Making a Circle Cutting Jig

Intro: Making a Circle Cutting Jig

Hi, this is the design which I made for making circle by using routers. It is simple to make. This tool is used for cutting a large circle out of wood.

STEP 1: Things Need to Prepaired

1. Plywood or hardwood panel (9mm thick)

2. A handle.

3. A washer ( >= 20mm)

4. A nut

5. A nail (2mm x 29mm)

STEP 2: Print the Layout

Dowload the PDF file below.

Print exact whole scale of PDF file or print piece by piece if you just have a small printer (also exact scale)

STEP 3: Glue the Layout Into Plywood or Hardwood Panel.

With normal glue. It's easily get it out when you've done cutting shapes out of the panel

STEP 4: Cutting, Assembling

Using bandsaw or jigsaw, drills to cutting shapes

Look the picture above to do the assembling

Comments

[jimmiek]

While I agree that it's a great 'ible, it would have been nice to have
the measurements in metric and non-metric (US) ;) for those of us who
are metrically-challenged (lol) and don't have a printer. Now I gotta go
and figure out what all those CM & MMs mean!

[ngonang]

Google it. 1 inch = 2.54 cm = 25,4 mm. Next time, I'll use measurements in inch.

[jimmiek]

No biggie .... that was said halfway in jest ;)

[syevtushenko]

I think it will be better to stick to system convenient for you (or one used for the project). Exact conversion from one system to another usually gives inconvenient numbers. For example, 120cm = 47,244094488 inch. I doubt that such a numbers will be convenient to use even for those who used to Imperial units. Perhaps providing other units for reference (like 120cm = about 47 inch) might be a solution suitable for most cases.

[dsantil71]

U can download a free unit converter app from google play for android phones or the equivalent for iPhones, easy peasy. I love mine.

[Jobar007]

Get a metric measuring tape at your favorite tool source (online, big box store, local hardware store, etc). Takes all of the conversion out of it. I would recommend a pure metric tape and not a combo metric/SAE tape since you can't confuse your numbers then.

[More Cowbell]

Excellent!

[alcurb]

It's beautifully illustrated and the product looks professional, but those of us who are woodworking-challenged don't have a clue how to use the jig. Do you have a video or more illustrations that show how to use it?

[ngonang]

I'am lazy. Sorry! Watch this video

[amclaussen]

Another suggestion: make two or three main parts (the long one) of different lenghts, so that you can use the largest one for really big circles, and the midsized or short one to make smaller circles. The nail can be replaced with a pointed Steel piece, held with a lateral thumbscrew, so that you can use the other parts on any of the long parts easily and quickly. Making the jig of transparent, thick acrylic, while more expensive, makes a more useful jig that allows you to actually see through it, which some times is useful (or critical).

I still keep a simple (and somewaht ugly) jig that I made for cutting several MDF rings, that needed to be stacked in order to mount the 6.5" speakers to the doors in my wife's car, as those needed to be thick enough (about 45 mm thick) so that in the end I needed 8 MDF 3/4" rings and 4 3/8" thinner rings in order to mount the speakers to the four doors of the car. That was needed because the door interior panels were located too distant from the door inside metal, so that installing the speakers directly on the metal door panel would have created a resonant cavity in front of the speakers and would have placed the coaxial tweeters too far from the grille openings. A lot of cutting solved by the use of the router together with the jig! Amclaussen.

[amclaussen]

One thing that is quite simple, but some beginners forget, is that when cutting the circle with the router, the best way to do it is to start cutting by taking a shallow cut all around. Do NOT cut through ALL the Wood thickness, as you would be losing the center holding capability of the Wood piece. I suggest to cut in several light passes but not cutting through all the depth, and then you can lower the router bit and cut through the Wood except in a few parts of the circle (from two to four or more, depending on how large the circle will be). Those small (say,half an inch) uncut arc lenghts will still keep the center of the circle without moving. You can easily cut them with a simple box cutter in several passes if you kept the remaining uncut parts thin enough. My two cents. Amclaussen.

[Aussie58]

Really like what you have done. All too often design is only seen as being clever and unique. Your improvements both in aesthetics and function are worthy of recognition. What would look really cool is some contrasting coloured timber for some of the parts. Why can't jigs and tools look great also!

[andrew.mead.1253]

I share your sentiments. Attractive tools and jigs are present and active reminders of the results of work done well.

[ngonang]

Thanks

[andrew.mead.1253]

Nicely done!

For those without routers there's a way to cut circles using a table saw. Check out You-Tube for the details.

[chuckthehat]

Nice 'able. My jigsaw has a point on the back side of the rip guide that will help me swing about a 10 inch radius. A couple of dots of hot melt glue holds a thin piece of wood in the center so the point doesn't mar the project.

[ngonang]

I use Blender 2.72b to do the modeling and rendering. And the software is free for using

[zwilmes]

A random question here: What do you use to superimpose the 3d dimensions on the photo? I've been looking for something to do that myself.

[Spence1953]

When I want to add lines, arrows, text etc to a photo, I use Irfanview...it is a free photo editor for PC. It does everything I need.

(Download and install both Irfanview and the Plug-ins. Adding lines and arrows is part of the menu that appears when you press F12. Text can be added from there, too, but I tend to use the Ctrl-t method available without the F12 menu.)

[shallnot]

The "photos" in question look like 3D renderings from a modelling package to me. The knob in the second one sort of gives it away. So the dimensions in question would be part of that rendering.