Just realized my homemade jig was way off after 3 cabinets in a row

I built this shelf pin jig out of scrap plywood last Saturday thought it was square. Then I checked with my 24 inch Starrett square and it was off by a full 1/16 inch. So I had to redo the holes on three oak cabinets before the client came by on Tuesday. Anyone else ever trust a shop-made jig and get burned by it?

3 comments

3 Comments

owens.laura11d agoMost Upvoted

A full 1/16 inch off on a shop jig? That's huge, especially across three cabinets in a row I can't believe you caught it before the client came by. My first homemade jig was off by maybe a 32nd and it still threw my shelf pins off by a noticeable amount on the end panels. The diagonal check thing is real though, I never thought about that until I saw someone mention it online, so thanks charlie198 for that tip.

shane_wilson11d ago

Man I did the exact same thing with a drilling guide I threw together in about twenty minutes. Had to fill and re-drill six holes in a maple bookcase and learned my lesson about checking things twice with a real square before cutting anything.

charlie19811d ago

Did you check the jig on both diagonals before you drilled? I always do that now after @shane_wilson and a few other guys warned me about it... a square edge can still hide a twisted frame if you don't pull the tape across. That 1/16 adds up fast when you're running a full bank of cabinets.