| Blog series by Peter O | updated 257 days ago | 5 parts | 1292 reads | 32 comments total |
Part 1: Introduction
I grew up on a ranch, a place where you have to be able to do just about everything yourself. Plumber, mechanic, veterinarian, heavy equipment operator, you name it. Having been raised that way, I can’t stand to pay anyone for anything I think I can do myself – my wife would say that is why nothing gets done around here! I make a lot of my own jigs and fixtures. Some of them only get used once, some of them are used so much they almost never get put away. Either way, they are tools ...
Part 2: Definitions
The story is told that after the Great Fire of 1666, the architect Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to rebuild St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Upon the completion of this huge undertaking, Queen Anne reviewed the work and is said to have declared that it was, “Awful, amusing, and wholly artificial.” Wren was quite pleased to receive such a compliment from the Queen! The English language has a sneaky way of changing over time, and a lot of woodworking definitions have changed or ...
Part 3: Safety
Workshop SafetyI can’t overstate the importance of workshop safety. Don’t wear loose clothing, jewelry, or hair. Your tools come with guards for a reason – use them! If you aren’t sure the action you are about to take is safe, then assume it isn’t and figure out a better way to do it. Keep your work area clean, especially underfoot. If you are using a tool – power tool or hand tool – wear eye protection. The best protection against injury is your brain – it m...
Part 4: Apology
This blog entry is an apology. First: to those of you who are following this blog series, I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get to the next entry. It’s almost ready and I’ll try to post it soon. It’s a masterful piece of literature that will have you begging for more. Okay, well I think it will be informative. Second: to my wife, who graciously took the time to read and critique several of my posts and entries and informed me that women like to be called by...
Part 5: SHOP BUILT VS. STORE BOUGHT
Some common kinds of jigs are available for sale at woodworking stores and even big-box retailers. Every time I see a jig for sale I think, “I could make that.” I imagine most of us think that! If I see a jig for sale that seems like something I could make, I try to be realistic about whether it is worth the time and effort. I’m a cheapskate, and I almost always build jigs out of scrap, so the expense to build is very low. If you enjoy building jigs, then even if it takes an hour or tw...
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Blog Series
- Downdraft Table - 1 part
- Life on the North 40 - 2 parts
- Planning and Building a Jig - 5 parts
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