Check out the next generation of this sled.

This project details the assembly of WOOD Magazine's Universal Tablesaw Jig. The hardware kit shown in the video is from Schlabaugh & Sons.

Part I of the video shows how to construct the kit and explains the basics of the how the Universal Tablesaw Jig operates. The laser engraved table accurately sets angles for miter cuts on the tablesaw. The alignment pins making setting the jig for 90 degree crosscuts a breeze. The jig also operates as a taper jig.

Part II of the video details the various operations that can be performed with WOOD Magazine's Universal Tablesaw Jig. This woodworking video shows how to use the jig for crosscutting, mitering, tapering and panel cutting.

I'm often asked if the Kit offered from Schlabaugh and Sons is worth buying, or can you build this jig yourself?  Read my review of the kit here.

Router Table Mortising with Loose Tenon Joinery to make a Tool Stand.

The 26 minute woodworking video illustrates a complete project from start to finish. You will see the principles of loose tenon (or floating tenon) joinery applied to make a sturdy tool stand.

Shown in the video:

• Stock preparation using the planer and jointer.
• Making legs, aprons, and cross members for the project.
• Mortising on the router table.
• Having a repeatable setup for mortising by using a modified tenon jig.
• Efficient mortising technique - this project has 32 mortises.
• The benefits of a foot-activated motorized router lift. Glue and assembly of the project.
• Adding swivel casters to the project.
• Making loose tenons for joinery.

The video is instructional and gives the basics of loose tenon joinery. More importantly, it provides the foundation required for furniture building.

What do you get when you cross an old belt sander and a tablesaw - The 'FrankenSander'! I picked up this 50's belt sander from an older woman who had a basement full of tools from a husband who had passed. Around the same time, I garbage-picked a tablesaw from a guy a couple of houses down. Before putting it out for the trash, he cut the cord off the saw, left out a leg from the stand, and didn't include the arbor nut. So he obviously didn't want anyone to use it as a tablesaw after that. I can take a hint, so I decided to use it as a mount for my new horizontal belt sander. 

Now, onto the collision - one neat element to this is how I used the tablesaw motor and trunnion. Normally, the tablesaw motor moves up and down when you crank the handle on the front. I remounted the motor so that the crank now moves the motor away from the belt sander pulley to tension the belt. After figuring out how I was going to mount the motor, it was a matter of mounting the belt sander to the tablesaw carcass. A picture from the bottom shows how I mounted the belt sander to the tablesaw. It was my first time routing aluminum - it went better than I imagined - it's very soft.

The sander gets a lot of use in my shop. It has about 18 inches of flat surface and access to the rounding drums for sanding inside curves.

With the aid of my motorized router lift, I can create medium to large circles on the router table easily.

Forget that router trammel or bandsaw circle jig, with this method, you can make circles on your router table with no dust and no fuss. The adjustable pivot point slides in the miter slot and is clearly marked with radius sizes down to a 1/16th of an inch.

This method is safer, cleaner and more accurate than many other methods. If you have a router table with a miter slot, check out this setup!

Update 1/2/2009 - I added a file download to this project that contains a Word Document (tested in version 2003), that will create the printed scale for the jig.

After printing the scale, you will need to adhere the printout to your miter track stick using spray adhesive.

The placement of the scale on the jig is easy to determine -

1. In the miter track - locate your pivot point directly under the right edge of the router bit - this position of the pivot is the minimum radius you can cut on your router table.
2. Adhere the scale so that the minimum measurement is in line with the end of your miter track (or another reference mark that you create).
3. As you move the scale to the right, the pivot point gets farther away from the router bit and the measurement indicated on the scale increases.

I've developed a revolutionary way to easily create mortises on the router table.  Traditionally, this operation was reserved for plunge routers.  Not any more!! With the aid of my motorized router lift, I can create matching mortises for loose tenon joinery on my router table.

I use loose tenon joinery in a lot of my projects. Take a look at some of the other videos to see how to put this joinery technique to work! The video attached to this project is pretty old, and was actually the first video I ever made. To enjoy some old school video action - check it out!

• Loose Tenon Joinery Basics
• Motorized Router Lift
• Using a modified tenon jig on the router table for effective mortising.

What does master craftsman David Marks say about loose tenon joinery?  Read about it here.