What wood do you use for jigs, etc?

MDO, MDF, BB. are my favorite jig materials. Of those, I’d say that I prefer BB. Cost/benefit analysis.

-- Gene 'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

I use baltic birch for most of jigs and router templates.
I used to use MDF a lot, but try to stay away from that now.

-- He who dies with the most tools... dies with the emptiest wallet.

BB and MDF so far. MDF seems to hold up pretty good, but oh the dust it makes. I get dust in every corner of my shop when I work MDF.

-- Don, Royersford, PA

I usually just grab what is handy.

However, I learned a lesson last summer I will share. W needed templates for the pew ends we were making for our church. Because we were producing a large quantity of them, I made 3 identical templates and I used OSB because I had some available. We used a template to draw the shape of the pew end in pencil. Then we cut them out crudely with a band saw and/or jig saw. Then, with a template attached with a couple of screws that would be in a hidden location, we router the edges with a straight bit and guide bearing.

My discovery was that after routing several pew ends (between 10 and 15), the OSB started to break down causing an uneven edge on the pew end.

-- Rich, Cedar Rapids, IA - I'm a woodworker. I don't create beauty, I reveal it.

I agree with Rich. I use whatever is handy and make a lot of jigs on the fly as I need them. I will use anything I can do get what I need done. Jigs don’t need to be pretty at all, just functional. A lot of my jigs are one time use, so I don’t spend a ton of time or waste good wood on them. Some that I know I will get a lot of use out of, I build to last. I have a general aversion to OSB and MDF, so I rarely even have any in the shop

-- Welcome to downtown Coolsville, Population: US! --Hogarth Hughes

MDO? I have always used BB ply but recently my sled has developed a bow in it which is very disappointing. It has never been wet and is stored on edge so this shouldn’t have happened.

-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm

If you have not tried it, you need to look at phenolic faced plywood. Comes in 1/2” and 3/4” (I typically make jigs in 1/2”)

Basically, it is better quality baltic birch (no voids) that is used for concrete forms. The two faces are coated in a thin layer of phenolic. Both Rockler and Woodcraft sell it. It is pricey, but stays very stable and machines well.

Phenolic Faced Ply

I especially like it for jigs that I intend to use for a long time. You can see some of it used in my insert throat plate.

Ralph

-- www.consultingwoodworker.com

Next trip thur denver I hope to get a sheet or two of the phenolic ply but in the mean time I use only BB. mdf dust is not good. I think you can get 4 X 8 sheet of the phenolic ply at whitecap supply. With the plastic face it is very stable.

-- Bob, Lewistown, Montana. Kindness is the Language the blind can see and deaf can hear. - Mark Twain

No one has told me what MDO stands for. PLEASE???

-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm

pretty much whatever 3/4 plywood I have laying around. I just make them to do what must be done, not to look pretty.

-- The mark of a good carpenter is not how few mistakes he makes, but rather how well he fixes them.

gfadvm – I had to look it up too.

Have a look here.

Mike

-- http://www.heartofsackville.ca/

Thanks Mike. I have never seen this and not sure where to get it in my area. It sounds like it would be good for jig material. Phenolic ply seems very pricey here. Maybe this is less expensive. Andy

-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm

Where strength is required I like Baltic Birch plywood, otherwise Mdf for it’s flatness. The phenolic ply is excellent stuff and when I can pick up some offcuts at a cheap price I buy it for jigs.

-- Mike, American in Norway

My preference is cabinet grade particle board since it’s the cheapest and is stiffer than MDF. If that’s not available then it’s usually scraps of whatever is on hand. If a smooth, durable edge is needed then my choice is usually MDF with epoxy-coated edges.

Jigs intended for long-term use are made with more care going into material selection.

-- See my work at http://remmertstudios.com and http://altaredesign.com

particle board is not cabinet grade…

-- The mark of a good carpenter is not how few mistakes he makes, but rather how well he fixes them.