Getting Jiggy With It

Tool work can generally be done freehand pretty successfully, but sometimes you need more consistency or accuracy than you can achieve unassisted. In those cases you need a jig, and I'm not talking about the festive dance.

A jig is a work-holding fixture used to hold a workpiece in a set position, at a certain angle, or maintain some other consistent characteristic. They allow for fast, consistent work across a series of parts, or precise results on a single item. They can be incredibly simple or very complex, and are made from a variety of materials.

Woodworkers use jigs to set angles and lengths when making cuts for cabinets and other complex pieces, clamping their material against a stop piece and quickly turning out parts that mate up cleanly. Welders use jigs to hold materials together so that they can have both hands free to lay their bead, and to prevent parts from shifting while they work.

In this video, I show how a bench vise can be used as a depth jig while correcting one of the weaknesses of a Mora knife.



Learn to properly use jigs for your tasks so that you can work faster and easier.

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