For this build, I show how to build an oval cutting jig for your router.
Click Here To Download A Set Of Plans to Build This Router Jig
Affiliate links for some of the products I used in this build.
° 1/4″ 20 bolt https://amzn.to/2PjOxc9
° Star Knob https://amzn.to/2EgCqvo
° 1/4″ Washer https://amzn.to/2SypILO
° CA GLue https://amzn.to/2UgxNX4
° CA Glue activator https://amzn.to/2KVWdki
Video Recap
Today I’m making a shop-made oval cutting jig because I needed it to build this table.
That video should be out in a few hours, so please check back
I started out the build by cutting the base to size. I’m making it out of ¾” plywood, but ¼” would be better. I just didn’t have any on hand that wasn’t shaped like a potato chip,
Once the base was cut, I started milling up some scraped maple for the runners
I jointed one edge and ripped off the other, making both edges square.
I tilted the blade to 10ish degrees; the exact angle isn’t important.
I thin-ripped off a slice from each side; these will be my edge guide pieces.
Then I ripped off a third piece with the beveled edge against the fence, creating a trapezoid shape. This will be my runners.
I cut 2 small sections off the trapezoid piece. These will be the pivot points in the jig.
I rounded over the ends at the spindle sander so the edges wouldn’t get hung up on anything.
Then it was time to cut the edge guides to size. I mitered one end and then cut the other end to length.
Back at the base piece I had cut earlier, I drew a few center lines to work from; I installed the first edge guide with some CA glue. I took extra care to be sure that the 1st 2 pieces were square.
Then I used the leftover length of the trapezoid piece as a spacer to install the other edge guides.
Before gluing in place, I made sure the trapezoid piece slid freely but with minimal side-to-side slop.
I just worked my way around the jig until I had all the pieces installed; any glue squeeze-out, I cleaned up with a chisel.
Once I had all the edge guides installed, I eyeballed the center of the edge guides and transferred those lines down the bottom of the base.
I counter-sunk for some screws and added a few screws for strength. I just don’t trust the CA glue bond against the strength of a runaway router.
On my runners to create the pivot point, I found the center and drilled a hole for a ¼” bolt to pass through.
I traced the shape of the head of the bolt on the bottom of the runner and chiseled it out so the head of the bolt was below the surface.
Now to make the swing arm I ripped a piece of plywood to size and made sure both ends were square.
I drew down a center line and then marked every inch.
I headed to the drill press and drilled them all out so the ¼” bolt could pass through them.
I did a little test run to be sure everything was running smoothly. I think after adding a little past wax, I will work perfectly.
Now to be sure the router won’t hit the corners of the jig I clipped off each corner at 45°
I will have a set of plans on my website that will call out a ¼” for the base instead of ¾”, so you won’t have to do this next step since a standard base on a router is about a ¼”
To make up the difference in thickness, I cut out a thicker base plate of ¾” plywood to screw to the router.
I just traced the base place from the router and transferred the holes for the screws. Counter sunk them at the drill press and cut out the circle at the band saw.
Now to attach the jig to the router.
I measured the centers on the router where the edge guide usually attaches to. Transferred those measurements to a piece of plywood drilled for the bolts to go through and used a Forstner bit to counter sink for the bolt heads.
Here is where I screwed up. I should have assembled the jig as I had it built before taking that measurement. The edge guides of the jig create an offset so I actually needed a wider piece.
But let’s carry on like nothing happened.
I cut that piece to the wrong width.
Then pre-drilled for some screws.
Attached it to the swing arm
Clamped one side to hold it to the router while I pre-drilled and screwed the two pieces together.
Here is the basic gest of how it goes together. The holes on the swing arm are an inch apart, and the bolts that attach the jig to the router are longer than an inch long.
Those bolts give you the flexibility to adjust the width and length exactly to what you want your oval to be.
Well, that’s it for this build; there are plans available on my website if you want to build one of these jigs and be sure to check out my oval table video where I used this jig.
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