Thread: Materials for jig making.

For larger jigs MDF might be prone to sagging/bowing you might need to beef up the jig to prevent it.

Personally I dont like the edges of the generic ply we get in Australia so usually go for MDF. I use mdf for most of my jigs without a problem

If you really want the best of both worlds you can glue 3mm mdf to some ply to get the benifits of both materials. google mdo plywood, its pretty easy to make yourself.

good luck


joez

I have used 6mm MDF for all my jigs,easy to make and it sands very well for gentle curves and lasts very well.

I use MDF pretty much exclusively, but then again I don't make many jigs with the expectation of them lasting more than a few years. Coating it with thinned down varnish helps keep the moisture fairy at bay. Some jigs I use melamine coated particle board for when a slippery surface is neceassary

With regards to plywood, if you use proper marine ply rather than the rubbish you get at most DIY outlets it'll last years and be be as strong as hell. If you can't get it then formply isn't too bad.

I tend to use whatever I can get laying around. Wood, form ply(good), mdf, ply(some better than others),particle board(ok but edges tend to chip) and have even used floating floor laminate. other things to look out for are ally angle, nuts and bolts ,all thread, old hinges and all those things you just can't throw out. You will have guessed that my jigs are not pretty.
Regards
John

Jigs can be constructed from a variety of material even solid timber. But when it comes to producing the templates then MDF is ok. If you want to use the template over and over then laminating both sides will produce a good surface for the router to run on and give a hard edge for the template guide

Originally Posted by Template Tom

Jigs can be constructed from a variety of material even solid timber. But when it comes to producing the templates then MDF is ok. If you want to use the template over and over then laminating both sides will produce a good surface for the router to run on and give a hard edge for the template guide

Another useful material is perspex/acrylic. it is stable, very resistant to wear, not affected by moisture and has the added advantage of being clear so you can see the workpiece through it. It can be worked with most woodworking tools as long as you make sure it does not get hot.

Doug