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This jig will cut any circle you need for those special curvy projects.
BY MARTY SCHLOSSER

Adjustable Circle-Cutting Jig

Photos by Marty Schlosser;Illustration by James Provost

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Those of you who have made large table tops and similar projects requiring circles or arches
know the value of an adjustable circle-cutting and routing jig. Although it is possible to cut a
large circle using a bandsaw, it is much easier doing this task with a jig-mounted power tool.
This article will show how you can make yourself a very precise, adjustable circle-cutting jig
that will accept jig saws and routers alike. It will also cover using this jig to cut out circles
where you dont want to drill an unsightly pivot hole in the top of the piece youre cutting.
Making the Tool Saddle
Start by first determining the size of the tool saddle (A) you will need to properly mount your
jig saw or rout
er. The leading edge of the jigsaw blade lines up with the centre line of the tool
saddle and the edge of its base is perpen
dicular to that line. This location allows the blade to
track most efficiently.
Making a mounting template that is custom-made for your jigsaw is as easy as placing your
jigsaw onto a stiff piece of paper and pushing the blade through until the base plate bottoms
out. Trace the out
line of the base plate onto the template, ensuring you indicate clearly the
location of the blade. Transfer the location of any mounting holes youll be using to securely
mount the tool, then go ahead and re
move the jigsaw from the template.
You can also do the same thing with your router. However, this time make sure to align the
centre of the bit with the centre line before tracing the outline of the base, the location of the
bit and the mounting holes. Its a good idea to use different colours for these two separate
tracings, to account for the unique size base plate mounting holes of each tool.
Transfer your mounting template information to the tool saddle ply
wood using carbon paper,
then using a certain amount of artistic license, go ahead and draw in the full outline of the
tool saddle. Err on the side of hav
ing the tool saddle at least " larger all around than
required to securely mount the tool, as you may eventual
ly end up replacing your original
tools with larger ones.
Proceed to cut out the tool saddle, then drill out the mounting holes, being careful to use the
correct size diame
ter bits. In all likelihood, youll have to buy longer mounting bolts in order
to get completely through the " thickness of the tool saddle and firmly engage the threads
in the base plate. These hard
ware items are available through most specialty hardware or
fastener suppliers.
Two 5/16" holes must be made in the tool saddle, however, countersink them with a Forstner
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Two 5/16" holes must be made in the tool saddle, however, countersink them with a Forstner
bit before drilling these holes. These holes are for the two bolts (E) used to join the tool
saddle to the bridge (B).

BACK TO TOP
The Bridge and Arm Parts
The two remaining plywood compo
nents are relatively easy to make. The bridge has a 7" x
5/16" wide slot ma
chined down the one end that clamps to the tool saddle. Used in concert
with the bolt holes, this 7" slot allows up to 1 " of travel for fine-tuning the radius of the
circle or arc, which is usually much more than necessary. Drawing a line right down the
middle of the arm (C) will provide you a point of refer
ence for drilling pivot pin holes.
The arm is by far the simplest ply-wood component to produce. Aside from cutting it out and
slightly chamfer
ing its edges, it is simply fastened to the bridge using glue and screws (F)
Now that youve complete the two main components, all that is needed to assemble your jig
is to insert the two bolts (E) into the tool saddle with their heads set flush into the Forstner
drill holes.
Align the bolts with the slot in the bridge (B) and screw on the cam bolt clamp. Depending on
the length of the bolts, you may need to cut them shorter so they dont interfere with action of
the cam clamp arm.

Test Driving Your New Jig

Lets start off by cutting a simple circle. After mount
ing your jigsaw so that everything lines up
properly, set the cam clamps so there is approximately " of space between the ends of the
arm and that of the tool saddle. Select a test piece of " or " plywood, then carefully
measure along the arm and mark the location of where the pivot pin should to be located.
Careful is a relative term, for as mentioned above, youll have quite a bit of travel to play
around with. Err on making the circle somewhat larger than required, that way, you can be
sure that you dont cut the radius smaller than the plans call for.
Many use a 10-penny, 1" common nail for a pivot pin, however you could use an awl just as
easily. Rather than measuring carefully for the proper size drill bit to make the pivot pin hole
in the arm, simply chuck the nail into your drill and use the nail to drill the pilot hole. Remove
the nail, then push the pivot pin through the hole until it bottoms out enough so that you can
clearly see it. Position the pin over the center of where you want the radius to be and tap it in
ap
proximately " with a hammer before proceeding to cut out the circle. If your test piece is
wider than the given radius, reposition the pivot pin so the blade has a starting point that just
barely scrapes one edge of your test piece of plywood. Now, go ahead and cut out the circle.
Be careful that you dont cut into your workbench top, as few things in wood
working make
you feel as silly as that.

Cutting or Routing Circles Without Making a Pivot Pin Hole

Some projects require you to rout from above the top, which usually means you cant nail
your pivot pin into the top surface of the tabletop or whatever piece youre machin
ing. In such
cases, youll need an auxiliary pivot pin plate (G). This plate is held firmly in place on top of
the piece by two-sided tape, and then a pair of support blocks (H) are screwed to the
underside of the tool saddle to bring every
thing to an even keel. Be careful not to exceed the
maximum depth of cut for your blade or bit, and if this is the case, make the auxiliary pivot
pin plate and support blocks of " material.
As you can see, this jig provides you with many options to cut or rout circles of in
finite sizes.
Cutting circles in your shop doesn't need to be a source of aggravation. Using this jig will
make it easy as .
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make it easy as .

Protect the surface Using the auxiliary pivot pin plate will allow you to rout a circle without
putting a hole into the good surface.

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Trim it up You can rough out the curved cut on the bandsaw and then clean it up with a
straight bit.

MARTY SCHLOSSER

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