Jigs, Fixtures, and shop storage

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Jigs, Fixtures, and shop storage

Posted: 11/21/2011 9:04:33 AM EDT

Thought it might be a nice thing to have a thread to share our ideas on various jigs and storage ideas we each have for our shops.

I'll start with my drill bit storage cabinet I made

3/4" plywood with plexiglass doors

I inlayed a couple of strips of metal in the center so the rare earth magnets on the doors would have something to grab onto and to provide strength to the board since it has the small dadoes on each side of it.

the trays are a piece of mdf sandwiched between two 3/4" ply and mounted on hardboard to ride in the grooves of the case.

Share your ideas......

Posted: 11/21/2011 11:03:38 AM EDT

[#1]

Nice.....but why woud I want to do that....I'd be able to find everything when I needed it....

Doing something similar with my slugger bit for mag drill.

Posted: 11/21/2011 5:03:34 PM EDT

[#2]

That looks awesome! I wish I had something like that.

I just use the plastic divider boxes, kinda like a tackle box. I don't work from a shop though usually, its easier for me to throw it in the truck.

Nice work OP!

Posted: 11/22/2011 2:48:56 AM EDT

[#3]

I know I'm not the only person with innovative things in their workshop

Here's my saw blade rack

made out of some scrap 3/4 ply

Each blade holder has a stop screwed to the back that hits this notch to prevent it from falling out of the case

Each slider holds two saw blades that sit on a 1/4" brass screw

Posted: 11/22/2011 9:45:59 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
I know I'm not the only person with innovative things in their workshop

Here's my saw blade rack
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/SawBladeRack1.jpg
made out of some scrap 3/4 ply
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/SawBladeRack2.jpg
Each blade holder has a stop screwed to the back that hits this notch to prevent it from falling out of the case
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/SawBladeRack3.jpg
Each slider holds two saw blades that sit on a 1/4" brass screw

that also....is very cool....

Posted: 11/22/2011 10:10:42 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I know I'm not the only person with innovative things in their workshop

Here's my saw blade rack
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/SawBladeRack1.jpg
made out of some scrap 3/4 ply
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/SawBladeRack2.jpg
Each blade holder has a stop screwed to the back that hits this notch to prevent it from falling out of the case
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/SawBladeRack3.jpg
Each slider holds two saw blades that sit on a 1/4" brass screw

What are the blades that look like throwing stars?

Posted: 11/22/2011 11:08:02 AM EDT

[#6]

Those are chippers for my dado set. The slider that is out is the two outside blades and the chippers go in between the two to generate the thickness of the dado you are trying to cut. The little tin is full of micro spacers to "tweek" the width even further.

Posted: 11/23/2011 3:08:53 AM EDT

[#7]

Drill Press Table top

made out of two layers of 3/4" phenolic ply, t-tracks for fence, cut outs for clamps if needed, small accessory drawer, and sacrificial mdf insert

under the sacrificial insert is a dust collecting chamber

the top is fastened using screws that fit into threaded inserts of the top, 2 1/2" dust collection hose attached.

If you're curious that's a Steel City Drill Press

If you have ideas or tricks in your shop, please share.

Posted: 11/23/2011 8:36:01 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Those are chippers for my dado set. The slider that is out is the two outside blades and the chippers go in between the two to generate the thickness of the dado you are trying to cut. The little tin is full of micro spacers to "tweek" the width even further.

Shit, I though you were a real ninja!

Got any pics of the projects you have made?

Posted: 11/23/2011 10:58:50 AM EDT

[#9]

If you search my posts, especially those on the do it yourself threads, you'll see a number of my pieces I've posted.

Posted: 11/23/2011 11:48:49 AM EDT

[#10]

I welded a Reese receiver hitch to the side of my welding table and have made a bunch of attachments for it.....vice....bender.....pipe vice....etc.

Posted: 11/23/2011 12:59:30 PM EDT

[#11]

Ah, ok, I see who's posting. Your storage woodwork is nicer than my finished products!

Posted: 11/23/2011 1:45:38 PM EDT

[#12]

Don't sell yourself short. Practice make perfect. Can't count how many board feet of lumber I've screwed up into firewood over the years.

Posted: 11/24/2011 4:15:00 AM EDT

[#13]

The router table I made (as seen in the magazine, Popular Woodworking about two years ago

)

Made from baltic birch ply, the top, fence, and lift are from Jessem. Bit changing tools hang on the right side of the cabinet and I installed a large stop switch (from Rockler) that I can hit with my knee if need be

left side of cabinet holds my lift crank

plenty of drawer space for routers, and jigs

small drawers have foam inserts (also from Rockler) that hold my bits

porter cable 7518 motor sitting in a Jessem lift

the piece of laminate I have inside the router motor section is to facilitate dust evacuation out the back of the cabinet

Posted: 11/24/2011 4:22:01 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
The router table I made (as seen in the magazine, Popular Woodworking about two years ago

)

http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA037-1.jpg
Made from baltic birch ply, the top, fence, and lift are from Jessem. Bit changing tools hang on the right side of the cabinet and I installed a large stop switch (from Rockler) that I can hit with my knee if need be
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA020.jpg
left side of cabinet holds my lift crank
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA029.jpg
plenty of drawer space for routers, and jigs
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA033.jpg
small drawers have foam inserts (also from Rockler) that hold my bits
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA026.jpg
porter cable 7518 motor sitting in a Jessem lift
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA027.jpg
the piece of laminate I have inside the router motor section is to facilitate dust evacuation out the back of the cabinet

very nice.....inventive and intuitive.

Posted: 11/25/2011 10:48:04 AM EDT

[#15]

looks like your either do or should write for family handyman
they have all sorts of similar projects and storage tricks

would think with all the neat ideas I store and want to do I would get around to cleaning up my messy garage

Posted: 11/25/2011 12:20:50 PM EDT

[#16]

For the recent "recommend me a miter saw" thread, here's my miter saw station in my shop

12" Dewalt

I fabricated a hood to attach to my dust collection system

fence is made of 3/4" phenolic ply, t-tracks, aluminum angle pieces, and is mounted to the bench with threaded knobs screwed into threaded inserts in the benchtop in case I ever need the extra room.

fence telescopes outward to a maximum length of 108"

Posted: 11/26/2011 11:45:04 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
The router table I made (as seen in the magazine, Popular Woodworking about two years ago

)

http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA037-1.jpg
Made from baltic birch ply, the top, fence, and lift are from Jessem. Bit changing tools hang on the right side of the cabinet and I installed a large stop switch (from Rockler) that I can hit with my knee if need be
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA020.jpg
left side of cabinet holds my lift crank
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA029.jpg
plenty of drawer space for routers, and jigs
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA033.jpg
small drawers have foam inserts (also from Rockler) that hold my bits
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA026.jpg
porter cable 7518 motor sitting in a Jessem lift
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/CAMERA027.jpg
the piece of laminate I have inside the router motor section is to facilitate dust evacuation out the back of the cabinet

I had this this before, but not detailed photos. Is the lift absolutely necessary to mount the router to the tabletop or is it there as a time saver to adjust depth of cut?

Posted: 11/26/2011 2:56:17 PM EDT

[#18]

No, you don't need a lift on a router table. Just easier to adjust when the motor is incased inside a cabinet.

Posted: 11/26/2011 6:37:48 PM EDT

[#19]

Not really IN the shop but,,,,I built a train track out of 2" angle iron and used four 6" v-groove casters to make a cart for my 3500lb truck camper so that I could roll it in and out from under my shop area that is covered but not enclosed. It works very well and keeps my camper totally protected from the weather. I use my tractor to "push" it out and "pull" it in when we load or unload it.

Posted: 11/27/2011 12:50:41 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
No, you don't need a lift on a router table. Just easier to adjust when the motor is incased inside a cabinet.

A router lift is a fairly recent thing...one of these days I would like to get one...

You can completely shop build a router table, though I would recommend a good plate to mount the router to (I use an aluminum Woodpecker).
If you buy the plate, purchase the template and the recommended pattern bit and follow the manufacturer's instructions to cut the hole.

Also, I like the Kreg setup blocks, much easier than using a ruler to adjust the depth of cut...they also work great to adjust the fence.