Woodworking jigs are extremely useful pieces of equipment, it only takes one time with a jig to discover that you could never do the job without one in future! It's always annoying if you drill holes too deep, or you can't hang pictures straight. There are so many tasks which can be made so much easier by using the right woodworking jig.

A jig doesn't have to be anything expensive or too fancy. In fact it's often possible to create your own jig for smaller tasks. If you are a professional woodworker then you should already have quite an extensive collection of jigs! These will save your time and so allow you to be more profitable, not to mention the amount of wasted materials you can actually use.

The Short List of Jigs Long on Performance

If you don't have much money to spend on woodworking tools then there are some important jigs which you should bear in mind.

A dowel jig is used to make precision holes for your dowel. This is a very useful jig if you are making furniture as dowels can be used in a number of locations, including holding the draw fronts onto the frame as with a box joint.

Another jig which is very important is the dovetail jig. By being able to do a dovetail joint you are making your work look much more professional. Old things used to have dovetail draws, a piece of furniture 50 years old is still around today because it was made very well. Dovetailed joints make it very strong and durable. Purchase a dovetail job with your jig and then you're able to create fine pieces of professional furniture.

More important jigs include router jigs, these are used to support the wood as it passes along the saw to be cut. These can be used to help the craftsman create very fine detail.

Kreg - The Leader in Jig Creations

Kreg woodworking jigs are very popular, these normally come with face clamps so that the drill jigs can be secured firmly in place. You can use these jigs to drill to very specific and accurate depths.

If you don't have a jig available but need to drill to a certain depth then one solution is to put a thick ring of masking tape around the drill at the depth that you want to drill to. When you drill you will see the marker so you will know when to stop drilling. This isn't as accurate as a professional kreg woodworking jig however it really does work. It's also extremely quick to do and you don't need any additional equipment. These things are fine for the occasional job, however if you're a professional then you really need the right tools for the job!