the eds of plywood paels or wide gluedups too large to cut o a tablesaw.

3: Breadboard Jig 28 Workig i tadem, these guides ca help you make measurefree dadoes (see photo, above).

3 Figure 2: T-Square ad Straightedge Squeeze the shelf material betwee the sacrificial guides (Iset) to set the dado width. Factor i the guide thickess whe settig bit depth. Makig rabbets, dadoes, ad grooves Straightedge ad T-Square guides rak as two of the simplest jigs goig; offerig great versatility whe paired with a router. Both work well for rabbets, dadoes ad grooves. You ca also use them for eatly trimmig the eds of plywood paels or wide gluedups too large to cut o a tablesaw. Routig breadboard eds The breadboard jig is t that differet from the above straightedge, but the row of 1" diameter holes alog the bar eables you to alig the top ad bottom fece so that you ca Figure 3: Breadboard Jig 28 Workig i tadem, these guides ca help you make measurefree dadoes (see photo, above). Make the straightedge portio of your jig from a straight board about 6 iches loger tha the material you expect to rout. (If you re makig the T-square guide, rip a secod shorter strip ad attach it to oe ed. Drive oe screw the check the agle with a carpeter s square to set the fece before drivig the remaiig fasteers.) Add the width of your straightedge to the bit-to-base edge distace of your router ad rip a slightly oversized strip of 1/8" thick Marlite or hardboard. Attach the strip to the straightedge with double-faced tape. Fially, trim the 1/8" bottom with your router ad straight bit. rabbet both faces of a large pael for makig the wide teos foud i breadboard eds. Make the jig as show about a foot loger tha you might typically eed; three dowel pis provide better aligmet tha two. Startig with a strip of 11/2" thick by 4" wide maple (6/4 oak or a kil-dried two-by stock would also work), joit ad plae the faces ad edges, ad the drill a lie of aligmet holes where show i Figure 3. Rip the blak i half the attach the guides with double-faced tape. To set the jig, positio the pael betwee the dowels (photo at left), alig the sacrificial guide with the shoulder lie, ad clamp it together. Rout the top face of the workpiece, ad the flip the assembly ad workpiece to fiish the opposite face. Test the fit of the togue before removig the jig.

Rippig ad joitig If you thik usig a flush-trim bit with a straightedge i lieu of a joiter is t ew, the check out this jig s flip side.

bech. You ca build this back-savig jig from a few strips of 1/2thick MDF or plywood. Rabbet the joiter-edge so that the alumium agle rests flush with the surface.

Screw the guide strip to the assembly so that you ca replace it if you chage saw blades.

4 Rippig ad joitig If you thik usig a flush-trim bit with a straightedge i lieu of a joiter is t ew, the check out this jig s flip side. Outfitted with two 48"-log miter chaels eables it to work with track-saw-style clamps so that you ca setup your workpiece as eeded, ad the do your rippig ad joitig o a pair of sawhorses or at your bech. You ca build this back-savig jig from a few strips of 1/2thick MDF or plywood. Rabbet the joiter-edge so that the alumium agle rests flush with the surface. Make the rippig guide strip wider tha the blade-to-base dimesio of your circular saw so that the first cut sets the cut lie. Screw the guide strip to the assembly so that you ca replace it if you chage saw blades. To put the jig i joiter mode, simply flip it over ad positio the stock so that the edge hags over the alumium agle. Routig edges with a flush-trim helical bit produces a edge as clea as you d expect from a well-tued joiter. Carbide should be used o materials that would quickly dull high-speed kives, such as melamie, MDF, ad plywood. Figure 4: Two-Faced Straightedge Router-Table Joiter This table-mouted router jig, Figure 5, offers a safe way to joit boards that might be too short to safely machie o a stadard joiter. Ad sice spiral or helical bits cause less tear-out tha straight joiter kives, you re likely to save stock whe workig figured woods. Two-cut settigs make this jig differet. It ca rout a heavier 1/16"-deep cut for regular joitig, Optioal dust ad a super-light collectio cut equal to the thickess of plastic lamiate (about 1/32") for difficult materials. To use the jig, place the board To set up the agaist the ifeed side ad jig, clamp oe move from right to left. ed to your router table. Use a straightedge to positio the fece so the outfeed fece is taget to the circumferece of the bit, the clamp the remaiig free ed. Figure 5: Joiter Fece 29

Subbase These offset base plates add stability to

two-level base to quickly ad clealy cut solid wood badig

Figure 7: Trimmer-sized Baseplate Removig the subbase

5 Subbase These offset base plates add stability to edge-routig Subbase Figure 6: Full-size Baseplate Use the two-level base to quickly ad clealy cut solid wood badig level with the a plywood face pael. Figure 7: Trimmer-sized Baseplate Removig the subbase trasforms the jig ito a offset base. Apply a little weight o the hadled ed to keep the router from tippig. 30

Flush-trimmig ad edgig The offset/flush trimmig baseplate is aother dualpurpose jig. With the subbase attached, the router works like a steroid-powered shaver.

) I used pheolic faced plywood to make the baseplates that attach to both router ad UHMW for the subbase smaller trim, but woud up sawig up a plastic cuttig board I bought at the mall to make the

Ulike some of the other jigs, this oe is router specific.

6 Flush-trimmig ad edgig The offset/flush trimmig baseplate is aother dualpurpose jig. With the subbase attached, the router works like a steroid-powered shaver. I use it for trimmig plugs, ilays, badigs, eve solid-wood edgig. Remove the subbase your router (See the sidebar, Makig Jigs to Fit, below.) I used pheolic faced plywood to make the baseplates that attach to both router ad UHMW for the subbase smaller trim, but woud up sawig up a plastic cuttig board I bought at the mall to make the subbase for the full-sized router. ad you have a comfortable two-haded edger that s virtually tip proof, eve whe most of the router is hagig off the edge of your work. Ulike some of the other jigs, this oe is router specific. We provide rough dimesios i Figure 6, but you ll eed to adjust the desig to fit Coveiece - PLUS BUYING GUIDE Item Set the bit a hair above the surface, rout, ad the fiish up with a sadig block or card scraper. Remove the subbase for edge work. WOODCRAFT # price 1. Pheolic Faced MultiPly ½ x 24 x 48" $ UHMW Sheet ½-ich Thick, 4 x 48" $ Double Sided Tape 1" x 36 yards 15D28 $ Icra T-Track, 48" $ DeWalt TrackSaw Track Clamps $ Pheolic Faced MultiPly ¾ x 24 x 48" $ Fece Adaptor Dust Collectio Fittig $ UHMW Sheet ¼" Thick, 4 x 48" $ Ball Kob 27R17 $ Jig Hadle $ $ Sigle-Flute Coutersik for #8 Screws Above items are available at Woodcraft stores, woodcraft.com or by callig (800) Prices subject to chage without otice. Makig the Jigs to Fit If all routers were made exactly alike, it would be a cich to provide patters ad or specific hole locatios, but sice they are t, you ll eed to use a little commo sese. To make a custom baseplate for your router, start with the base it came with as your master patter. Trace its outlie ad use the shak ed of drill bit to determie the diameter of the screw holes. (The screw holes should be slightly larger tha the screws to allow for a little side-to-side adjustmet.) Use a self-ceterig drill bit to start the holes. Do t be surprised if the factory-supplied screws are too short for custom bases. A sigle flute coutersik ca be used to couterbore a deeper hole, but if you overdo it, the screw may pull through your baseplate. To be safe, take the short screw to a hardware store, match the threads, ad buy a hadful of loger machie screws. Self-ceterig bit Simple hole-sizig gauge Couterbore Master templates 31

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In the history of woodworking joinery,

In the history of woodworking joinery, joiery made simple Box-Joit Basics Create Simple, Strog, ad Hadsome Corers By Craig Betzley I the history of woodworkig joiery, box joits (sometimes called figer joits) are a fairly recet arrival. That