Shop & tools • Shop-made tool

A circle jig for the router

A shop-made adjustable jig, followed by a practical kitchen fix that put it straight to work.

Documented July 2020Build story

Stop improvising the same missing tool

The July 2020 post describes a familiar pattern: realizing a circle jig would help in the middle of a project, improvising, and then forgetting to make one. This time I built the tool.

The first job after the jig was finished

Three days later I used the jig for a kitchen modification that stopped hanging measuring cups from clanging when the door moved. It went from a shop project to a useful fix almost immediately.

Not the table-saw jig

This is a separate tool from the table-saw circle-cutting jig elsewhere in the collection. The similar task is approached with a different setup.

Making the tool I kept needing

I had been improvising circle cuts and telling myself I would build a proper jig later. I finally made an adjustable wood jig for the router and worked out the pivot setup so I could change diameters. Three days later I used it for a kitchen modification that stopped hanging measuring cups from clanging when the door moved. That quick second use proved the jig was worth making and not just another shop idea.

Credits & project notes

Jig making and the documented follow-up use: Michael Pytlowany.

The original post describes an intended diameter range from 1/2 inch to 4 feet. That is a creator-reported range, not a calibrated accuracy claim or operating instruction.

Sources

Mike's Functional Artistry project archive
2020-07-03

Mike's Functional Artistry project archive
2020-07-06

A circle jig for the router

Stop improvising the same missing tool

The first job after the jig was finished

Not the table-saw jig

Making the tool I kept needing

Sources

More from this part of the portfolio.

A rainy-day circle jig

CNC-made router sled

Build the bench around the work