You may have had a time when you needed to make the same, precise cut over and over again and wondered how you were going to do it. The answer is jigs!
A jig is a tool that you make, usually out of scrap wood, that helps you line up your cuts so they are the same every single time. Whether that's making the same router cut, miter cut, or even just keeping your drill straight, a jig can make the job much easier. You make it to fit your specific situation perfectly.
Making Jigs
Jigs don't need to be precise, beautiful masterpieces. All they need to do is make your work more consistent and efficient.
When making a jig, take advantage of the physical features of your tool and your piece. If your piece or tool has a straight edge that can help guide a cut, use it! There is no reason to fight the tools you already have when you can use them to your advantage.
For example, if you need to cut the same piece of wood to the same length multiple times, you can attach a piece of scrap wood to your saw's fence at the correct distance from the blade. Then, instead of measuring every piece individually, you can simply put the end of each piece against the stop and make your cut.
Simple Jigs Can Save a Lot of Time
One of the biggest benefits of a jig is that it lets you do the measuring once instead of over and over again. This is especially useful when making multiple identical pieces.
A simple jig can also help reduce mistakes. Even if you are very careful, measuring the same thing twenty times gives you twenty chances to make a mistake. A jig gives you one carefully measured setup that you can use repeatedly.
The best jigs are usually the simple ones. A few pieces of scrap wood, some glue or screws, and a little bit of measuring can turn a frustrating job into a quick and repeatable process.
Think About Your Workshop
As you work on different projects, pay attention to the tasks that you find yourself repeating. If you keep measuring the same distance, making the same cut, or trying to hold something in the exact same position, there may be an opportunity to make a jig.
You don't have to build something complicated. Sometimes the simplest piece of scrap wood can save you a surprising amount of time.
Jigs are one of those small woodworking tricks that can make a big difference. Once you start making them, you'll probably find yourself looking around the workshop and thinking, "I could make a jig for that."
And, inconveniently for your scrap-wood pile, you'll probably be right.