Working with small parts can be one of the most dangerous things in woodworking. The problem is, that sometimes these little parts will eject out of your hand or pliers, and when they do, the pressure of your hand and arm can result in injury with a saw blade, router bit or even a belt or disc sander.
Easily the best way to handle small parts if from a bit of a distance and with a jig that supports them firmly and keeps your hands and limbs away from the cutting surfaces.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/oIgEG8wViaU
To make this jig I used some bits of off-cut wood that was laying around the shop ... I made mine 17 inches long and 2 1/2 inches high with 3/4 inch lumber. The end cap was 5 inches wide ...
Since the end cap is the most critical part of the build, I started by drilling 3 holes, one that would be the slot and 2 others that recessed the end screws. To finish cutting out the slot, I used a bandsaw, but you could easily cut this out with a hand saw, scroll saw or even a jigsaw.
I forgot to do the next step in the video, but you could do it now, and that is to cut a bit of an angle of the tips of the holding arms. I cut mine to 45 degrees and the purpose of this is in case I need to cut some small part at an angle, it is more likely to fit if I pre-cut the ends slightly.
Next, attach the end cap to one of the arms so you can mark where the hanger bolt needs to be placed. Mark and pre-drill and insert the hanger bolt and check the fit, adjust as needed.
Next is to insert the ready rod that will hold the form part of the arms firmly with the object being cut. First, determine where you want the readi-rod to go through your jig at that point drill a very fine 1/16th pilot hole on the arm that you want to be attached to your mitre gauge, Either arm will work, it's your choice.
Next drill 2 holes large enough and deep enough to accommodate both the T-nut and the nut on the outside of the arm. The nut on the outside of the arm will want to be flush or even indented from the surface of the arm so it will not interfere with attaching it to the mitre gauge.
When those holes are drilled, the final hole you need is the "through holes" where the readi-rod will go through both arms and be attached to the one with the countersunk holes. It may be necessary to slightly enlarge the hole for the outside arm to allow it to move a bit more easily.
At this point, the jig is ready for final assembly and testing.
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Copyright - Colin Knecht
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