WOOD Magazine – October 01, 2019

For sending this issue’s

Top Shop Tip, Keith

receives a vise and four

24 " parallel-jaw clamps

from Jorgenson, a

$340 value.

½" Baltic

birch base

¼" dowel rod

¾" long

Inner

rail

Steel rod to

fit router base

3/8" 16-tpi

bolt for fine

adjustment

¼" 20-tpi

bolt

18 WOOD magazine October 2019

Tips earn up

to $150.

If your tip is the best of the issue,

it wins Top Shop Tip honors,

and you receive a tool prize worth

at least $300.

Send your tip, photos or drawings,

and contact info to

[email protected]

Because we try to publish original tips,

please send yours only to WOOD® magazine.

continued on page 20

TOP

SHOP

TIP

SHOP TIPS

WORK FASTER, SMARTER, SAFER

Unlike most shop-made circle cutters, this
one has no limit to how small the cut circle
can be, incorporates a fine adjustment, and
doesn’t require removing the router’s subbase.
And it’s easy to make!
Build the jig as shown, but leave off the
dowel rod (used as a pivot point) for now.
Neither the bolts that hold the rods nor the

Simple circle-routing jig runs rings around other trammels

fine-adjustment bolt require inserts. Simply

drill their pilot holes, then put drops of instant

glue into the holes and allow the glue to cure

before tapping the holes. The threaded holes

will hold up in a dense hardwood such as oak.

After installing a^1 ∕ 4 " upcut spiral router bit,

attach the jig to the router, slide the router

against the inner rail, and plunge-rout a hole

completely through the base. Glue the

dowel into the hole.

To use the jig, insert the dowel into a^1 ∕ 4 "

hole^1 ∕ 4 " deep in your workpiece. Turn the

fine-adjustment bolt to dial in a stop the

exact diameter of the circle to be cut,

knowing that one full bolt turn equals^1 ∕ 16 ".

—Keith Kroma, Menomonie, Wis.