Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs - Tennessee Valley Woodworkers

8 

Shop Tested 

Tablesaw Jigs 

Ask seasoned woodworkers about 

the benefits of stocking a shop 

with a variety of hardworking 

jigs. They’ll likely tell you that 

some jigs get used again and again, while 

others gather dust. We guarantee that 

these eight jigs will be worth your investment 

in time and materials. 

Thin-Strip Ripping Jig 

page 2 

Dead-On 90° Crosscut Sled 

page 6 

Corner-Rabbeting Jig 

page 12 

Straight Edge Cutting Jig 

page 15 

For example, after you take an evening 

or two to build the sled on page 6, 

we predict that you’ll constantly use 

the crosscut sled for repetitive cuts. 

The four-sided tapering jig and splinecutting 

jig provide you with more 

specialized techniques. 

We constructed most of these shop 

Four-Sided Tapering Jig 

page 4 

Raised-Panel Jig 

page 8 

Spline-Cutting Jig 

page 14 

Blade Rack 

page 16 

helpers from Baltic birch plywood 

and hard maple. If you prefer, you can 

substitute medium-density fiberboard 

(MDF) for plywood and another dense 

hardwood for maple. See Sources on 

page 7 for help in buying the inexpensive 

hardware items you’ll need for the 

jigs in this plan. 

1 DP-00508a 

woodmagazine.com

tablesaw jigs 

Thin- 

Strip 

Ripping 

Jig 

Here’s a safetyminded 

jig that will 

make you feel more 

comfortable ripping 

tiny pieces. 

Sometimes you need to rip several thin 

strips of wood to equal thickness to 

serve as edging, veneer, or bending 

stock. Slicing off thin stock on the 

fence side of the blade, however, could prove 

unsafe. That’s because it becomes awkward to 

use your blade guard and pushstick when you 

cut close to the fence. The solution: Run the 

wide portion of your workpiece between the 

fence and blade, cutting the strips on the side of 

the blade opposite the fence. You could accomplish 

this by measuring for each cut, but that’s 

tedious and inaccurate. This thin-strip ripping 

jig does the job safely, accurately, and quickly. 

A 

To make a cursor, scribe a line across 

the acrylic indicator with a sharp knife 

and a square. Color the scribed line with 

a permanent marker. Wipe off the excess 

ink with a cloth, leaving a fine line. 

Refer to Sources on page 7 for hardware 

for this project. 

First, build the jig 

1Cut a piece of ‡" plywood to the 

dimensions shown for the base on 

page 3. Cut a dado on the bottom side of 

the base for the guide bar, where shown. 

Now, cut the ‡" dado on the top side of 

the base for the sliding bar. 

2Cut two pieces of maple to size for 

the miter-slot guide bar (adjust the 

dimensions shown if necessary to fit 

your tablesaw’s slots) and the sliding 

B C 

Size your thin-strip ripping jig to suit your 

tablesaw, so that a 1" screw in the guide 

bar can contact the blade. Install a zeroclearance 

throat plate to prevent the 

sawn strip from falling into the saw. 

bar. Center the miter-slot guide bar in 

the bottom dado, and glue it in place. 

Drill a pair of ˇ" holes in the sliding 

bar, where shown, scrollsaw the material 

between them, and smooth the inside 

of the slot with a file. 

3Set the jig in your tablesaw’s left 

miter-gauge slot. Place the sliding bar 

in the dado with its left end flush with the 

base. Slide the jig forward, and mark the 

point where a left-leaning sawblade tooth 

touches the bar. Make a second mark fi" 

closer to the base. Remove the bar, and 

crosscut it at the second mark. 

Remove the jig before making the cut so 

the workpiece doesn’t bind between the 

rip fence and the screw head. Replace the 

jig in the slot without making any adjustments 

to set up the next cut. 

2 8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs 2006

EXPLODED VIEW 

BASE 

4 Drill a 7 ⁄64" pilot hole in the sliding 

bar, centered on the end you just 

cut. Drive a brass screw halfway into 

the wood. (We used brass to avoid any 

chance of damaging a tablesaw blade.) 

You’ll turn this screw in or out to finetune 

your jig’s basic “zero” setting, or to 

adjust it for a blade of different thick- 

FILENAME:151TablesawJig1.eps 

ness or Date: with 6-03 a different tooth set. 

From Lorna the J. bottom side of the assembly, 

5 drill and countersink a ‹" hole through 

the miter-slot guide bar and base for 

the machine screw that holds the plastic 

knob. Sand all of the wood parts to 

180 grit, and apply three coats of clear 

finish. 

Make a mark 1" from the left end of 

6 the sliding bar. Cut the first 1fi" from 

an inexpensive steel rule, align its left end 

with the mark, and attach it with epoxy. 

woodmagazine.com 

#8 x ‡" F.H. wood screw 

INDICATOR 

2" 

Cursor line 

‹ x 1fi x 2" clear acrylic 

6‡" 

4" 

4fi" 

‹" hole, countersunk 

on bottom side 

‹-20 x 1fi" F.H. machine screw 

Four-arm knob with ‹" insert 

‡" dado 

17⁄32" deep 

‹" flat washer 

¸" shank hole, 

countersunk 

on top 

‡" 

3" 

7⁄64" pilot hole 

fi" deep 

2" 

fi" 

1" 

‡" 

Œ" 

1fi" 

‡" 

‡" dado ¤" deep 

fi x ‡ x 9" 

#8 x 1" brass F.H. wood screw 

1fi" 

MITER-SLOT GUIDE BAR 

Cut a piece of ‹" acrylic to the 

7 dimensions shown for the indicator. 

Drill and countersink the two mounting 

holes, and scribe and mark a cursor 

line, as shown in Photo A. Attach 

the indicator to the base, and add 

the knob. 

Now, cut some strips 

To cut a thin strip with the jig, place 

its guide bar in the left-hand miter 

gauge slot on your tablesaw. Loosen 

the knob, set the cursor to zero (the 

bottom end of the rule), and retighten 

the knob. Slide the jig so that the brass 

screw head is beside the saw blade. 

Turn the screw in or out with a screwdriver 

until the head lightly contacts a 

left-leaning tooth. Pull the jig toward 

you, loosen the knob, set the cursor 

ˇ" slot 

9" 

1fi" section of steel rule 

SLIDING BAR 

for the desired strip thickness, and retighten 

the knob. 

Position your workpiece against the rip 

fence, and move the fence to bring the left 

edge of the workpiece against the screw 

head, as shown in Photo B. Lock the 

fence, set the jig out of the way, and you’re 

ready to cut a strip, as shown in Photo C. 

After completing the cut, clean up the 

workpiece on the jointer. Replace the jig 

in the slot. Then unlock the rip fence, 

move it to bring the jointed edge against 

the screw head, lock the rip fence, remove 

the jig, and saw another strip. Repeat 

the process as many times as necessary 

to produce all of the strips that you 

need for your project. ¿ 

Written by Jim Pollock with Jeff Mertz 

and Kevin Boyle 

Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson 

3

You can taper one side of a table leg 

without much head-scratching, 

but tapering all four sides equally 

presents more of a challenge. With 

this jig, however, you can cut all four tapers 

without changing your setup. You simply 

rotate your workpiece between cuts. 

Locate the hold-downs to suit the length 

of your workpiece. (The pivot block can 

sit at either end of the jig.) If your tablesaw 

has a 10" blade, you can handle workpieces 

up to 2" thick. 

Refer to Sources on page 7 for hardware 

for this project. 

Build the jig 

tablesaw jigs 

Four-Sided 

Tapering Jig 

Here’s a slick way to taper 

four sides of a table leg—all 

with one simple jig. 

1For the base, cut a piece of ‡" plywood 

to the size shown on Drawing 

1, then cut a piece of ‹" hardboard to the 

same dimensions. 

2Cut fl " dadoes ‰" deep in one face 

of the plywood, where dimensioned. 

Glue the hardboard to the dadoed face 

with yellow glue. Now, clamp the assembly 

between two scraps of plywood 

to ensure even pressure. After the glue 

dries, remove the clamps, set your dado 

blade for a ‹"-wide cut, put an auxiliary 

fence on your miter gauge, and cut a slot 

through the hardboard, centered over each 

plywood dado, as shown in Photo A. 

3Cut a piece of maple to ‹×›×12", 

then cut two 3" pieces and one 3fi " 

piece from this blank for the guide bars. 

For the hold-down bases, cut a piece of 

‡" plywood to 1fi ×12". Cut a ‹" groove 

down the center of one face of this plywood, 

where dimensioned on the drawing. 

Drill two ‹" holes near opposite ends of 

the groove, with each hole centered in the 

groove and fi " from the end. Cut a 3" piece 

from each end to make two hold-down 

bases. Next, glue one guide bar piece in 

the groove on each hold-down base. After 

the glue dries, drill a ‹" hole through each 

assembly, using the previously drilled 

holes as guides. 

4Cut a maple blank to ‡×2×12" to 

make the pivot block. (We begin with 

an oversized piece to assure safety during 

the cutting process.) Cut a rabbet on one 

end of the blank, where shown on Drawing 

1a. Now, drill two holes to form the 

ends of the adjustment slot, remove the 

material between the holes with a coping 

saw or scrollsaw, and clean up the slot 

with a file. Cut a ‹" groove centered on the 

A B 

After cutting dadoes in the plywood base, 

glue the hardboard to the dadoed face. 

Mount the two outside blades of a dado 

set in your tablesaw, and cut slots through 

the hardboard centered over each dado. 

bottom edge of the blank. Next, drill a ‹" 

hole centered in the groove 2fi " from the 

rabbeted end. Glue in the 3fi " guide bar 

piece, making it flush with the rabbeted 

end. After the glue dries, drill a ‹" hole 

through the blank, using the previously 

drilled hole as a guide. Trim the blank to 

3fi " in length. Sand and finish the assembly. 

5Assemble the hold-downs as shown. 

For the pivot block, file or grind one 

edge of the washer flat, as shown on 

Drawing 1a, and then assemble the nut, 

screw, and washer as shown. Adjustable 

up or down in the slot, this screw serves 

as an indexing pin. Once set for a particular 

workpiece, it guarantees that every 

cut in the sequence is an equal distance 

from the center of the workpiece. 

Diagonal lines on the end of the workpiece 

locate the hole that fits onto the indexing 

pin. Draw the cutline for the final shape, 

and extend the lines to the edges to help 

you position the workpiece on the jig. 


1 EXPLODED VIEW 

1" plastic knob 

1" plastic knob 


Four-arm knob 

with ‹" insert 

HOLD-DOWN 

fi" 

‹" groove 

‰" deep, 

centered 

‹ x 3" 

panhead 

machine screw 


Clamp 

‹" nylon nut 

‡ x 1fi x 3" plywood 

‹ x › x 3" 

guide bar 

‹" holes ‹" 

Œ" 

7›" 

12" 

11›" 

20›" 

HOLD-DOWN 

Clamp ‹" flat washer 

‹" nylon nut 

fi" 

‹ x 1" brass roundhead 

PIVOT BLOCK 

machine screw, 

‡ x 1fi x 3" plywood nut, and washer 

‹" groove 

Ç" slot 

‹ x › x 3" 

‰" deep, 

guide bar 

centered 

‹" groove 

‹ x 3" 

‹" holes ‹" 

‰" deep, centered Œ" 

‹ x › x 3fi" 11›" 

panhead 

34›" 

7›" 

machine screw 

GUIDE BAR 

12" 

‹" slots 

‹" deep, 

centered over 

fl" fl" dadoes 

‡" 


fl" 

7‰" 

A 

11‰" 

B 

C 

D 

E 

N 

O 

P 

Q 

R 

20‰" 

fl" 

34Ø" 

‡" 

fl" dadoes 

‰" deep 

7‰" 

BASE 

11‰" 

‹ x 3" panhead 

machine screw 

‹ x 12 x 20‰" 36" hardboard 

‡ x 12 x 36" plywood 

F 

S 

1a PIVOT BLOCK 

G T 

3fi" 

H U 

Tap into tapering 

3fi" V 

To taper a leg, cut your workpiece I 

¨" rabbet to its ˇ" deep turn clockwise (as viewed from the pivot- 

finished length, then rip it to the square J W ing end), ¨" reclamp, and cut. 

dimensions that you want for the unta- ‹" This jig also serves another purpose, as 

X 

pered section at the upper end. Draw Ka 

line shown in Photo D. When you need to cut a 

on all four faces to mark where the taper Y2fi" 

single taper, fl" mark its start and stop points 

L 

will begin. Drill a ‹" centering hole ‹" ›" Z 

hole on the end and edge of your workpiece. 

deep at the center of the 2" bottom end, M and Remove the ‡" indexing pin from the end 

add cut lines to show the final dimen- block, and nest the end of the workpiece in 

2" 

¨" rabbet ˇ" deep 

‹" 

2fi" 

‹" hole 

¨" 

fl" 

‡" 

Ç" slot 

sions of that end, as shown in Photo B. the notch. Ç" Align slot the marks with the edge 

Draw cut lines on the face connecting of the jig, and clamp. Place your hold-downs 

the leg-bottom marks ‹" washer, 

‰" with the taper- against the workpiece. Tighten the pivot 

‹" groove filed to allow 

start marks. This helps ‹ you x › visualize x 3fi" ‰" the deep, block nut in to place, engage and make the cut. ¿ 

final shape, and serves as GUIDE a safety BAR reminder centered the rabbet 

as you push the jig across the saw. 

Mount the leg-centering hole on the 

indexing pin. Slide the pivot block until 

the planned outside face of the leg aligns 

with the edge of the jig. Turn the knob to 

lock the pivot block in place. Now, near 

the upper end of the leg, align the taper- 

‰" 

‹ x › x 3fi" 

GUIDE BAR 

‹" groove 

‰" deep, 

centered 

‹" washer, 

filed to allow 

nut to engage 

the rabbet 

start cutline with the edge of the jig. Slide 

3a PIVOT BLOCK 

the hold-down blocks against the leg, and 

tighten the nylon nut on each one to set the 

block’s FILENAME:151TablesawJig2.eps 

position. Tighten the top knob on 

each Date: hold-down 6-03 to clamp the leg in place. 

Lorna J. 

Raise the saw blade ‹" above the leg. 

Butt the jig to the fence, move the fence 

until the saw blade just clears the left 


Date: 6-03 

Lorna J. 

side of the jig, and then make the cut, as C D 

shown in Photo C. To make each of the Hold the taper jig tightly against the 

The width and adjustability of the taper 

three remaining cuts, loosen the holddown 

knobs, rotate the leg one-quarter 

tablesaw rip fence as you cut. Before 

starting each pass, make certain that 

your left hand is well away from the line. 

jig allow you to handle a wide range of 

angle cuts. Here, with the jig flipped endfor-end, 

we’re shaping a simple leg. 

5 

20›" 

fl" 

34Ø

tablesaw jigs 

Dead-On 90° 

Crosscut Sled 

When you build this sled, your 

accuracy and efficiency at the 

tablesaw will soar. 

A 

reliable tablesaw miter gauge 

handles a lot of crosscutting 

tasks, but not all. It rides in just 

one slot, and supports the workpiece 

on just one side of the blade, allowing 

for slop. This problem disappears, 

however, with an accurate crosscut sled. 

Our design is both inexpensive and simple 

to build. Plus, it includes reliable, 

adjustable stops for repeatable cuts. From 

the moment you put this jig to use at your 

tablesaw, you’ll discover that making 

right-angle cuts is easier and safer. 

Build a real workhorse 

1Select a flat piece of ‡" plywood, and 

cut the platform to the dimensions 

shown on Drawing 1. 

2Cut two fi×3×30" maple pieces for the 

fence, and cut a fl " groove ‰" deep 

in the face of one piece, where shown 

on Drawing 1a. Glue the two blanks 

together, keeping the edges flush and the 

Two pennies shim the miter-slot guide 

bars slightly above the tablesaw surface. 

Place a couple of these stacks in each 

miter-gauge slot, and set the bars on top. 

groove on the interior of the lamination. of the blade, and lower the blade below 

After the glue dries, cut a ‹" groove cen- the table’s surface. (Note: Make sure your 

tered on the fl" groove. Then, cut a rabbet fence is parallel to the miter gauge slot 

along the front of the bottom edge and a before proceeding.) Apply double-faced 

fi " groove centered along the top edge. 

3From ‡" maple, cut the blade guard 

sides and end. Glue and screw the end 

tape to the top of each guide bar, and attach 

the bars to the platform, as shown in 

Photos A and B. Remove the assembly 

to the sides. Now, screw the blade guard from the saw, and permanently attach the 

to the fence, where shown on Drawing 1. 

4Cut the front rail from ‡" maple. Use 

a jigsaw to cut a notch, where shown, 

bars with screws. 

7Cut a piece for the stopblock, and cut 

a dado in the back, where shown. Cut 

for the blade to pass through. Attach the a guide bar, and glue it into the dado. 

front rail and the fence to the platform Drill a shank hole through the block and 

with screws. 

5Cut, sand, and finish two top blade 

guard supports. Using a fine-toothed 

bar, where shown. Now, cut a piece of ‹" 

acrylic plastic to size for the stopblock indicator. 

See Drawing 1b. Drill, saw, and 

tablesaw blade, cut a piece of ‹" clear file smooth the slot, where shown. Make 

acrylic to size for the blade guard cover. 

Attach the cover to the supports and the 

front rail. 

6From ‡" maple stock, cut two strips 

to serve as miter-slot guide bars. Set 

a cursor line, as shown. 

8Remove the top blade guard, sand the 

jig, and apply three coats of finish. 

Reattach the blade guard, assemble and install 

the stopblock, place the crosscut sled 

your tablesaw rip fence 8¤" to the right on your tablesaw, and make a cut from 

A B C 

6 

Keeping the right end of the platform against 

the rip fence, set the sled assembly on 

the guides. Press down firmly to stick the 

bars to the platform. 

Hold the workpiece firmly against the 

fence as you make a cut. Keep your hands 

outside the blade guard, and don’t cut 

through its end. 

8 Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs 2006

N 

O 

P 

Q 

R 

S 

T 

U 

V 

W 

X 

Y 

Z 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

G 

H 

I 

J 

K 

L 

M 

N 

O 

P 

Q 

R 

S 

T 

U 

V 

W 

X 

Y 

Z 

1 EXPLODED VIEW 


#8 x ‡" F.H. 

wood screw 

#8 x ‡" F.H. 

wood screw 

#8 x ‡" 

TOP 

F.H. 

BLADE GUARD 

wood screw 

TOP BLADE GUARD 

¤" shank hole, 

countersunk 

TOP BLADE GUARD 


countersunk 


countersunk 

7 ⁄64" pilot hole 

‡" 

7⁄64" pilot hole 

‡" 

6¨" 

‹ x 3‹ x 

30" 

‡ x ‡ x 16‹" clear ac 

supports 

7 6¨" 

‹ x 3‹ x 22‡" 

‡" 

30" 

⁄64" pilot hole 

‡ x ‡ x 16‹" clear acrylic 

2" supports 

FRONT RAIL 

6¨" 

‹ x 3‹ x 22‡" 

2" 30" 

‡ x ‡ x 16‹" clear acrylic 

FRONT RAIL 

7›" ‡ x 18 x 30" 

supports 

2" 

plywood 

1fl" 

6¨" 

FRONT RAIL 

7›" ‡ x 18 x 30" 

#8 x 1fi" F.H. 

plywood 

wood screw 

1fl" 

6¨" 

‹ x 1 x 1‡" 7›" #8 x 1fi" 

8¤" ‡ 

F.H. 

x 18 x 30" 

clear acrylic wood screw 

‹ x 1 x 1‡" 

plywood 

1fl" 

6¨" 

8¤" 

#8 x 1fi" F.H. BLADE GUARD ‡" 

clear 3" acrylic 

wood screw ‡" 

#8 x 1fi" F.H. 

3" 

#6 x 1" roundhead ‹ x 1 x 1‡" 8¤" 

BLADE 

wood screw 

wood clear screwacrylic 

ˇ" holes 

#6 x 1" roundhead 

‡" 

wood screw 

3" 

ˇ" holes 

‹" hexhead bolt 

#6 x 1" roundhead 

1fi" long 


wood screw 1fi" long ˇ" holes 

3‡" 


3" 

3‡" 

Four-arm knob 

3‡" 

1fi" long 


3" 

Self-adhesive 

Four-arm knob 

Fence 

measuring rule 

3‡" 

STOPBLOCK 

3‡" 


Self-adhesive 

Four-arm knob 

Fence 

measuring rule 3" 

STOPBLOCK 

Self-adhesive 4‡" 


1 x 3 x 30" 

PLATFORM 

Fence 

measuring ruleˇ 

x 3‹" ‡ x 18" 

STOPBLOCK 

1 x 3 x 30" 

miter-slot guide bars 4‡" 

PLATFORM 

ˇ x ‡ x 18" 

‡ x 1‹ x 2Í" 

miter-slot guide bars 

stopblock 

‡ x 1‹ x 2Í" 

‹ x fi x 1‹" 1 x 3 x 30" 

PLATFORM 

ˇ x ‡ x 18" 

stopblock 

guide bar 

‹ x fi x 1‹" 

miter-slot guide bars 

guide ‡ bar x 1‹ x 2Í" 

#8 x 1fi" stopblock F.H. 

‹" dado ‹" deep 

wood screw 

‹ x Œ" fi from x 1‹" top edge 

#8 x 1fi" F.H. 


guide bar 

#8 x fi" F.H. wood screw 

wood screw 

Œ" from top edge 


#8 x 1fi" F.H. 


wood screw 

Œ" from top edge 

the front edge through the fence. Use a 


rule to set the stopblock 4" from the kerf. 

Mark the center of the stopblock on its top 

end, align the 4" line on the self-adhesive 1a FENCE SECTION VIEW 1b INDICATOR DETAIL 1‡" 

measuring tape with that mark, and attach 

1‡" 

the tape in the fence groove. Use tin snips 

fi" groove „" deep 

Á" ¤ x fi" slot 

(to fit measuring rule) 

to cut off the portion of the 1‡" 

fi" groove tape extend- „" deep 

Á" ¤ x fi" slot 

fi" 

1" 

ing beyond the left end of (to the fit fence. measuring Place rule) 

fi" groove „" deep fi" 

1" 

the indicator on the stopblock, align the 

¤ x fi" slot 

(to fit measuring Œ" rule) Ø" 

Á" 

cursor with the tape’s 4" line, and attach 

fl" 

fi" ›" 

1" 

Œ" Ø" 

the indicator to the block with a screw. 

‹" 

Score a line on the acrylic with a knife, 

fl" 

›" 

‹" 

‹" Œ" groove Ø" 

and color it with a permanent marker. 


ˇ" deep fl" fl" groove 

›" 

Now, let’s go sledding 

‹" groove 


ˇ" deep 

‹" 

‰" deep 

If a workpiece fits between the fence fl" groove 


¤" rabbet 

‰" deep ‹" groove 


and the front rail, you can cut it on your 

¤" deep 

¤" rabbet 

ˇ" deep 

fl" groove fi" 

crosscut sled, as shown ¤" in deep Photo C. Use 

‰" deep 

the stopblock to cut multiple pieces fi" to ¤" rabbet 

the same length, provided that length falls ¤" deep 

Sources fi" 

within the stopblock’s range. Remove the For the jigs on pages 2–8, we used these Sources: 

stopblock when cutting pieces that extend Stainless steel rule no. 06K20.06, 1¼" four-arm plastic 

beyond that range. When you install a knob no. 00M55.30. Call Lee Valley at 800/871-8158, or 


blade of a different thickness Date: or 6-03 with go to leevalley.com. 


a different tooth set than the one Lorna used J. to 

Date: 6-03 

Hold-down no. 142398 (bolt and knob); self- 

Lorna calibrate J. your stopblock, FILENAME:151TablesawJig3.eps 

check the set- adhesive rule, no. 08Y42. Call Woodcraft at 800/225ting 

with a rule, and adjust Date: the 6-03 cursor. ¿ 1153, or go to woodcraft.com. 

Lorna J. 

7

tablesaw jigs 

Raised- 

Panel Jig 

With this one jig, 

you can build three 

popular styles of 

door panels for your 

next cabinet project. 

Raised panels have long been a sign 

of fine craftsmanship—perhaps 

because they appear difficult to 

make. But as you’ll see here, that 

need not be the case. On page 10, we’ll 

show you a simple method for using this 

jig to cut panels with a tablesaw. 

Combine scrap material with a few 

hardware items and you’ll have a jig destined 

for a lifetime of service. See page 

7, for a hardware source for the knobs. 

Start with the basics 

1Cut two pieces of ‡" MDF to the 

dimensions in the Materials List 

to make the upright (A) and base (B). 

Scrollsaw or bandsaw the 1fi" radii on 

the two corners of (B), cutting outside the 

line. Then sand to the line. 

2Using your dado blade, cut two ‡" 

dadoes ‹" deep in the top of the base, 

where shown on Drawing 1. 

3After adding an auxiliary fence to your 

saw tablesaw rip fence, cut a rabbet 

‡" wide and ‹" deep along the bottom 

edge of the upright (A), where shown on 

Drawing 1. 

4Next, drill ˇ" holes in the upright 

(A) and at the ends of the slot locations 

in the base. Lay out the sides of the 

slots, and scrollsaw them to shape with a 

#12 blade. Cut two braces (C), as dimensioned 

on Drawing 2. 

5Drill ¸" pilot holes, and then glue 

and screw the jig together using 

#8×1fi" brass screws, where shown. 

Tip: Use brass screws anytime your jig’s 

screw holes are close to the saw blade. 


nel 2.eps 

Now, add the extras 

1 A 

Cut the guide strip (D) to fit your 

miter-gauge N slot in depth and width. 

Trim the piece to 28" long, and drill coun- 

B O 

tersunk ‹" holes centered on the strip 3" 

from C Peach 

end. Attach 2 SLED the PARTS guide strip VIEW to 

the D base Q using the hardware shown. 

Cut the upright stops (E) to size, and 

2 E drill R the hole and counterbore 1›" hole, 

where S shown on Drawing 2. Secure the 

F F CLAMPING BAR 

stops 1" to the ends of upright (A). 

G T 

29" 

H U 

1 PARTS VIEW 

V 

I 

J W 1" 

F CLAMPING BAR 

X 

K 

Y 

L R=1fi" 

Z 

M 

ˇ" slot 

5" 

R=1fi" 

1¤" 

2 SLED PARTS VIEW 

29" 

1›" 

28" 

B 

BASE 

‡" dadoes 

‹" deep 

28" 

R=1fi" 

Cut the clamping bar (F) to size, and 

3 drill ˇ" holes, where ˇ" slotshown. 

Lay 

out and shape the clamping bar curve, as 

28" 

Remove the hardware and the clamp- 

5 ing bar Band 

guide strip, and sand all 

parts to 150 BASEgrit. 

Now apply two coats of 

shown on Drawing 1, using a bandsaw. 

Sand smooth. 

5" 

Next, attach the 1¤" clamping bar to 

4 the jig using the hardware shown. 

3" 

Tip: If you have trouble finding extra-long 

4fi" 

ˇ" machine hole screws, cut two pieces of allthread. 

Then secure the four-arm knobs 

1‹" 

to the screws using 5-minute epoxy. 

finish, sanding between coats 11fi" with 180- 

‡" dadoes 

grit ‹" abrasive. deep 

Cut a piece of adhesive-backed 

6 120-grit sandpaper, and apply it to 

3" 

the jig face, as shown on Drawing 1. 

4fi" 

Then, reassemble the jig. ¿ 

1" 

ˇ" hole 

1‹" 

fi" 

ˇ" 

4fi" ‡" dadoes 

‹" deep 

Location of part 

on front face 

E 4fi" ¤" 

1" 

hole 

A 

3 PANEL CUTTING SLED 

EXPLODED VIEW 3" 

UPRIGHT 

(Back face shown) 

8" 

11fi" 

ˇ" slot 3" 

4fi" 

B 

BASE 

3" 

4fi" 

5" 

2 EXPLODED 1¤" VIEW 

‡" dadoes 

‹" deep 

11fi" 

3" 

3" 1‹" 

4fi" 4fi" 

fi" 4fi" ‡" dadoesCurve 

Location on this of edge part E 4fi" ¤" 

‹-20 x 4fi" F.H. ‹" deep on front face 

1›" 

machine 

ˇ" 

screw 

‡" 

hole 

Four-arm ˇ" Ahole 

knob UPRIGHT 

29" 8" 

(Back face Fshown) 

3" 

fi" 4fi" ‡" dadoes Location FILENAME:164 of part 

#8 x 

E 

1" brass 

Panel 4fi" 2.eps ¤" 

‡" rabbet‹" 

deepLocation 

on Date: front of 4 4-05 x face 

F.H. wood screw 

24" adhesive- 

‹" flat ˇ" washer ‹" deep backed Lorna 120-grit J. 

Compression 

sandpaper 

hole 1" 

A 

on front face 

28" spring 

UPRIGHT‹" 

flat washer 8" E 

1" 

4 x 24" adhesivebacked 

120-grit 

sandpaper 

1" 

3" 

3" 

(Back face shown) 

fl" counterbore ‹" deep with a 

ˇ" hole centered inside 

‡" 

‡" rabbet Location of 4 x 24" adhesive- 

Materials ‹" List deep backed 120-grit sandpaper ‹-20 knife thread insert 

FINISHED SIZE 

on front face 

Part T W L 28" Matl. Qty. 

‡" rabbet ‹" deep 

ˇ" 

slot 

A upright ‡" 8" 28" MDF 1 

B base ‡" 11fi" 28" MDF 1 

C braces ‡" 7fi" 11‹" MDF 2 

D guide strip ›" ‡" 28" M 1 

E upright stops ›" ‡" 8" M 2 

F clamping bar ‡" 1›" 29" M 1 

Materials key: MDF–medium-density fiberboard, 

M–maple. 

Supplies: #8×1½", #8×1" brass flathead wood screws; 

‹-20×2" (2), ‹-20×4fi" flathead machine screws (2); 

‹-20 four-arm knobs (4); ‹" flat washers (8); 1fi×›" 

compression springs (2); ‹-20 knife thread insert (2); 

4" adhesive-backed 120-grit sandpaper. 

‡" rabbet 

‹" deep 

Four-arm 

knob 

Location of 4 x 24" adhesivebacked 

120-grit sandpaper 

on front face 

28" 

A 

UPRIGHT 

woodmagazine.com 9 

anel 2.eps 

‡" 

‹-20 x 2" F.H. machine screw 

3" 

C 

‡" 

7fi" 

#8 x 1fi" brass 

F.H. wood screw 

D 

E 

fi" 

B 

BASE 

28" 

C 

BRACE 

11‹" 

fi" 

¸" 

pilot hole 

‡" dado 

‹" deep 

¸" 

pilot hole 

‹" holes, countersunk 

on bottom face

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

G 

H 

I 

J 

K 

L 

M 

N 

O 

P 

Q 

R 

S 

T 

U 

V 

W 

X 

Y 

Z 

How to Cut 

Custom Raised Panels 

1 PANEL STYLES 

Cut raised panels 

with a tablesaw 

For the woodworker who doesn’t have a 

router table or the budget for expensive 

raised-panel bits, cutting raised panels 

on the tablesaw is an effective alternative. 

This method does have one drawback: 

You’ll need to invest time and elbow grease 

into finish-sanding the panel bevels. 

To solve the challenge of supporting 

panels safely while cutting bevels, build 

the panel-cutting jig shown on page 8. 

Prepare the panels 

Before cutting the door panels to size, 

match the wood tones and arrange the grain 

patterns for best appearance. For example, 

center the cathedral (inverse V) pattern on 

narrow, single-board panels. When gluing 

up wider panels, use pieces cut from the 

same board for consistent grain and color. 

Next, decide which style of panel you 

want. The drawing at right shows three 

popular styles: a plain-bevel panel, one 

that’s flush with the frame (called a backcut 

panel), or a proud panel (with the 

panel raised above the frame). All will give 

panels a custom look. Glue up the stock 

needed to make your panel blanks. Then, 

cut your panels to finished size. 

Note: To minimize wood movement, we 

suggest using boards no wider than 5" 

when gluing up your panels. 

Mark the bevels 

Looking at the end of the panel blank, lay 

out the desired bevel using a sliding bevel 

square. Also, if your panel needs a tongue 

and rabbet lay them out, at this time. 

To cut a raised panel with shoulders (the 

square lip on the face of the panel), first 

adjust the tablesaw’s fence 1‡" from the 

blade. Cut a saw kerf ¤" deep (‰" deep 

if making proud panels) and 1‡" from all 

four edges and ends of the panel’s face, as 

shown in Drawing 3. This kerf will deter- 

THREE POPULAR PANEL STYLES 

PLAIN-BEVEL 

PANEL 

‡" 

frame 

›" rabbets 

‹" deep 

Á" 

PROS 

• contemporary look 

• easy-to-sand bevels 

CONS 

• no panel detail to 

catch the eye 

BACK-CUT 

PANEL 

‡" 

frame 

¤" 

PROS 

• shoulder detail 

catches the eye 

›" rabbet 

‹" deep 

Shoulder 

1‡" 

CONS 

• bevels are a bit more 

difficult to sand 

The following set-up procedure assumes 

that your miter-gauge slot aligns 

parallel with your saw blade. If not, make 

that adjustment. 

With a steel rule, measure the distance 

from the saw blade to the jig’s upright. 

Move the jig side to side as needed so 

the distance between the saw blade and 

the jig is the same as the panel’s tongue 

(and rabbet) thickness. When the upright 

mine the shoulder location. 

is the correct distance from the blade, and 

FILENAME:164 Panel1.eps 

Date: 4-05 parallel to the blade, tighten down the knobs 

Set up the jig for Lorna J. in the guide strip. Now, adjust the blade 

bevel, as shown in the photo page 11, at top. 

smooth, accurate cuts 

For your jig to function well, it must slide 

parallel to the saw blade with its upright 

at a right angle to the saw’s tabletop. With 

either blade or upright out of alignment, 

scoring and burning will occur. 

Let’s cut a raised panel 

Clamp your panel into the jig, exterior 

face out, and cut the bevels. Panels can be 

cut in four passes through the saw. First, 

‡" raised panels 

1‡" 

PROUD 

PANEL 

‡" 

frame 

Shoulder 

‰" 

PROS 

• can decorate shoulder 

with profile router bits 

CONS 

• bevels are a bit more 

difficult to sand 

cut across the end grain to reduce chip-out. 

Then cut the bevels on the panel edges. 

Move through the blade at a consistent 

speed, slowing down only if the saw strains. 

Note: If your saw bogs down in the cut, 

you may need to use a thin-kerf blade or 

make the cut in successively deeper passes. 

Sand the panel bevels 

Remove any saw marks with 100-grit 

sandpaper and a hardwood block. Then 

finish-sand the bevels with 150- and 220grit 

sandpaper. Take care when sanding 

not to remove the ridge at the intersection 

of the bevels. Stain the panels before you 

assemble the door. ¿ 

Written by Pat Lowry 

Illustrations: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson 


5 SHOULDER PANEL 

3 PANEL KERFS 

DEFINE SHOULDERS 

Waste 

4 DETAILING A PANEL 

4 DETAILING A PANEL 

Add detail to your raised panels 

After raising the panel on your tablesaw, use a ¼" round-nose 

bit in your router table to detail the square shoulder on the face 

of the panel. Set the bit 1fl" from the fence, as shown below. 

Then rout the detail, starting with the end grain first, followed 

by the edge grain. 

›" rabbet ‹" deep 

1fl" 

¤" saw kerfs 

¤" deep 

Waste 

›" rabbet ‹" deep 

1fl" 

PANEL 

FACE 

1‡" 

1‡" 

‹" round-nose 

router bit set to 

cut ¤" deep 

‹" round-nose 

router bit set to 

cut ¤" deep 

FINISHED CONTOUR 

FINISHED CONTOUR 

Adjust the saw blade 

angle to match the 

desired panel angle. 

To adjust the blade to match your bevel, place the panel into the jig with the exterior face 

out. To adjust the angle and height of the saw blade, sight down the blade, and align it with 

the layout marks, as shown above. Clamp a test piece into the jig and run it through. 

Readjust the settings until the angle and bevel thickness are accurate. 

¼" round-nose detail 

A ¼" round-nose bit creates a distinct panel. 

woodmagazine.com 11

11" 

tablesaw jigs 

Corner- 

Rabbeting 

Jig 

Dress up mitered picture frames with 

face keys, and you’ll open up a world of 

creative possibilities. 

Once you master the precision needed to make tight miter joints, 

you’re ready to explore ways to embellish them with face keys of 

contrasting woods that break up the predictable appearance of a 

standard frame. 

This sophisticated look is simple to create. For starters, you can make 

both the key stock and corner rabbets on the tablesaw where you cut the 

miters. For an easy-to-make jig that steadies a mitered frame at the correct 

angle for cutting corner rabbets on both faces, see the drawing below. The 

sample frame corners, shown at right, use readily available ‡" stock cut 

2" wide. 

EXPLODED VIEW 

16" 

Backing 


countersunk 

Place lower screws above maximum 

height of tablesaw blade. 

11‹" 

90° 

1" 

45° support 

bevels 

#8 x 2" brass F.H. wood screw 

Assemble the corner rabbeting jig so the support bevels and the bottom 

edge of the backing rest flat on your tablesaw. Place the lower pair 

of screws at least 3½" above the lower edge of the backing and base to 

avoid accidental contact with the tablesaw blade. 

Variations on a Theme 

Experiment with different combinations of 

species for frames, keys, and decorative pins, 

or try some of the looks shown below. 

Potential key combinations include: 

1 Walnut and mahogany 

keys on mahogany 

2 Walnut keys and 

cherry pins on cherry 

3 Oak keys and 

cherry pins on cherry 

4 Cherry keys and 

maple pins on maple 

5 Mahogany keys 

on maple 


Let’s make a face- 

keyed miter joint 

In preparation, build a corner rabbeting 

jig using ‡×1" supports and a piece of 

MDF overlay plywood, ‡" Baltic birch 

plywood, or MDF. You’ll also need assembled 

frames plus scrapwood frame 

corners for practice. 

To make key stock that works with the 

2"-wide frame parts shown, resaw a piece of 

‡" stock that’s 4fi" wide by roughly 8" long 

to create two 2"-wide pieces of key stock. 

The blank can be a single piece of wood or 

an edge-glued combination of woods. Raise 

your saw blade to 2" and set your fence to 

Pushstick 

To cut the key stock, leave a bridge about 

½" wide between the saw kerfs. Later, 

you can remove the bridge with a bandsaw 

or handsaw. 

How to further 

decorate this joint 

Face keys alone offer you dozens of 

wood combinations, but your imagination 

needn’t stop there. Adding dowels or 

plugs to the keys, as shown at right, gives 

them even more character. 

Begin by marking the locations of the 

plugs on the keys, as shown in Photo D. We 

placed these ›" plugs fi" from the long 

edge of the key, spacing them 1" apart 

and equal distances from the shorter 

edges of the keys. For your plugs, use 

either the frame wood species or introduce 

a third species to the joints. 

These plugs extend through the key 

and into the frame without emerging 

through the face on the other side. 

Orient the grain of the plugs with 

that of the keys to allow for wood 

cut a slot the distance from the face of the 

blank slightly thicker than your saw kerf 

will cut in your frames. Use a feather board 

and pushstick for added control. Flip the 

piece end for end and cut a second slot, as 

shown in Photo A, leaving a fi" bridge in 

the middle to connect the key stock to the 

blank. Then, by hand or on a bandsaw, cut 

the key stock free from the blank. 

Cut the corner rabbets 

Set your tablesaw blade height to 2" for 

corners on 2"-wide stock. Make test cuts 

in scrap miters to fine-tune your cutting 

depth and position. Secure the mitered 

frame in the jig, and set the fence so the 

blade will cut a kerf-deep rabbet into the 

Bridge 

Feather 

board 

A B C 

Before gluing and clamping, plane the 

face keys to about Î" thicker than the 

depth of the key rabbets in the frame 

stock. Then, glue and clamp. 

movement. Glue and seat the plugs, 

leaving about ¤" above the surface. 

Remove the excess with a flush-cutting 

saw, as shown in Photo E. Finish 

D E 

Space the plugs an equal distance from 

the miter joint line. Plug locations can be 

adjusted to suit your key and frame sizes. 

workpiece corner, as shown page 12, at 

top. By cutting the rabbet on the frame 

face pressed tight against the jig, you’ll 

minimize tear-out. For keys on both sides 

of the frame, rotate the workpiece and 

make a second cut. 

Attach the keys 

If necessary after sawing the keys, plane 

them to just thicker than the depth of your 

rabbet. Glue and clamp the key stock to 

the corners on the front, back, or both 

faces of the frame, as shown in Photo B. 

Bandsaw the excess key stock from the 

edges of the frame, as shown in Photo C. 

Flush-sand the edges and faces of the keys 

with the edges and faces of the frame. 

To saw keys flush with the frame, remove 

excess key stock with a bandsaw. Then, 

sand the face and edges flush using a 

random-orbit sander. 

by sanding the plugs flush with the 

frame’s face. ¿ 

Written by Bob Wilson 

When using a flush-cutting saw to remove 

plug stock above the key, cut parallel to 

the direction of the key grain. 

woodmagazine.com 13

tablesaw jigs 

Spline- 

Cutting Jig 

A slight tilt of a saw blade 

gives your corner splines 

a whole new look. 

#8 x 2" F.H. wood screws 

It doesn’t take much work to put a new 

spin on traditional splined miter joints. 

Just install the splines at an angle, as we 

did above on a maple-and-walnut letter 

tray, and you get eye-catching results. 

First, make the simple spline-cutting jig 

for your tablesaw shown above. Then, 

mark three evenly spaced spline locations 

on a piece of scrap the same width as the 

tray side. 

Install a blade in your tablesaw that 

produces the flattest possible kerf bottom. 

(We used an outside blade from our dado 

set.) Tilt the blade to 15°, and raise it so 

it extends about halfway into the mitered 

corner. Set your jig against the tablesaw 

rip fence, place your marked scrap in the 

jig, and adjust the fence to cut a test slot. 

Now make the other slots, readjusting the 

fence between cuts. 

When you’re satisfied with the design, 

place clear packing tape around the workpiece 

corners to reduce chip-out. Hold 

the workpiece firmly in the jig, and cut 

as shown in Photo A. Cut the top slot in 

each corner, adjust the fence, cut all four 

middle slots, adjust again, and cut the 

bottom slots. Remove the tape. 

9" 

16" 

¸" shank hole, countersunk 

on back face 

Rip spline stock from the edge of a board 

of contrasting stock, as shown in Photo B. 

Match its thickness to the kerf—usually 

¤". Then, cut individual splines from the 

strips, making them slightly longer than 

the slots. Spread yellow glue on the splines, 

slip them into place, and let the glue dry. 

Trim them off at the surface with a flush- 

Double-check the orientation of your workpiece 

before cutting. Here we’re holding 

the bottom of the tray to the left, so the 

slots will point downward. 

EXPLODED VIEW 

11‹" 

A B 

90° 

4" 

45° bevels 

cutting saw, or use a dovetail saw followed 

by a chisel. Sand flush. 

By varying the number and placement 

of the corner splines, you can come up 

with other designs. You might try different 

saw blade angles, too. ¿ 

Photographs: Hetherington Photography 

Illustration: Roxanne LeMoine; Lorna Johnson 

To cut spline stock, use the thin-strip 

ripping jig (see the how-to details, beginning 

on page 2) to cut spline stock. Reposition 

the fence between cuts. 


tablesaw jigs 

Straight 

Edge 

Cutting Jig 

Here’s a reliable way to 

rip straight edges onto 

ragged-edge boards. 

Attempting to rip a straight edge 

along a board with irregular 

edges can be dangerous or 

downright impossible. One 

solution is to tack a straight board to 

the irregular board with finishing nails. 

But unfortunately, this method leaves 

small nail marks in the top surface of 

the workpiece. 

So try this method: Construct a carrier 

board from ‡" plywood to a width and 

length to accommodate most of your 

boards (14"×7' works fine in most cases). 

As shown at right, you can quickly clamp 

the workpiece to this carrier board, then 

rip one edge. Remove the workpiece from 

the carrier board, place the jig aside, and 

position the just-ripped edge along the 

fence to straighten the other edge. ¿ 

Project Design: Thomas Bruzan, Des Plaines, Ill. 

Illustrations: Lorna Johnson 

Bowed edge 

Fence 

HOMEMADE 

HOLD-DOWN 

Stock 

Fence 

HOMEMADE 

HOLD-DOWN 

Stock 

Plywood carrier 

Stock 

Stock 

hold-down 

Plywood carrier 

Hold-down 

Wing nut 

Groove cut for bolt heads 

Plywood 

carrier 

Hold-down 

SECTION VIEW 

Holes for 

hold-down 

adjustment 

Bowed edge 

Wing nut 


Stock 

Plywood 

carrier 

15 

SECTION VI

tablesaw jigs 

Protect-and Serve 

Blade Rack 

Keep your blades sharp, safe, and ready for 

action with this wall-mounted system. 

This accommodating holder keeps saw blades easily accessible, separated, and protected 

from damage. In addition to storage slots for standard blades, it also makes 

room for a complete 8" stacked-dado set. Dowel pins provide a place for dado 

shims, a blade stabilizer, wrenches, and throat plates. The rack handles blades from 

7‹" to 10" in diameter. 

Start by cutting the ‡×7fi×29fi" back to size. (If you want to store more blades, add 2" 

to the length for each additional slot.) Now drill the screw and dowel holes. 

Next, cut the ‡×3×29fi" sides. Using double-faced tape, temporarily join them together 

face-to-face. This lets you lay out and machine both pieces identically. 

Drill a fi" hole through both sides to hold the dowels you’ll add later. Lay out and cut the 

radiused corners. Mark the locations of the ‹" starter holes for the slots, and then mark 

the slot locations. Drill the starter holes, and cut the slots using a bandsaw or jigsaw. Cut 

just inside the lines, and 

then sand the slots smooth 

using a piece of ¤" hardboard 

wrapped in 100-grit 

sandpaper. Also sand off 

the sharp points on each 

slot, where shown. 

To complete the rack, 

screw the sides to the back, 

and glue in the dowels. 

Add a coat of clear finish, 

and mount the holder 

to the wall by driving 3" 

screws into a stud.¿ 

29fi" 

1" 

9" 

9" 

1" 

7fi" 

BACK 

2" 

3‡" 

#8 x 1fi" F.H. wood screw 

SIDE 


countersunk 

Sand off 

sharp 

points. 

fi" hole 

fi" dowel 

2‡" long 

fi" dowel 

1‡" long 

fi" dowel 2‡" long 

#8 x 3" F.H. wood screw, 

centered over a wall stud 


countersunk 

on back face, 

›" from edge, 

with a mating 

Ï" pilot hole 

in side 

3" 

2" 

2" 

29fi" 

3" 

1Œ" 

SIDE 

‡" 

R=fi" 

‹" hole 

1fi" 

fi" hole 

3‹" 

60° 

Note: Back and Sides are made 

from ‡" birch plywood. 

©Copyright Meredith Corporation 2006

Shop Tested Tablesaw Jigs - Tennessee Valley Woodworkers

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