Jigs, Tips and Tricks

The cleanest way to cut tenons on a table saw is with workpieces standing vertically. To do it safely, you need a tenoning jig that holds parts upright and securely as you run them through the blade.

The table saw provides an easy way for you to make raised panel doors. All it takes is a simple shop-made sled.

What is a shooting board and what is it used for?

In this week's Rockler demo, you'll learn how the new Beadlock Pro Jig makes it easy to create floating tenons when you're building furniture. The Beadlock system creates incredibly strong, totally concealed joints with only your hand drill. Just pop the included drilling guide into the jig in the ''A'' position to locate the initial holes, then slide it to the ''B'' position to drill the overlapping holes.

In this Rockler demonstration we'll show you how to make perfect fitting dowel joints. Using dowels is a strong way to reinforce butt joints when making furniture. The newly updated Rockler Doweling Jig Kit with Bit and Stop Collar doweling jigs gives you a strong joint with perfectly flush faces, every time. That's thanks to two stops that let you reference off of the end or edge of your stock for perfect alignment. The stops also allow easy repeatability when batching parts, and dovetailed ways make it easy to slide the stop out of the way when it's not needed. A depth scale is molded into the back of the jig to make setting the drilling depth dead simple. Each jig includes a corresponding drill bit and stop collar. Just clamp it in place, drill and you're done! Let’s get started!

In this Rockler demo video you'll see how the Rockler Bow Tie Inlay System makes cutting both key and mortise fast and foolproof. The Starter Kit includes a unique, two-piece bushing. Install the sleeve to rout the mortise, then remove it to rout the bow tie key. Since the same template is used for both, you're guaranteed a perfect fit.

Three new tool accessories from Magswitch are easy to attach and hold securely. Each Magswitch features a switchable magnet that clings to any ferrous metal surface.

In this Rockler demo, we’ll show you how to cut dadoes that fit your workpiece perfectly. The Rockler Perfect Fit Dado Jig lets you rout precise dados and grooves at any increment from 1/4'' to 1'' wide. Since it uses a scrap of your actual material for setup, the fit is spot-on, every time. Just rout the first shoulder with the jig in the ''closed'' position, then rout the second shoulder with the jig in the ''open'' position. The result is a tailor-cut dado that fits like no other. Once the jig is set, the stops make it easy to return to the ''open'' position so you can machine as many dados as you like for that thickness. No need to buy undersized plywood bits, or bits for other odd thicknesses—your dados can fit any thickness within the range (19/64'' for example) using standard 1/4'', 3/8'' or 1/2'' straight bits. Not only do you get easy operation and a perfect fit, you also get an integral dust port that lets you hoover up the mess before it ever hits the floor.