Teach Your Tools New Tricks
If you want to get an idea of how long someone has been working wood, or how serious they are about it, just count the jigs hanging on their shop walls. Any woodworker finds out pretty quickly that certain machines, by themselves, can only perform a fairly limited set of tricks. For example, you don't have to work with a tablesaw for very long before you realize that you can't really do much with it using just the stock rip fence and miter gauge. You can rip straight-edged boards, cut grooves, and crosscut small lengths of wood, but not a whole lot more than that. Crosscutting large pieces, making joints, ripping tapers, and many other maneuvers usually require a jig or fixture of some sort.

The router, too, is somewhat hamstrung on its own because the naked tool doesn't really do much except spin a cutter. Without a guide of some sort, the router would truly be a tool out of control. However, teamed up with the right jigs, it can perform an amazing array of stunts, from shaping, slotting, and mortising to circle-cutting and even jointing!

The list of jig-friendly tools goes on to include the drill press, the band saw, the miter saw, other machines, and even many hand tools. The jigs we use with them not only increase our capabilities, accuracy, and convenience, they also help protect us from viciously sharp blades and cutters. Many workshop accidents happen when cutting small pieces of wood held only by our fingers. Jigs can keep those precious digits out of harm's way while securing workpieces for cleaner, more accurate cuts.

Vital Helpers for a Vital Shop
In 50 Shop-Made Jigs and Fixtures, the late woodworking expert Danny Proulx presents a superb collection of woodworking jigs and fixtures that you can make yourself. They'll help you with everything from sawing panels, tenons, and tapers to routing dadoes, arcs, and circles. You'll discover jigs for making better frame-and-panel doors on the router table, and fixtures that will make gluing up miters and other difficult-to-clamp joints a breeze.

These are not gizmo jigs. They are designed to help with common shop chores time and again. You can count on them to save you serious time and to ensure accuracy in your operations. And they are all easy to build from commonly available materials and supplies, with step-by-step instructions provided. Some are extremely simple to make, while some take more time. All are well worth the effort, as you'll reach for them regularly in the shop.

The Right Jig for the Right Job
Usually, we build jigs and fixtures as the need arises. As with any woodworking project, it begins with a design. Of course you can design something yourself, and you may have to if the job it's needed for is unusual. But why reinvent the wheel if you don't have to' Truth is, lots of jigs have already been designed for common operations. And that's where this book comes in. It can save you hours of design time, and ensure that you end up with something that works well.

You get lots of choices too. For example: Want to be able to accurately crosscut panels and other large boards on the tablesaw saw' You'll find three tablesaw sled options here: one dedicated to cutting at 90 degrees; one for cutting at 45 degrees, and one that's adjustable for any angle in between. Each version has its advantages. Other tablesaw helpers include jigs for cutting tapers, tenons, finger joints, and miters.

In fact, just leafing through this book gives you a better idea of what your tools are capable of with the right accompaniment. Whether you need help sawing, routing, drilling, or clamping, it's a good bet you'll find a better way in these pages. One thing's for sure: You make these jigs, and they'll make you a better woodworker. Count on it.