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Avoiding Frustration By Using A Woodworking Jig

by Linden J. Walhard

It doesn’t take very many times for the average homeowner to experience once drilling or cutting without jigs to know the value of a good woodworking jig. It makes for an aggravating woodworking experience when the holes that you’re drilling go too deep, or for instance when a picture frame molding won’t square up when it’s time to glue and nail. That’s not all. There are also the times when dovetail or routing cuts don’t measure up. So, the only way to really resolve this is to use the right jig for the job.

These don’t have to be expensive and fancy either. Usually you’ll be able to make your own if it’s a smaller project. But, if you’re an avid hobbyist, or if woodworking is your job, then you’ll find it’s well worth it to just invest in a nice collection of jigs. You’ll save tons of money in ruined wood and projects, plus save buckets of time.

Here’s a few jigs that you will want to have handy.

The dowel jig will let you cut dowel holes precisely to diameter and length. These work best for furniture making, such as in holding together drawer fronts to the frame, or for putting in tight fitting legs to chairs and tables.

You’ll also want to have a dovetail jig for furniture making. These will give your drawers a professional look. This is the way that drawers were built to last on those that were constructed 50 plus years ago. Using this jig is often the reason that these pieces of furniture are still around.

The router jig will support wood as it passes through a saw, which then creates a fine, decorative detailing for professional looking woodworking projects. Using this type of jig creates the professional appearance of beveled edges on tabletops and drawer faces with an exact precision.

Now the Kreg jig is a great example where form meets function. This set will usually come with face clamps that support the jigs for exactness. With these jigs, you can drill to detailed depths and size, to create a perfectly fitted match.

One strategy to employ if you don’t have a jig on hand in the midst of a drilling job is quite functional and even a bit fancy. Tape a thick band of masking tape around the drill bit at the depth you need. Then as you’re drilling you’ll be able to see where to stop applying the pressure. Though it’s not quite as precise, it works wonders! That kind of quick fix is okay if you’re simply doing the rare woodworking job, but to save yourself from frustration (it can be difficult to peel the gooey tape off the drill bit) and more precision, professional grade woodworking jigs are the best way to go. If you’re still not sure which jig is the right one for your job, asking for help at your local hardware store will save you much frustration, rather than the old trial and error method. It doesn’t take very many times for the average homeowner to experience once drilling or cutting without jigs to know the value of a good woodworking jig. It makes for an aggravating woodworking experience when the holes that you’re drilling go too deep, or for instance when a picture frame molding won’t square up when it’s time to glue and nail. That’s not all. There are also the times when dovetail or routing cuts don’t measure up. So, the only way to really resolve this is to use the right jig for the job.

These don’t have to be expensive and fancy either. Usually you’ll be able to make your own if it’s a smaller project. But, if you’re an avid hobbyist, or if woodworking is your job, then you’ll find it’s well worth it to just invest in a nice collection of jigs. You’ll save tons of money in ruined wood and projects, plus save buckets of time.

Here’s a few jigs that you will want to have handy.

The dowel jig will let you cut dowel holes precisely to diameter and length. These work best for furniture making, such as in holding together drawer fronts to the frame, or for putting in tight fitting legs to chairs and tables.

You’ll also want to have a dovetail jig for furniture making. These will give your drawers a professional look. This is the way that drawers were built to last on those that were constructed 50 plus years ago. Using this jig is often the reason that these pieces of furniture are still around.

The router jig will support wood as it passes through a saw, which then creates a fine, decorative detailing for professional looking woodworking projects. Using this type of jig creates the professional appearance of beveled edges on tabletops and drawer faces with an exact precision.

Now the Kreg jig is a great example where form meets function. This set will usually come with face clamps that support the jigs for exactness. With these jigs, you can drill to detailed depths and size, to create a perfectly fitted match.

One strategy to employ if you don’t have a jig on hand in the midst of a drilling job is quite functional and even a bit fancy. Tape a thick band of masking tape around the drill bit at the depth you need. Then as you’re drilling you’ll be able to see where to stop applying the pressure. Though it’s not quite as precise, it works wonders! That kind of quick fix is okay if you’re simply doing the rare woodworking job, but to save yourself from frustration (it can be difficult to peel the gooey tape off the drill bit) and more precision, professional grade woodworking jigs are the best way to go.

If you’re still not sure which jig is the right one for your job, asking for help at your local hardware store will save you much frustration, rather than the old trial and error method. Linden Walhard is writing at large for insidewoodworking.com , a web publication covering information on router accessories . His publications on woodworking jigs are found on his website .

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