This table saw Circle Cutting Jig is designed to have a piece of wood spin on top of the base of the jig, thus cutting a circle.
Time to create: 15 min
Materials
- 8 x 2 1/2″ plywood runner
- 8 x 16″ plywood base
- Wood glue
- Nails
- Nail gun
Steps
- Cut miter track runner
- Join base to track runner
- Mount the workpiece to the jig
Cut miter track runner
The first thing you want to do is cut the miter track runner. The actual dimensions of the runner will depend on the make and model of your table saw and the miter slot size.
For my table saw, I needed to use 3/8″ thick plywood for my miter saw runners
Join base to miter track runner
- Place the runner in the miter slot
- Add glue to the runner and secure the base in place with nails
In this step, you will need to place the runner you created in the first step into the miter slot and add wood glue to the top of the runner. After that, you will align the 8 x 16″ plywood base and join it with nails using a nail gun.
It is best to make the base slightly too close to the blade so that you can perform a test cut and get the edge at the perfect location from the blade. This will make marking the pin location easier in the next step.
Mount the workpiece to the jig
- Mark the pin location
- Insert the pin into the base and workpiece
First, we will mark the pin location by taking the desired diameter of the circle and measuring that distance from the left side of the base.
Then we will insert the pin into the base and the underside of the workpiece on the pin.
To use the jig, you will cut the corners of the workpiece by rotating it around the pin. You will do this repeatedly until you end up with a circle.
Jig upgrade possibilities
- Measurement capabilities
- Sliding pin capabilities
Two of the main upgrade potentials of this thin-piece jig are to have measurement and sliding pin capabilities.
Predefined measurements allow for easy and quick pin placement without needing to measure manually. This is a user-friendly feature that makes adjusting the jig easier.
A sliding pin feature will allow for the adjustment of the jig without having to nail the pin into the wood each time you want to cut a new size. This will allow the jig to last longer because you will not be creating many holes over time.
The main reason why I didn’t use a sliding pin feature is because I will not need to create circles often. So creating multiple holes is not a huge issue for me. Additionally, I can always create a T-track with a pin later on
EverythingDiyProjects is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We also participate in other affiliate programs which compensate us for referring traffic.