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DIY Dust Control Devices for the Home Wood ShopCONTENTS:

ForewordDisclaimerThe Hazards of Wood Dust and Where It Can Be ControlledWhy You Need More Dust Control Than Is Obtainable With Dust Collectors AloneSanding Downdraft Table — With FREE Downloadable PlansRoom Air Filtration UnitHow Much Filtration is Necessary for Your Shop?Original DIY Room Air Filtration UnitRoom Air Filtration Unit — Bigger And Better — With FREE Downloadable PlansDIY Ducting and Machine Connections for Dust Collection

Foreword:

Effective control of wood dust is an essential element of any woodworking shop. Inhalation of wood dust can cause serious health problems and the woodworker must minimize exposure to this hazard.

DISCLAIMER:

The reader assumes all responsibility and liability associated with the hazards of woodworking. The author has no control over how a reader will act as a result of obtaining information in this article. The author shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions that may be present in this article. Accordingly, the author shall assume no liability for any damages or harm incurred by a reader or any other person as a consequence of any information presented in this article.

This article is directed toward a hobbyist audience and is not intended for application in a commercial, institutional, or industrial setting. Commercial and institutional woodshops are generally governed by a complex set of worker safety regulations, such as those mandated by OSHA. Satisfying the compliance of such regulations is beyond the scope of this article.

THE HAZARDS OF WOOD DUST AND WHERE IT CAN BE CONTROLLED

There are generally three “points” at which wood dust can be controlled:

1. At the source;2. In the air (airborne dust); and3. At the point of breathing (mouth/nose).

Minimizing dust at the first point, its source, is the preferrable and most logical means of control, as this prevents the dust from being distributed around the shop in the first place. This is most effectively accomplished by using a good dust collection system. A dust collector, which is essentially a specialized vacuum cleaner of sorts, draws dust away from its source in woodworking machinery. Hoses are connected to the woodworking machines to collect the generated dust. The dust is drawn into a filtration system, typically a filter bag or cannister, where it can be routinely emptied. Dust collectors are rated by motor power (in HP), and by the volume of air that can be passed through the machine (cubic feet per minute – CFM). Dust collectors are also rated by the smallest diameter of particles that can be trapped in the filter, the diameter being expressed in microns. One micron is 1/1000th of a millimeter. The lower the number of microns stated, the smaller the particle that can be removed (and the better the system). Ideally, your system should be capable of filtering down to 1 micron, and there are many such models available at reasonable cost.

The second point of the dust problem is when some of the dust becomes suspended in the air. This creates a breathing hazard, and also results in contamination and a possible fire hazard when the airborne dust settles onto surfaces. Airborne dust can be removed to some degree by using room air filtration devices.

Abatement at the third point can be accomplished by means of a good respirator mask. The cheap paper dust masks found in stores offer little protection; they can allow dust particles up to 30 microns or more in diameter to pass through. Avoid these and purchase a high-quality NIOSH/OSHA approved filtration mask capable of filtering particles down to 1 micron or smaller. These can be purchased for about $30-$50. The better masks have replaceable filter elements. AO Safety makes high-quality respirators that are readily available from many tool suppliers. If you do any finishing, consider purchasing a mask that also filters mists and fumes. Don’t forget to keep an extra set of replacement filter elements on hand.

This article will provide some design guidance for building a sanding downdraft table and a room air filtration unit. These devices will help remove some of the dust found at the first and second points, respectively.

Keep in mind that these devices will not remove all of the wood dust from these points, and that they should never take the place of a good respirator. A safe woodworker will take steps to control dust at all 3 points.

WHY YOU NEED MORE DUST CONTROL THAN IS OBTAINABLE WITH DUST COLLECTORS ALONE

While a good dust collector is capable of removing the majority of dust created by many woodworking activities, there are some instances where a dust collector cannot remove it all, or it is difficult to attach to the work area. This is the dust that “gets away.” Perhaps the best example of this is the dust created by sanding.

Sanding is a task that generates large quantities of fine dust that is comprised of wood particles and ejected abrasive grit. Due to the inclusion of abrasive particles, this kind of dust is particularly dangerous to breathe. My sanders have dust bags, neither of which is able to catch more than a fraction of the generated dust. The majority of this dust finds its way into the air (and onto everything in sight). What is needed is a means of limiting this airborne dust.

Sanding Downdraft Table

A sanding downdraft table is essentially a work surface that incorporates a means of drawing away sanding dust for collection. A downdraft table can be as simple as a box with a pattern of holes drilled into the top surface. The box is airtight, with a vacuum or dust collector coupled to it. When the vacuum or dust collector is activated, air (and the accompanying dust) is drawn away from the work piece during the sanding operation. The dust is sucked downward through the holes in the surface and into the vacuum or collector.

If you don’t have a dust collector to attach to the downdraft table, you can build a self-contained downdraft table. The design of the table top is similar to that discussed above, except that a filter and blower are incorporated into the device. An old furnace blower fan and some good 1-micron furnace filters (such as 3M FiltreteTM) work quite well. The filters can be periodically removed and vacuumed clean.

Below are some photos of a self-contained downdraft table I built recently:

Kevin Brady’s DIY downdraft table. Constructed from 1/2″ MDF. Mounted on casters for mobility. View of the top surface. Top is 1/4″ masonite bonded to 1/2″ MDF. Inside view of the downdraft table. Dust is drawn downward and settles into the dust collection compartment on the left side. View of the dust collection compartment and filter. Accumulated dust is easily removed with a shop vac.View with blower housing cover removed. Filter is easily removed for cleaning or replacement. Downdraft table is powered by an old furnace blower. Grooves routed into top surface to provide a better path for moving dust.

FREE plans! Download my sketch in PDF for this downdraft table. (Warning — it’s a rather crude drawing.) Requires Adobe Reader.

Room Air Filtration Unit

A room air filtration unit is a device that draws dust-laden air inward, passes it through a filter, and ejects clean air out. At its best, a room filter is capable of filtering a portion of the dust suspended in the room’s air. It is by no means a replacement for dust collection at the source, and certainly not a replacement for using a good respirator mask. But a well-designed room filter can greatly reduce the amount of airborne dust in a shop.

There are many good commercial room air filtration units available that are designed for small woodworking shops. Jet, Delta, Penn State Industries, and JDS Tools offer decent units for hobbyist use, for around $200-$300 or so.

But why pay that kind of money when you can build your own for a fraction of the cost? For around $75-$100, you can construct a good air filtration unit in an afternoon.

How Much Filtration is Necessary for Your Shop?

This mostly depends on the size of your shop. When HVAC engineers design a heating or air conditioning system for a building, they design based on the building’s air volume in cubic feet, and how rapidly the air is to be cycled through the system – how many times the building’s air is “exchanged” per hour.

When designing a room dust filter, you can apply a similar approach. Calculate the room’s air volume: length X width X height in cubic feet. Then determine how many times per hour to exchange the air. An exchange value of 6 to 8 times per hour is a reasonable rate. More is better, as a faster rate means less dust will accumulate and settle. Let’s do an example.

My shop is in my 2-car garage. The dimensions are 24′ X 24′ X 9′ ceiling height. The volume is thus 5184 cubic feet. I want to design for an air exchange of 8 times per hour. That means I will cycle the entire volume of the shop’s air 8 times an hour – about once every 7.5 minutes.

I must now determine how many cubic feet per minute (CFM) that will be necessary to meet my design requirements. I will be cycling 5184 cubic feet of air per 7.5 minutes, thus 5184 divided by 7.5 yields a rate of just under 700 CFM.

The value of 700 CFM is at an ideal rate of flow. Since I will be passing the inbound air through filters, and since filters restrict the free flow of air, some adjustment is needed in order to determine the rated blower fan capacity. Without getting into the tedious fluid dynamics involved, we can approximate by a factor of about 2 and select a blower fan rated at a free-flowing rate of around 1400 CFM. That will provide an adequate amount of “headroom” so as to yield a realistic 700 CFM under the load of air passing through the filters.

Of course, this is a simplification; there are other factors that will affect the air flow, such as filter size, area of the exhaust aperture, direction of air flow, etc. However, this formula should provide a good estimate. In fact, the blower formula can be simplified as such:

Rated Fan CFM = Room Length X Room Width X Room Height X 3.75

Once you have determined the rated CFM required of your fan, it’s just a matter of buying a suitable fan. You could use a furnace blower, and you might be able to pick up a used one fairly cheap from a local HVAC contractor, or perhaps a yard sale. Another option, one that I had used in the construction of my filtration unit, is to purchase an attic fan from a home improvement center. These attic fans are inexpensive, costing around $25-$30 or so, and are rated for moving 1000 or more CFM.

Original DIY room air filtration unit. Below are some photos of the room air filtration unit I built several years ago:

Kevin Brady’s DIY air filtration unit. The enclosure was constructed from scrap particleboard salvaged from a discarded ping-pong table. Back view of unit, showing filters at the intake. Pull-switch for actuating the blower, a 1500 CFM attic fan. View of filter side, with retaining door open. The unit uses 2 stages of filtering.The first stage of filtering is comprised of two general-purpose furnace filters. Behind the two filters in the first stage is a separator frame. The separator frame is 2″ thick, with wire mesh on each side. Turbulence created within this space causes some of the dust that has passed beyond the first stage to precipitate here. Behind the separator frame is the second filtration stage, which is comprised of a 1-micron Filtrete furnace filter. This stage traps most of the fine dust that has passed through the first stage. Side hatch for accessing the fan. As you can see, a small amount of dust passes through the filters and collects here. This hatch provides access for periodically cleaning the fan and motor.

Hindsight is 20/20.

Woodworking Routers are the most precise cutting tool in your shop. If not, you can learn how.

Pat Warner, a woodworking routers expert, had a great influence on me. His original three books,

Getting the Very Best from Your Router The Router Joinery Handbook Fast, Easy & Accurate Router Jigs

combined to improve my skills dramatically. All of these books are out of print. I want to share with you several of these skills.

Would you like to improve your skills?

• You can learn how to use a Router in a variety of ways.
• A Router can substitute for several woodworking machines.
• Router Jigs help you make precise joints.
• Router Bits are far cheaper than Jointer blades.
• You have to start somewhere. Learning to use the Router will make your skills come alive!

Woodworking Routers TypesAs you know, there are all types of routers on the market. Sometimes it is hard to know which one(s) you should use.

I have used several over the years. Does it make sense to purchase a router to do the intended work? Fixed-base routers for Router Table work, edge work, and pattern work. Plunge routers for inside work and multiple depth work. You may want to consider the newer combination packages – see Router Reviews.

I favor having two. One mounted in your Custom made Router Table and one for portable use. I use both quite frequently. They are very precise! You will like having a powerful router in your router table to make fancy profiles. This type does not bog down when using large cutters.

The router table has multiple uses, as explained on that page. You can take the router out of the router table, and use it for several jigs and patterns.

List of Woodworking Routers Pages:Woodworker Router Reviews Router Table Plans Router Table Fence Router Lift Quality Router Bits Router Jigs & Templates How to Use a Router Table Making a Sliding Dovetail Joint with a Router Table How to Joint with a Router Table Router Safety Custom Edge Guides

Woodworker Router Reviews attempts to guide you to the better choices in woodworking routers. You can spend a lot of money without getting the quality that you need. Today, you can find fixed base/plunge base packages that will really help you maximize your router use. Take a look at Woodworking Router Reviews for your best router choices.

Custom Made Router Table Plans You will really enjoy this router table plans. It is the third one I made. I sold the other two. This design is unique, making this router table the envy of your fellow woodworkers.This page includes ideas on a good, solid Router Table Top.

An Excellent Shop Built Router FenceYou can spend a lot of money on a table fence that may not have quality components. I spent a lot of time developing this Router Table Fence to make sure it measures up to quality. The design is unique and gives excellent results. Take a look at the short video clip.

A Different Type of Router Lift You can spend hundreds of $$$ on a fancy router lift. On the other hand, you can make your own that is more versatile and under $25.

What Router Bits Should You Buy? You can save a lot of money if you want quality and know where to shop! High-class router bits give you a better quality cut and save you money as well.

Router Jigs and Templates Woodworking routers need templates and they are truly amazing. Clamping both template and your wood to your workbench is fast and easy. You will learn how to use templates to their maximum advantage.

How to Use a Router Table You will find tips and techniques using the Router table to increase your skills.The router table is excellent for edge-to-edge joinery. Some of the other uses are simple.As you grasp the concepts, you will wonder why you didn’t think of that before.

The Sliding Dovetail Joint Excels in Tensile Strength (Pull-Apart Strength). You can spend a lot of money on commercial jigs, but they may not make quality dovetail joints. Find out how easy you can make a sliding dovetail joint with your router table!

How to Joint with a Router Table Using the Router Table for edge jointing is practical and safe.Here are some tips and techniques to make it easy for you. Once you understand this, you will save some money!

Router Safety These router safety tips & techniques should help you in using your woodworking router.Using a router should be safe and fune!

Want to make your own Custom Edge Guides? You can with these plans! Save some money in the process.These edge guides help you do a lot of things.

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By clicking below, I acknowledge that I have read, understand and agree to be bound by these additional terms and conditions of sale. If I do not understand these terms and conditions, I certify that I will seek professional advice regarding the export of property before placing a bid on any items offered for sale.

The Woodworking Router is the most precise cutting tool in your shop. If not, you can learn how.

Pat Warner, woodworking router expert, had a great influence on me. His original three books,

Getting the Very Best from Your Router The Router Joinery Handbook Fast, Easy & Accurate Router Jigs

combined to improve my skills dramatically. All of these books are out of print. I want to share with you several of these skills.

Would you like to improve your skills?

• You can learn how to use a Router in a variety of ways.
• A Router can substitute for several woodworking machines.
• Router Jigs help you make precise joints.
• Router Bits are far cheaper than Jointer blades.
• You have to start somewhere. Learning to use the Router will make your skills come alive!

Woodworking Router TypesAs you know, there are all types of routers on the market. Sometimes it is hard to know which one(s) you should use.

I have used several over the years. Does it make sense to purchase a router to do the intended work? Fixed-base routers for Router Table work, edge work, and pattern work. Plunge routers for inside work and multiple depth work.

I favor having two. One mounted in your Custom made Router Table and one for portable use. I use both quite frequently. They are very precise! You will like having a powerful router in your router table to make fancy profiles. This type does not bog down when using large cutters.

The router table has multiple uses, as explained on that page. You can take the router out of the router table, and use it for several jigs and patterns.

These are the ones I like the best:

Dewalt 621- 2HP Plunge Router
• Electronic variable speed motor with soft start. Runs at 8,000-24,000 rpm with constant speed under load to ensure a quality finish.
• The 621 has the best plunge action.
• The best hand ergonomics of all routers. You can plunge, lock, start the motor, steer, and stop with your hands always on the control knobs. Safety Upfront!
• You can easily hit target depth of cut. Rack and pinion depth adjuster, with micro-fine adjusting allows quick, accurate set-up.
• Dust Collection is built-in. It works Great!
• Easily change router bits. Spindle lock button allows one-wrench bit change.
• Easy to change collet sizes.
• Excellent use of edge guides.
• Guide Bushing adapter plate accepts standard guide bushings for template work.

Porter Cable 7518 3HP Fixed Base Router
• Speedmatic 5-Speed motor maintains constant speed under load.
• Soft start for smooth performance.
• Very precise depth adjustment Works great!
• Aluminum motor housing prevents heat build-up.
• Auto release collets.
• Low vibration and clean cuts Really nice!
• Ideal for table mounting.

You can purchase both/either of these routers at Amazon.com, formerly Tool Crib of the North. However, you may find them cheaper elsewhere.

If you need help in finding a good price on a woodworking router, see the Best Place to Buy Page!

A Custom Made Router Table

You will really enjoy this router table. It is the third one I made. I sold the other two. This design is unique, making this router table the envy of your fellow woodworkers.This page includes ideas on a good, solid Router Table Top.

An Excellent Shop Built Router Fence

You can spend a lot of money on a table fence that may not have quality components. I spent a lot of time developing this Router Table Fence to make sure it measures up to quality. The design is unique and gives excellent results. Take a look at the short video clip.

A Different Type of Router Lift

You can spend hundreds of $$$ on a fancy router lift. On the other hand, you can make your own that is more versatile and under $25.

What Router Bits Should You Buy?

You can save a lot of money if you want quality and know where to shop! High-class router bits give you a better quality cut and save you money as well.

Want to make your own Custom Edge Guides?You can with these plans! Save some money in the process.These edge guides help you do a lot of things.Router Jigs and Templates

Woodworking router templates are truly an amazing process. Clamping both template and your wood to your workbench is fast and easy. You will learn how to use templates to their maximum advantage.

How to Use a Router Table

You will find tips and techniques using the Router table to increase your skills.The router table is excellent for edge-to-edge joinery. Some of the other uses are simple.As you grasp the concepts, you will wonder why you didn’t think of that before.

How to Joint with a Router Table

Using the Router Table for edge jointing is practical and safe.Here are some tips and techniques to make it easy for you. Once you understand this, you will save some money!

Router Safety

These router safety tips & techniques should help you in using your woodworking router.Using a router should be safe and fune!

There are countless woodworking sites out there, but finding the genuine DIY hobbyist sites requires a bit of sleuthing. Sure, there are plenty of professional/gallery sites, and you’ll have no problem turning those up by conducting a search, so I won’t post them here. Instead, I went looking for some bona fide hobbyist and artisan websites – especially those that offer something of value to woodworking newcomers and intermediates, be it advice, articles, free plans, or just nice pictures of interesting projects. Below are just a few I encountered recently while I spent about an hour searching. They are listed in no particular order. While some may have a few ads to help support their sites, or perhaps sell a few items, I have avoided the overly commercial sites with popups or excessive advertising. One phenomenon I discovered while searching: there are lots of junky “directory” sites replete with piles of links – mostly dead links. I avoided those and you won’t find links to them here. With that in mind I’ll try to keep this collection of links fresh and updated from time to time, but no guarantees. I’ll probably add more as I find them. Enjoy.

Knock Off Wood How to build knock-out knock-off furniture. Ol’ Dave’s Woodshop Where woodworkers are not all pros. WoodWorkStuff Joe Lyddon’s site. A collection of cool woodworking goodies. Lots of projects and how-to articles. WoodHelp Marc Phillips’ site. Huge collection of jigs, tips, articles, and project photos. Sawdust Making 101 A guide for the beginning woodworker. Around the Woods Darrell Feltmate’s excellent site for woodturners. Includes lots of detailed tutorials for woodturners of all skill levels. Joe Woodworker The quintessential non-professional woodworker’s site. Plenty of good articles, lots of veneering info. Rick’s Woodworking Website A woodworker in British Columbia with lots of design ideas, links, free woodworking software, and a woodworking discussion forum. Geoff’s Woodwork UK site with lots of how-to info. Woodwork, cabinet making, basic carpentry and joinery techniques. Jason Falejczyk Lots of project photos and an amazing Ipe deck and gazebo. Lee Thomas Lee’s website — includes an interesting article on electrolytic rust removal. Mark Goodall Mark Goodall’s HappyWoodworking.com. Numerous how-to articles, reviews, and project photos. Great sense of humor Mike’s Workshop Mike Moorlach’s woodworking site. Emphasis on scroll sawing, with lots of tutorials. While visiting the site, his biography is a must-read. Simply amazing. SteveWeb Woodworking Steve Goldstein’s woodworking website. Sawdust and Shavings Dozens of good, objective tool reviews. Bobino’s Woodworking Webpage Lots of project and shop photos. Dave Hylands’ Woodworking Page Pens, shop projects and jigs Has some really nice downloadable CAD drawings. Woody’s Page of Woodworking Iowa woodworker with some unusual designs, some of which have won local awards. Site also features an interesting shop-built drum sander. Matt’s Workshop Project photos and some really nice, free downloadable project plans. Grampa’s Workshop A Canadian woodworker (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Red Green) with lots of tips, plans, and safety information. Bill Sharp’s Home Workshop Has project descriptions with photos and drawings, and some home repair tips. Sal Marino’s Woodworking Page Huge collection of well-written how-to articles. Ken Delano Project and shop photos. Bryan Wuest Lots of photos of projects and hand tools. Ken Vaughn’s Workshop A good site with lots of how-to articles. Dominic’s Wood Shop Project photos, shop photos, and a discussion forum. Tom Almy’s Workshop Shop and projects with lots of photos and project instructions. Covers jigs and small projects, and has some technical tips for the Shopsmith machine. Big Daddy’s Workshop Lots of project and shop photos. Sawduster Tips and how-to information. Luigi’s Woodworking Pages Plans for jewelry boxes (one of which is really, REALLY huge), and a cool torsion box table. Howard Ruttan’s “In The Woodshop” A massive collection of useful articles for woodworkers of all stripes. Jeff Gorman – A Woodwork Notebook Project info and lots of well-written how-to articles. The Woodbutcher’s Shop A very informative site. It has a site map, which is necessary to navigate the vast collection of helpful, and humorous, articles. Rob’s Woodworking Lots of project photos. Bill Britton Photos of some really nice arts & crafts furniture, and plenty of small crafts items. Allan’s Wood Mizer’s Workshop Lots of plans, informative articles, and unusual stuff. Woodworking Matters Projects photos, tips, free plans. Mark’s Garage Shop Shop and project photos. Excelsior Woodworks Projects and photos of old woodworking machines. Old Rebel Workshop Hand-crafted items, tool reviews, and how-to articles. Gary G. Lots of photos of projects and workshop construction. Mike and Norma’s Woodworking Projects Lots of project photos. Roye’s Place Project and shop photos. Stuart Ablett’s Workshop Lots of tool and project photos. Tim the Toolman Rowledge’s Woodworking Page Projects, tools and tips. Scott Moore Eclectic site with some nice cabinet projects. Chris Billman Projects, jigs, tool reviews and more. Nice section on modifying dust collection ports on power tools.. Haven’t had enough? Check out these webrings for more useful sites: Woodworkers Webring Locate woodworkers and woodworking sites. Woodworking Webring Ditto.

Have a DIY woodworking site and would like to have it listed here? Send me a link. Due to my busy schedule it might take a while for me to get around to adding it, so please be patient. Sites that are generally commercial in nature or those that lack free information useful to woodworking hobbyists will not be added. A link back to my homepage http://www.kevinsbrady.net would be greatly appreciated, but is not required.

The CNC router you select will need to handle your workload and be an appropriate fit for your work environment. Two basic considerations are how many axes you need on your router, and what type of motors it will use.

How many axes do you need?
In general, there are four levels of CNC woodworking machines you can purchase depending on the number of axes needed to do the work you have in mind.

• 2-axis: These are low-end routers for hobbyists to create basic signs or household items. They dont have a true Z axis, and theyre not intended for industrial use.
• 3-axis: The most common CNC routers, the standard 3-axis router features an eight-foot long X axis, a four-foot Y axis, and a six-inch Z axis.
• 4-axis: The addition of a fourth axis allows material to be rotated around the vertical axis or on a CNC lathe for architectural millwork or advanced artistic carvings.
• 5-axis: Offers two additional axes for rotating parts and cutting three-dimensional objects without having to reposition them. Can machine five sides of a cube at once.

The vast majority of small-to-medium businesses choose 3- or 4-axis models. Hobbyists can get by with small 2-axis routers, and 5-axis routers are primarily used for the boating, automobile, and aerospace industries.

Stepper motors vs. servo motors
You have two options for the motors that will power your router: stepper or servo.

A stepper motor moves in steps and keeps count of the steps to determine its position. This is an open loop control, meaning that after controller tells the motor to move a certain number of steps, it assumes that its done. You dont get feedback letting you know where the motor is, and in complex designs, this can lead to errors.

Stepper motors have been around for a long time and are extremely reliable. They also require very little maintenance. However, they arent as accurate as servo motors. They are also quite noisy and there are limited sizes available.

Their performance also depends on speed. Stepper motors have high torque (the force that causes rotation) at low speeds, but may suffer from choppy performance. High speeds are smoother but dont have as much torque.

Instead of counting steps, brushless servo motors send feedback to the computer to keep track of their position. This is a closed loop control: feedback from an encoder lets the motor automatically correct its location. By self-correcting, you get faster point-to-point speeds and increased power.

Servo motors are very accurate and smooth and the result is fine resolution of the finished product. However, they can be more expensive and are traditionally found only in high-end CNC woodworking machines. They require more maintenance in dusty environments, as the encoder is susceptible to dirt and vibration problems.

To maintain a servo motors accuracy, you must tune it so it responds the way you want. Tuning is not an easy process and requires a lot of knowledge about the technology, but you gain greater control over the motors behavior.

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The task of cutting large panels is relatively easy with a table saw. By the same token, making square cross-cuts on planks is a piece of cake with a miter saw or a properly tuned radial-arm saw.

The question is, what do you do if you’ve got a circular saw, but don’t have any of these woodworking machines? Easy. Build a couple of simple woodworking jigs.

My two favorite such jigs are essentially the same jig, just in different sizes. Out a sheet of melamine, or better yet, MDF, cut a 12″ x 24″ rectangular piece. Then, using a straight-edge, cut a 12″ long x 2″ wide strip of plywood. Be certain that one side of the plywood is as straight as possible, as this will be used for a straight-edge on the jig.

Using a framing square or layout square, mark a straight pencil line six inches in from the right end of the melamine/MDF board (18-inches from the left end).

Next, using a power drill, attach the plywood strip to the board on the left side of the line. Be certain that the straightest edge of the plywood strip is tight against the line.

Once the strip is secured, place your circular saw against the right edge of the plywood strip (on the pencil line) and cut the melamine or MDF board, using the plywood strip as a straight-edge.

The jig is now complete. To use the jig, simply mark the piece of stock you wish to cut and place the jig on top, lining the freshly cut edge of the jig with the marks on the stock. Clamp the jig in place (be sure that the clamps are to the left of the straight-edge) and cut the stock in the same manner that you cut the edge off of the jig in the previous step. If you built the jig correctly, the cut on the work piece should be perfect every time.

The beauty of this jig is that it can be adapted to pretty much any size. I like to have one jig that is 12″-16″ wide (for cross-cutting small boards) and another that is at least 4-feet wide (for panel cutting). Having a large version of this jig makes cross-cuts on a sheet of plywood simple and precise.

Even if you have access to a miter saw, radial-arm saw or table saw, these jigs are handy to have around, especially if you find that you are working on a project away from your shop. For instance, if you’re helping your neighbor build a backyard playhouse, do you really want to haul your miter saw or go back to the shop every time you need to use your table saw? A couple of minutes to build these simple jigs will solve the problem and still give some impressive results.