How to Make a Router Circle Cutting Jig

Step 6 Making the post assembly

While the easiest thing to do is buy a t-handle or star handle for jigs, but I'm too cheap to do that, so I make my own.  It takes a piece of scrap wood, a t-nut which costs just a few cents, and takes just a few minutes to make.  I make them in bulk to use in all of my jigs, and I won't go into the process here.  It's easy enough to simply cut out a shape you like, drill a hole in the center to accept the t-nut, and hammer it in place.

Cut a piece of 1/4" x20 tpi threaded rod to 3" length.  I didn't have any threaded rod, so I just cut the head off of a 3" bolt.  Screw the nut onto the center of the threaded rod, and then place the washer on.  Slide the portion above the washer up throught the slot in the base, and then screw the handle on to the top.

Alternatively, if you have access to a metal lathe as I do, you can cut the threads off one end of the threaded rod, making a smooth post of a specific size.  That way you can use a drill bit that matches the specific size, and always be sure to have a nice tight fit.  The threaded rod with an appropriate sized drill bit should work well enough for most applications though.