| Project by GaryK | posted 130 days ago | 1125 views | 32 times favorited | 39 comments | ![]() |
After having bought a cheap little router edge guide a looong time ago, and maybe using it twice because it was so cheap, I decided to make myself a really useful one. As an extra bonus you can use it as a small router table. I haven’t gone to the store yet to get a butterfly nut for the adjustment screw.
With so much surface area in contact with the workpiece it is very stable, even while doing mortises on the ends of boards. Flipping it upside down and clamping it to your workbench, you can use it as a small router table.
I rarely use the plunge base for my router so I will leave is more or less permantly attached to the jig.
I left the router off for clarity.
As you can see it made from only 4 pieces of wood. 3 each 3/4 thick, 2 1/8 wide, and 20” long. After gluing
them together I ran it though the jointer to square up all the faces. The 1/2 plywood started out as a 10”x 10” square.
Construction Details:
Here is an end view which shows the carriage bolt and the nut fastening it to the lower piece. It will never come loose while adjusting the top nut.

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Here you can see the counterbore for the carriage bolt. I used a 1/4” shoulder bolt (stripper bolt for those in the UK) for the pivot point.
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The following 2 pictures shows how you can use it along a straight edge. For inlays, mortises, slots, dados…
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Here is it clamped to the workbench to use it as a little router table. The cut out for bit clearance was made with a forstner bit.
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Since the router base is flush with the workbench you can use the workbench surface for stock support.
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-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
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39 comments so far
mrtrim
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1548 posts in 366 days
posted 130 days ago
very cool setup gary
CharlieM1958
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4196 posts in 704 days
posted 130 days ago
Great idea, Gary. I’m going to have to make one of those.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
PaBull
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231 posts in 151 days
posted 130 days ago
that is very smart, one more thing for me to do
-- http://www.twinoaksgrowers.com
teenagewoodworker
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2033 posts in 254 days
posted 130 days ago
thats cool gary. i just might be tempter to make one! thanks for the post.
USCJeff
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804 posts in 554 days
posted 130 days ago
Very Cool. I made a table (not a guide) much like this once. It was on the cover of one of my many jig books. Your top is thicker and the fence is stouter, so I bet it won’t have the problems that mine encountered. I mounted mine in a face vice when needed. Love your posts, keep them coming.
-- Jeff, South Carolina
Randy Sharp
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99 posts in 158 days
posted 130 days ago
Great job Gary! These are the kinds of posts that encourage us all. Well, this jig and the box of drawers, and the harpsicord, and the inlay jig…I could go on but…you just inspire and awe us! Thanks!
-- Randy, Tupelo, MS ~ May I become more like the Master Carpenter every day.
lew
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1258 posts in 241 days
posted 130 days ago
Gary,
Nice looking jig. Very straight forward and very functional.
I really like homemade devices like this.
Lew
Lee A. Jesberger
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2758 posts in 465 days
posted 130 days ago
Bad News Gary,
Someone stole your motor. LOL
Nice jig!
Lee
-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com
Rymann
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11 posts in 264 days
posted 130 days ago
That is brilliant! Incredibly creative and oh, so functional. I want one.
Kevin
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277 posts in 444 days
posted 130 days ago
Gary,
You never cease to amaze. Always coming up with cool new ideas. So simple, yet so useful.
-- Kevin, Wichita, Kansas
Grumpy
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5675 posts in 337 days
posted 130 days ago
Nity Idea Gary, thanks.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
dlcarver
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228 posts in 216 days
posted 130 days ago
COOL GARY
-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com
Woodhacker
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508 posts in 209 days
posted 130 days ago
Very Nice Gary. I’ll have to keep this one in mind. I too use my plunge rarely and could just dedicate it to such an edge guide. Thanks for the post.
-- Martin, Kansas
Joe Lyddon
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156 posts in 538 days
posted 130 days ago
Very clever design to nail down a very good / flexible edge guide!
Looks like you could even use it for an edge trimmer too!
C O O L
Thank you!
-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=1389"
YorkshireStewart
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637 posts in 387 days
posted 130 days ago
Nice one Gary. That could have a lot of uses.
-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business.
SPalm
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728 posts in 368 days
posted 130 days ago
Sweet. You one smart dude. You could add dust collection inside the C channel whilst in router table mode.
-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon
Scott Bryan
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9100 posts in 308 days
posted 130 days ago
This is a nice addition to your router, Gary. As usual another well-engineered project. :)
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
Topapilot
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46 posts in 326 days
posted 130 days ago
Nice work!
John Gray
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697 posts in 371 days
posted 130 days ago
Very nice. Thanks for the idea Gary I think you just solved a problem for me.
-- Only the Shadow knows....................
gizmodyne
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1479 posts in 576 days
posted 130 days ago
Very nice design. Time for a patent?
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
irishhandyman
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95 posts in 162 days
posted 130 days ago
Gary I think you need to contact Rockler with this idea. You may be a multimillionare and not know it!
When and if I can get a router I will be stealing your design. Glad you posted this. Keep up the great work!
-- God bless the men and women who protect our counrty.
jockmike2
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4142 posts in 732 days
posted 130 days ago
Nice idea Gary. I don’t know where you come up with these, but you do, you are truly blessed. mike
-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com
Sef
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5 posts in 137 days
posted 130 days ago
That’s a realy nice jig, Gary. Well thought out. Don’t be too surprised if you see something similar in the Rockler catalog next year. That’s the kinda thing they like to make out of plastic, and sell as thier own.
-- I may not know a lot, but I do know what I don't know.?.?.
Sef
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5 posts in 137 days
posted 130 days ago
Ha. I just read all the comments, and see irishhandyman sees Rockler all over this as well.
-- I may not know a lot, but I do know what I don't know.?.?.
Bob #2
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1949 posts in 507 days
posted 130 days ago
Great jig Gary, that will keep things flush a lot better than the stor bought types.
Bob
-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner
Douglas Krueger
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211 posts in 209 days
posted 130 days ago
Gary,
Great idea and an even better design. I will definitely have to fab one of these as I am sans table right now. Thanks for the post and hope you don’t mind a bit of intellectual theft.
-- I can so I wood but why are my learning curves always circles
Jiri Parkman
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559 posts in 298 days
posted 129 days ago
Looks very simply. I’m going to do one just today.
Thanks for sharing.
-- Jiri
Bradford
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647 posts in 308 days
posted 129 days ago
Once again, you have raised the bar with this creative and highly useful jig. As everyone else has said, watch out rockler. I am always surprised by your work. I have purchased over 100 woodworking books in the last three years. This one is by far this best jig. Patent it and make us all proud.
-- so much wood, so little time. Bradford.
JC
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86 posts in 284 days
posted 129 days ago
Awesome!
-- JC - Central PA - www.affyx.com
Praki
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77 posts in 483 days
posted 129 days ago
Very nice. Much better to make this than buy a cheap one.
-- Praki, Aspiring Woodworker
coloradoclimber
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317 posts in 554 days
posted 129 days ago
That is very clever. Nice work Gary. Thanks for posting.
Texasgaloot
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345 posts in 186 days
posted 129 days ago
I want one…
-- There's no tool like an old tool...
cobra5
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45 posts in 455 days
posted 129 days ago
good lord gary, i had to scroll down half a mile to get my comment in!!
this is what i despertly need, apart from spelling. tHIS JIG IS COOL!!!!
-- tool time tim aka "cobra5"
SteveKorz
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1335 posts in 200 days
posted 129 days ago
Very cool… looks really handy. I thought I’d come to this site and cut my workload due to the knowledge I would gain, but my to-do list and wish list is growing longer than this list of comments… I’ve got to have one! Great job!
-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
thetimberkid
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1520 posts in 189 days
posted 128 days ago
Great job!
Thanks for the post
Callum
-- Look great, get your TTK merchandise now! http://www.printfection.com/thetimberkid/ Check out my site http://thetimberkid.blogspot.com/
Richforever
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138 posts in 206 days
posted 128 days ago
You just added to my project list!!! Thanks (I think).
-- Rich, Seattle, WA
GaryK
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8486 posts in 474 days
posted 126 days ago
For those who plan on making one, please post it.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
GaryK
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8486 posts in 474 days
posted 116 days ago
I just thought of another use for the fence.
You could use it also as a horizontal router as is for small mortises on the end of pieces or make a small support the same height as it is mounted in the picture. This will allow you to suppoer larger pieces of stock.
With a longer clamp you could also clamp it to the side of the table and use the table top for support.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
suliman
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201 posts in 290 days
posted 94 days ago
GOOD IDEA SIR
-- Suliman , Syria, jablah ,