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Image courtesy of Rockler.com
For my next project I’m going to make some raised dog dishes, and that requires me to make some decent sized holes to mount the dishes in. I thought I would be able to just run down to my local woodworking store and pick up a jig, but oh no. I must have the worst luck on the planet; every time I think something should be easy, it ends up becoming a big ordeal. But I digress.
Image courtesy of Rockler.com
The jigs available locally fall into 2 categories: template & arm style. The template style jigs are usually for circles 4″ in diameter or smaller, and the arm style are for circles 7″ to 8″ and larger. I need to make circles that are roughly 6″ in diameter. Thus, instead of ordering a jig and waiting a week for it to be delivered, I made one last night.
I made it from some scrap 1/4″ thick Lexan, I had leftover from my router table build. The only unpleasant task involved in its construction, was having to turn off the drill press after every hole, and clean the melted material out of the bits flutes. As it is now, I can make holes from 4 to 14 inches in diameter in quarter inch intervals.
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The Finished Jig
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Alignment holes
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alignment pin
I’m not really sure why, but I have been putting off making one of these for years. Making a cross cut sled is easy, but getting the fence square can be a real PITA (Oh yea that’s why). This sled is a smaller (42″ x 42″), simpler version of the Ultimate Crosscut Sled presented by John McCormack in the July 2008 issue of Fine Woodworking. The actual dimensions of a sled are so dependent on your particular saw and project needs, that it’s pointless for me to draw a plan in sketchup for you to download. The following are some things to consider before making your sled.
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The easiest way to breakdown plywood and other sheet goods is with a “track saw”. No I’m not talking about the ones sold by Festool & DeWALT that cost as much as a contractors saw. I’m talking about the ones that cost nothing because they are made from scrap. Pictured below is the one I’m using to rough cut the panels of my router table to size. It’s made from 1/4″ Russian birch plywood, & a SYP 2×4. The only step in making one that is remotely difficult is jointing the edge of the 2×4.
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A 4′x8′ sheet of 2″ thick pink insulation makes an excellent sacrificial cutting surface.
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The plywood edge prevents tear out, & makes lining up cuts a cinch.
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Keep the guide board thin, so it doesn’t hamper your abillity to make deep cuts.
