Versatile safety table saw jig | 3in1 | FREE PLANS
The table saw is not exactly the safest power tool in the workshop.
Every day accidents with a table saw happen worldwide.
To make the table saw in my workshop a bit safer, I made this table saw jig.
With this blog and video I want to inspire you to do the same for your table saw.
With this table saw jig I not only reduce the risk of cuts, but I also prevent pieces of wood from flying away because of kickback.
But this table saw jig is more than a jig to improve safety.
With this table saw jig, I now also have the opportunity to straighten the edges of boards and to make perfect copies of my workpieces.
Be sure to download the free plans on this blog. It includes all the dimensions you need to build this table saw jig.
I will show you step by step how you can build this table saw jig to increase safety in your workshop.
Let’s go!
Table of Contents
Watch the video here
Before we start building
To prepare you for building this project, I have made a few handy lists.
In addition to a few personal protective equipment that I use*, I also list the materials as well as the (power) tools you will need to build this jig.
* Safety is always your own responsibility!
Safety first! protect yourself!
Materials I used for this table saw jig
- Birch plywood 18 mm (0.70 inches)
- T-nut M8
- Bolt M8 60 mm
- Washer M8/20/0.2
- Screws 2.5*30mm
- Sanding paper 120 grit roll
- Wood glue
- Plexiglass
(power)Tools I used for this table saw jig
- Makita MLT100 table saw Watch my Unboxing video and my review video if you want to see more about this tool.
- Makita 3709 router
- Makita AF505N Brad nailer. Watch my Unboxing video if you want to know more about this tool.
- Brad nails 25 mm
- Air compressor
- Drill press
- Hilti cordless drill SF144-A
- Festool sander
- Jigsaw
- Kreg KMA multi mark and measuring tool
- Pica pencil to mark all the pieces.
Building this table saw jig step by step
Making this table saw jig is actually an easy job. In a few hours, you can make this jig for your workshop and avoid injuries in the future.
To make this jig easy to build, I have free plans available in this blog. So be sure to download them.
More than 60,000 accidents occur with a table saw worldwide every year. But not only the table saw is dangerous in a woodworking workshop. Minor injuries also happened quickly.
My tip is: always have a first aid kit in your workshop!
I recently wrote a complete guide about first aid kits in which you can see which basic first aid material you absolutely should have in your workshop.
Check out this blog and put together your first aid kit today.
A good first aid kit can make all the difference in emergencies.
Step 1 | Making the safety shield
This table saw jig has a small window in the middle, so you always have the best view of your saw blade.
To be able to mount this window in the table saw jig, I made an inlay in which the window fits.
I did this by making an opening in the wood with my palm router and the template jig. Around that opening there is an edge that is 1 cm larger than the opening. The depth of the edge is equal to the thickness of the plexiglass.
I made a video about this router template jig a while ago.
There is also a blog on my website where you can download the free plans, so you can make this jig yourself.
The plexiglass is fixed in the table saw jig by means of screws.
I did this because I always want to be able to replace this window if it is damaged or broken.
To fix the window you first have to pre-drill.
If you don’t do this, the plexiglass will undoubtedly break. You also better be careful when tightening the screws. The plexiglass can break if the screws are too tight.
Step 2 | Making the slots
To make the jig adaptable to the thickness of the wood you want to work on, the jig must be able to slide up and down.
Slots in the coupling plate allow it to slide up and down perfectly, covering a fully upright saw blade.
To make the slots I marked where they should be, and I determined the end point. Be sure to download the free plans for the correct dimensions.
At that end point, I drilled a hole (8 mm) the same diameter as the width of the slot (8 mm).
I made the slot by first sawing away most of it with the table saw and sawing the rest away with the jigsaw.
Step 3 | Assembling the safety shield
As the last part of this piece, I made the small reinforcement triangles. These ensure that the jig remains stable and does not sag.
Then all parts were attached together with wood glue and brad nails.
Tip:
Don’t just use any wood glue for your projects!
To find out which different types exist and for which applications they serve, check out my blog Understanding Wood Glue + 8 awesome tricks you should know. Here you will discover everything you need to know about wood glue.
Step 4 | The base of the table saw jig
Once the safety shield was finished I could make the base of this table saw jig.
The base of this jig fits perfectly over the fence and can be clamped into the T-track rail of the fence.
All parts were cut to size according to the plans and the mounting holes were drilled.
To make this part perfectly custom, I made it with my fence as a mold. That way I was sure everything was assembled accurately.
To connect all the pieces, again I used wood glue and brad nails.
Do you also have this Makita MLT100 table saw, or are you planing to buy it? Be sure to check out the video and blog to upgrade the fence of this table saw.
There are also free plans available to help you build this fence.
Again, I used small triangles to reinforce the table saw jig.
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Step 5 | Homemade knobs
I used my star knob jig for the drill press to make these homemade knobs. With these knobs I can clamp the table saw jig at the correct height, depending on the thickness of the wood I’m working with.
I also used these buttons to clamp the table saw jig to the fence.
The star knob jig for the drill press was one of the first jigs I made for my workshop, and I have used it many times for lots of projects.
I have a template available, so you can make this great jig too for your workshop.
Into these buttons, I pressed a T-nut that fits perfectly on the bolts I used in this table saw jig (M8).
To press the T-nuts into the star knobs, I used my vise.
When you do this, proceed calmly. If you press the T-nut into the button too quickly, the button can burst.
How to use this table saw jig
The use of this table saw jig is actually very simple.
If you want to use this jig as a safety shield, set it so that the jig floats a few millimeters above the workpiece.
Place the viewing window above the saw blade to have a good view of your operation.
Leave about 1 cm to 1.5 cm between the top of the saw blade and the viewing window.
Do you want to use this table saw jig as a jointer or to copy workpieces?
Then slide the fence up until the side of the jig is perfectly aligned with the outside of the saw blade.
By gluing a straight line to the workpiece with double-sided tape, you can now cut a perfectly straight edge.
You can apply the same technique when you want to copy workpieces. Be sure to watch the video in which I demonstrate these applications.
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Woodworking | DIY | Home decoration
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Awesome safety table saw jig!! Greetings from Spain
Thank you so much, Jose
Excelente, bastante didáctico, gracias por compartir, saludos desde chiapas ??
Gracias por tu mensaje. Me complace leer que esto le ha sido útil.
Saludos