The Ultimate List of Table Saw Jigs

Ever since Samuel Miller applied for the patent in 1777, the humble table saw has been constant in the world of wood working, a lot of the time taking pride of place in workshops all over the world. It’s easy to understand why when you look at the versatility of the tool.

So straight out of the box you’ll be able to rip, crosscut, bevel, miter and with the use of a dado blade, cut rabbets and dado’s. But when you start adding jigs into the mix, the table saw is capable of doing so much more.

Cross Cut Sled

A cross cut sled for your table saw is an essential addition to your table saw jig collection if you are any way serious about your woodworking. Not only will it be more accurate than using the miter gauge, it will also make cross cutting easier and more importantly safer. Now there is no “one size fits all” with cross cut sleds so most woodworkers will have a few to cater to for a range of cross cutting needs

For a good general purpose cross cut sled, I really like this video tutorial from Marc Spagnuolo otherwise known as TheWoodWhisperer This is a very detailed guide on how to make a very versatile jig. I particularly like the way Marc demonstrates his 5 cut method to check the squareness of the jig and how to adjust for near perfect square cuts.

For something a bit smaller Matthias Wandell from woodgears.ca has a great video tutorial on how to make a small cross cut table saw sled.

If you would prefer to have a commercially available item rather than making your own then something like the Incra MiterExpress will do a great job for you

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Miter Sled

I miter sled is a great jig that allows you to make perfect 45 degree angles consistently. And as Steve Ramsey over at woodworking.formeremortals.net shows us, it doesn’t need to be  complicated.

Taper jig

Being able to cut a taper on a table saw is a cool trick. Now there are a quite a few commercial versions available to buy, but its more fun to make your own. John Heinz from www.ibuildit.ca has a very detailed walkthrough guide on how to make his version of a table saw tapering jig. You can also find the plans for it here

Jointer Jig

You can also make a jig to turn your table saw into a jointer . Now this jig from Jay Bates at www.jayscustomcreations.com is a great multipurpose table saw jig, which lets you joint the timber edges. For more details on this jig, you can find it here.

Tenon Jig

If you have a lot of tenons to cut then, being able to cut quickly and easily on your table saw will save you a lot of time. Now there are a lot of different commercially available tenon jigs available like this one from Rockler. But there are also some brilliant examples of DIY tenon jigs. Here is a video from Steve Shanesy from Popular Woodworking where he demonstrates his incredibly simple but effective tenon jig.

If you are looking for something a bit more challenging, then there is this brilliant video from Matthias Wandel again from woodgears.ca

Half Lap joint Jig

Half lap joints are a great way of joining two bits of timber. Now a jig that allows you to cut tenons should also let you cut half laps. This jig from Woodworkers Guild of America shows you how simple the jig can be to be able to make this cut on a table saw.

Finger/box Joint Jig

The finger/box joint is a very effective and strong joint, and yes, with a simple jig you can make them on your table saw. Here is a very detailed step by step build guide from Laney Shaughnessy from www.asimpledesignofocala.com

Another great video is this one from Ed Stiles, Its a very detailed video and a very good jig. Ed has also made a pdf available of his jig here Download PDF No Longer Available

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYxDXHGRRrk

Dovetail Jig

Small Parts Jig

Some times you need to cut very small parts and it’s just far too dangerous to hold the workpiece so close to the blade. So having a jig that allows you to cut small pieces and at the same time keeping your fingers away from the blade is essential. I really like this jig from Jack Houweling from www.jax-design.net where he has made a very simple and effective small part jig for his table saw.

Thin Rip Jig

Cutting thin stock on a table saw can be dangerous as thin bit of timber can get stuck between the fence and the blade, so having a jig that allows you to cut thin strips of timber is a great idea. Here is a digital thin strip ripping jig from the BellevueWoodshop.com

Circle Cutting Jig

When is comes to cutting circles you wouldn’t normally think about using table saw, a tool which was designed to cut perfectly straight lines, but with the right jig, it is incredibly effective way of cutting perfectly round circles. Check out this video from Nelson Studios

Panel Raising Jig

Now one way to create a raised panel cut is to use a router, but with a tall auxiliary fence and an angled blade you can cut raised panels on your table saw.

Sawmill Jig

Do you need to be able to mill small logs into useable lumber? Well with this jig you can. Izzy Swan from https://www.izzyswan.com/ comes up with some brilliant table saw jigs and by his own admission is table saw jig mad. This is just one of his many great jigs.

Dowel Jig

If you need to cut dowels, then this clever little jig from Jim Steinbrecher shows you a very clever way of shaping dowels on a table saw.

Pyramid Building Jig

If you have ever found yourself wanting to build pyramids out of wood. Well now you can with this clever jig from Savvas Papasavva o miscpro.com

Gear Jig

Here is another jig from Jack Houweling Demonstrating the jig he has made that not only cuts circles on the table saw, but it also has a feature that will let you cut gear teeth into the circle.

Coving jig

Here is another great jig from Marc Spagnaluolo at TheWoodWhisperer which demonstrates a very simple but effective way to cut coving curves on a table saw. If you need a specific curve profile there is a very handy calculator over at fine woodworking which tells you at what angle you need the jig and what angle you need the blade to get the profile that you need.

Spline Miter Jig

Adding splines to picture frames and boxes is a great way of strengthening the miteres corners and here is a great spline jig from David Picciuto from drunkenwoodworker.com

Now the video from David Picciuto above is great if you are cutting splines on picture frames, but it just wouldn’t give you the support you need if you were cutting splines on boxes. This great jig from Jay Bates from jayscustomcreations is perfect for the job.

Acute angle Bevel Jig

Sometimes you will need to be able to cut an angle greater than the 45 degrees that you can cut on your table saw. And with a simple jig it’s possible on the table saw.

Wooden Pulley jig

Now if you ever find yourself needing to make some wooden pulleys then this video from woodentoolman shows you how to.

Lathe Jig

Izzy Swan from www.izzyswan.com/ has done it again with brilliant jig that turns his table saw into a lathe.

Spiral Jig

Yet another one from Izzy Swan, this jig allows him to turn a square piece of timber into a cylinder and then cut flutes into it.

Chair Seat Carving Jig

This is a very cool jig from popular woodworking, Mario Rodriguez demonstrates how to quickly carve the seat for a contemporary chair.

Bowl Jig

So when it comes to making a bowl, most people would turn to the lathe, but Izzy Swan from www.izzyswan.com has come up with this amazing jig that lets you carve round bowls with a table saw.

Bowling Ball Jig

Yep, you did read that right. And its thanks to Izzy Swan again. Who really is pushing the boundaries again as to what you can do with a table saw. You have to see it to believe it.

So I think that covers a lot of what is possible with a table saw. I’m sure to have missed something so if you know of a something that can be achieved with a table saw thats not covered here, please add a comment here or find me on Twitter or Facebook and I’ll get it added to the list.