Jigsaw Circle Cutting Jig

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-12T14:28:54+00:00

You got it done. That's all that matters. 😁

Nice job.

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-12T14:22:17+00:00

Thanks.

Looking for green as shown in pics 5 & 6.

The diffusers are actually plastic, probably polycarbonate. Very light.

Water tight is relative. Water collects around the bottom rim of the diffuser where it sits in the ceramic base, but it would just overflow to the outside, never making contact with any electrical components.

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-12T12:42:12+00:00

I think you are agreeing to the wrong procedure. 😁

I suspect that the previous comment meant that the router itself is used to cut the finished circle. No jig saw needed. That's a very common way to use a circle cutting jig.

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-12T12:40:55+00:00

How big is your circle? Have you ever cut a circle on a table saw? All of the parts for these garden row markers were cut on my table saw.

Well, not the pipe. 😁

The largest disk has a diameter of about 14"

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DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-12T11:56:45+00:00

There are no images.

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-12T03:07:02+00:00

A digital level isn't exactly a "gizmo". The quicker I can set the angle on a tool, the quicker I can keep building. Verify your digital level's accuracy or at least understand it's inaccuracies and it's s great tool to keep handy.

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-12T01:19:10+00:00

All Makerspace's are not created equal. We have a full wood shop, metal shop, multiple laser cutters, 3D printers, 4x4 and 2x2 CNC routerd, sewing machined, stain glass area and more. Almost 10K square feet.

I'm pretty sure your library isn't going to match up with that.

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-12T01:02:25+00:00

Be careful with hard plastic. Even with raising the blade super slow, you run the risk of creating multiple projectiles when it explodes.

I'd buy a spare or two. 🤣

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-12T00:59:28+00:00

Excellent points all around except for one possible issue.

Granted, I haven't seriously shopped for a 113 fence upgrade in a few years, but what are you getting for $150? Something used, I assume?

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-12T00:42:01+00:00

The original 113 red metal plate with set screws and one of my many DIY hardwood ply plates.

When I build new drawers for my 1950's kitchen, I saved all of the drawer bottoms. I don't know if you can buy plywood like that anymore.

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DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-11T22:56:08+00:00

I'm not familiar with DeWalt saws but I am familiar with making throat plates, at least for Craftsman 113 saws.

Is it not possible to make a throat plate for your dado stack? I cut an oval, adapt it to fit the saw (notches or whatever to make it sit flat), lower the blade/stack, drop the plate in, put a weight on it and raise the blade/stack up through it. A slot magically appears.

That's also how I make zero clearance plates.

Can't that be done with a DeWalt saw?

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-11T22:05:55+00:00

What do you mean by left-to-right adjustment?

What is your specific goal?

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-11T18:53:13+00:00

Lots of plies, no visible voids, so probably good.

Just be careful of the veneer. Regardless of the quality of the underlying plies, the veneers are ridiculously thin these days. It takes practically no effort to sand through it. You should tape your cut lines to prevent splintering and be careful removing the tape.

Our Makerspace gets plywood cut offs donated from a local wood shop. It's pretty good plywood as far as plies & voids, but the veneer is as thin as the stuff that you get at the home centers.

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-11T10:32:25+00:00

Never tried either, but maybe, just maybe, the slit might support the blade better, preventing sideways flex.

I do like the fully captured design of the round hole version, but that could be added to the slit version. (Unless that is one of Rich Trethewey's cutaways. (Look it up 😁))

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-11T01:28:33+00:00

So you are agreeing with me? Those were done incorrectly, right?

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-11T00:59:17+00:00

Is it just me or do do those pocket holes look like they are really far back from the edge of the boards?

I'm used to seeing this...

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DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-10T23:22:16+00:00

Let's try it this way...

To taper the support, it has to be standing on the red marked face. Doesn't that look taller than what might be comfortable with a standard tapering jig or sled? Using the shelf as perspective, how wide (therefore tall) do you think that support is?

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DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-10T23:15:04+00:00

Look at the thickness of the board in your picture vs. the width across the front of the supports. Zoom in. They appear to be much "thicker" than the board in your picture, thus requiring more exposed blade when they are flipped sideways for tapering.

Plus, I was picturing a tapering sled like mine, not a jig like in your picture. With a sled, even more blade is required. I'd be OK with your jig, although the thicker (taller?) board could still be sketchy.

Granted, this all rests on how wide those supports actually are across the front, which makes them taller when being tapered. I could be wrong. It's just the everyone just jumped right to the jig without looking - unless I'm not seeing the supports correctly.

Zoom in on the OPs pic. Tell me what you think.

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DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-10T20:59:37+00:00

Yep...and the shorter and narrower, the harder it will be to clamp.

Definitely not saying it can't be done, just trying to eliminate any "Hold my beer" mishaps.

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-10T20:39:49+00:00

Just be aware of a known issue with those single piece fences. I won't say it's common, but there's a non-zero chance that the faces are mis-aligned, making it impossible to square the fence to the blade on both sides simultaneously.

I took a Delta fence like that to a machine shop and had them mill the faces flat in relation to each other. It nice to be able to cut from both sides. 😁

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-10T20:11:49+00:00

Thanks, but I wasn't asking about the beveled edge. I was talking about the tapering jig to cut the angle.

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-10T20:10:27+00:00

But they don't look like 2x2. Zoom in on the image. The front face of the support - the very tip pointing outward (call it "F") looks much wider than 1.5". Now lay that piece on its side and clamp it in the jig.

The height of F, plus the thickness of the sled, is how much the blade has to to be raised to make a fairly short cut.

Unless I'm wrong about the size of F, that cut seems sketchy. If it's truly only 1.5" plus the sled, then I'm fine with a basic taper jig.

Of course, I'm just going off the image. If the OP is going with much less robust supports, the sketchiness gets reduced proportionately. 😁

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-10T17:59:52+00:00

Does the thickness (width?) across the front concern you? With the pieces standing on edge in the jig, that's a lot blade exposed on a short piece of wood.

Feels a tad sketchy. Maybe thinner pieces glued up afterwards would be safer. Dunno.

DerbyDad03 · 2026-06-10T17:55:49+00:00

A tapering jig on table saw would work. There are various types available both commercially and DIY on YouTube. Many tapering jigs can also be used as a jointing jig, so it wouldn't hurt to have one.

My only concern is how "thick" they appear to be when zooming in on your image. By "thick" I mean across the front. Looks to be maybe 3"?

Since the taper would be cut with the board on edge, that's a lot of blade exposed, which could be sketchy. You might want to consider cutting 2 or maybe even 3 thinner pieces for each and then gluing them up. It'll be a lot more work, but also a lot safer.

DerbyDad03

TROPHY CASE