If you have your own woodworking shop then you know how important woodworking jigs is to your tool collection. Jigs can be used for lots of different projects. They can help your project to be managed easier and faster. You can buy a jig or you can make one if you choose to do so. You should know that they are pretty cheap to buy, but if you make one from scraps it can be even less expensive. It depends on the kinds of projects that you want to do for deciding what kind of jig you will need.
If you need to make a dovetail then you should consider purchasing a dovetail jig. You can buy these fairly cheaply or you can make your own dovetail jig pretty easily. You can go online to find templates for creating a jig or you can go to a store that sells wood supplies. A lot of the templates will let you create up to twelve different jigs.
You should choosing a dovetail bit that will work for your dovetail saw and your router. These can be very helpful if you want to make a jig yourself. You can use a template that will let you different spaced dovetails that you can use for a wide selection of improvement projects. You can use them for cabinets, drawers, or small boxes. You can also get a system that comes with bits and templates all together to make things easier. This will help you save money or you can purchase the pieces separately.
You can do other fine joint projects using dovetail saws, not just cut dovetails. Dovetail saw blades are thicker than other types of saws. This can help make your saw more accurate and it is very important to get a good saw if you want to create tight joints and make things look professional. You should get a saw that is about fourteen to seventeen points per inch. This shows that the saw is of a high quality.
You can make consistent dowels with a dowel jig. If you use timber then get a self centering jig to be more accurate. You can get an array of sizes from a quarter to one half inch. You can also buy whole kits that will have the dowel jig and also will have a few hundred different size dowels. You may also find glue in these kits.
If you are interested in cabinet making then a kreg jig might be what you should choose. You can get slides that are perfectly positioned and will help your drawers to be smoother. If you use a kreg jig you'll save a lot of time cause you won't need to measure and mark the spaces for the drawer slides. You can also find it easier to mount metal drawer slides. Use these for different drawers such as center, bottom, or extension drawers. This is something that is not expensive, yet very useful.
If you want to make your own jig you can save a lot of money. Just use scraps of plywood to do this. Since you just use one jig for each project you don't want to spend a lot of money on your jig. If you want to use it over and over then you should get a hardwood to create your jig.
Greg Hansward routinely edits long articles on latest developments in routing and router accessories. His publications on woodworking jigs can be found on http://www.insidewoodworking.com/jigs/index.html .
