When you start immersing yourself in making furniture with your own hands, there is a need to simplify your work with the same type of operations associated with the preliminary marking of parts for fasteners. Furniture drilling jigs are an excellent tool for the home craftsman. Many people prefer to make templates from blanks themselves. However, there are quite a few budget devices on sale on Aliexpress that are easier to buy than to reproduce. And they will last much longer, maintaining the original accurate calibration.
You can read about how to properly prepare sawn parts for further assembly in the article about adding and drilling chipboard with your own hands.
Furniture templates for installing handles
Any furniture handle has an installation base - the distance between the screws is subject to system 32. That is, it is a multiple of pitch 32, corresponds to the values 32, 64, 96, 128 mm, etc. When installing handles, it is important to maintain the same distance from the edges of the facade. Templates for drilling holes for handles can make marking easier. They can have different looks and shapes. The package may include drills.
Template characteristics
Installing furniture hinges is an important step in assembling cabinets. A special insert template is used for this process. This element is made from different materials. You can purchase a ready-made part in a store or try to do everything yourself.
Work on installing facades is simplified by templates for furniture hinges. The finished element has many advantages. These include convenience, since there is a sketch for marking. Among the advantages of using a template are the strength of the structure, ease of use, and compactness of the product.
Furniture jigs for marking fasteners for guides for drawers
The fastening of any guides and pull-out systems also obeys the furniture “law”: the distance from the edge for fastening the first screw is 37 mm, and then the installation holes are located in increments of 32 mm at distances of 64, 128, etc.
Most manufacturers of components for drawers offer their own furniture jigs to facilitate marking for fasteners. However, you can also choose universal templates. Most often they consist of a set - left and right conductors.
Nuances of choice
A furniture template can be made not only from a square and a metal ruler; other available materials are also suitable. A device made independently can be highly specialized. As an example, products for drilling holes for handles, hinges, and other elements. Such devices are more suitable if the production of furniture is carried out in small volumes.
For a more extensive process of manufacturing interior items by conductor production, it is recommended to purchase professional equipment. Please note that some models can be quite expensive. Using a professional template, the furniture will have high-quality fasteners and will last a long time.
When choosing, it is recommended to pay attention to multifunctional devices that allow you not only to make the correct markings, but also to fill holes. The equipment set includes clamps, replaceable bushings, and rulers, which greatly facilitate the assembly processes and production of interior items. With their help, holes are drilled at the required distance and a certain diameter.
Furniture jigs will allow you to make the correct markings for future holes and drill them at the right angle. Their various types allow you to accurately, quickly and efficiently connect furniture elements to each other. The end result is a product that will last a long time.
Template for marking and drilling for confirmation
It will be useful for those who assemble furniture from laminated chipboard of any type and do pre-addition manually. The furniture jig is a ruler with holes for a 5-8mm drill for marking the front part of the parts (sidewalls) for confirmation with a countersink. The pitch can be set to even values from the edge (50, 70, 100mm) or in compliance with system 32.
Features of drawing up a drawing
You can make a template yourself if you have a drawing of the future design. To develop a sketch, you need to know what elements the template consists of.
Template structural details:
- Base. There are holes for drilling on it. This part of the furniture hinge installation template is key.
- Holder. The functions of an element include a limitation. The part is fixed to the door leaf, thereby eliminating shifts and deformations.
- Connecting parts. These elements help to adjust the template to specific door hinge sizes. The number of connecting elements depends on the complexity of the structure and the functions assigned to it. The primitive template has only 3 such details.
You can determine the amount of materials needed if you accurately determine the dimensions of the template. The design can be made more complex. You can add the installation of door locks to the functionality of the template.
Universal furniture jig for drilling
In terms of functionality, it combines the two previous devices, since it can adapt to marking with drills of different diameters, and the ruler allows you to set any desired distance from the edge and pitch. It is used both for drilling the front surface of parts and the end.
Well-known manufacturers of furniture jigs include Cheron, Kreg and Wolfcraft. Before choosing any model, we recommend comparing prices, quality and functionality with smaller manufacturers and suppliers of furniture components Blum, Hettich and others. Often the optimal price-quality ratio, and even with a guarantee, can be found where it seems that “everything is expensive.” Do not exclude this possibility for yourself and consider all possible options. After all, a furniture jig can serve faithfully for many years, helping to speed up production processes without losing the quality and accuracy of making furniture with your own hands.
Varieties
A furniture template can be of different types. Products differ in design method and functional features. Depending on this, jigs and templates for marking and drilling may fall into one of the following categories:
- invoices;
- rotary;
- tiltable;
- universal.
Overhead products are considered the best option for drilling holes in flat parts. They are suitable for chipboard and MDF boards. During operation, they are applied to the surface of the element on which a hole needs to be made, and held with hands so that they do not move. In other cases, the furniture template is placed in a specific place or fixed.
The rotating mechanism has a working surface that moves horizontally or vertically. The template allows you to make holes on parts whose axis is located at an angle. A rotary jig is used when you need to make a hole on elements that have a complex geometric shape.
Tiltable devices are needed to work with parts located in different planes. Universal products allow them to be reconfigured for the production and assembly of furniture of various types. They are used mainly in small workshops that produce cabinets, tables, chests of drawers in small batches.
Depending on the type of fixation of the device on the surface of the parts, the furniture template is divided into sliding and fixed. Sliding ones lie freely on the surface of the parts, allowing you to make each hole separately. Such devices are considered less convenient. Dockable templates are more convenient to use, although they limit the actions of the wizard.
Almost all types of devices have a fairly simple design, so they can be made independently at home. This will save money.
Overhead
Sliding
Angular
Universal
Electrical accessories
Sawing and processing parts of furniture is a more labor-intensive process that cannot be handled with manual tools. It is recommended to stock up on electric tools for this.
Use different ways to create tools.
You may need:
- An electric drill is the most versatile power tool. Choose a model with a speed controller that is fairly lightweight.
- An electric jigsaw allows you to make beautiful cutouts and accurately and quickly cut wood or plywood.
- A grinding machine - with it you can bring the surface to the desired smoothness, make it neat and even, and give it a finished look.
- A construction hair dryer will be needed if you need to glue edges to varnished chipboard.
Electrical appliances are quite expensive. If you are furnishing your apartment and no longer plan to make furniture, you can rent equipment to save money.
CONFIRMAT + DOCK
In turn, I purchased a 250 mm square from the “everything for 37” store for experiments. Despite the price, the markings correspond to the USSR metal ruler made according to GOST 427-75 and the angle is 90, really 90 degrees!
We mark with a pencil:
- from the edges 8 mm if the slab is 16 mm or 9 mm if the slab is 18 mm (size “A” in the diagram).
- Using the internal markings of the square, I mark the points where the 8 mm and 5 mm holes will be, starting from 37 mm and then through 32 mm.
- in the top row there are holes with a diameter of 8 mm, in the bottom row 5 mm.
I will write about the results of my research on the topic of simplifying and speeding up the assembly of cabinet furniture in the near future...
Source: hobbi-mebel.ru
Nuances that need to be taken into account when making furniture yourself
Making furniture yourself involves some nuances that you need to know about in advance. It is advisable to have minimal skill in working with tools and to know about the properties of the material that will be used to make furniture.
Solid wood furniture for baths
You will need to consider the following:
- The cost of raw materials indicates its quality. Therefore, as a furniture material for a dacha, you can choose cheaper raw materials than for an apartment. Operating conditions will also have to be taken into account.
- The work of making furniture requires physical strength, especially when working with solid wood.
- You should not expect that it will take little time to manufacture the product. On the contrary, especially with a lack of experience, a high-quality result of your work can be obtained after a few days, or even weeks.
Solid wood dining group
Note! In the process of manufacturing parts, you will have to work on machines and use power tools. It is important to follow safety precautions and use personal protective equipment.
Conductors presented on the domestic market
Among home craftsmen who independently manufacture furniture, as well as among specialists working in small furniture shops, jig devices of the following brands have gained popularity.
The Assistant marking jig belongs to the professional series. This is a multifunctional jig device, which, when using appropriate bushings, can be used not only for marking, but also for adding holes.
Marking hardware using the Assistant template
The Dubel-Profi conductor is produced by KVB. This is an inexpensive but functional device for home use. The kit of such a conductor includes various devices (clamps, rulers, etc.) that greatly simplify the work with it and make its use more convenient.
Despite its simplicity, the Dubel-Profi jig is used for many operations
These are Russian-made conductors - inexpensive, but quite functional. They are equipped with a positioning system and a set of replaceable bushings.
The Condor jig allows you to drill perpendicular holes of the required diameter by choosing the distance between them and changing the bushings included in the kit
A separate category consists of professional conductors used for the manufacture of furniture and its assembly. Such devices are distinguished by maximum functionality; they are supplied with a set of replaceable bushings designed for drills of different diameters.
The choice of a specific type of conductor device primarily depends on what tasks and with what performance you are going to solve with its help.
Source: met-all.org
Manufacturing stages
Let's consider the process of creating a metal conductor device for confirmations. This fastener is most often used when assembling furniture:
- A piece of the required length is cut from a square metal block (10x10 mm) using a grinder. The ends of the resulting segment are leveled and cleared of burrs using a file. Corners and edges can be rounded for ease and safety of use;
- The hole locations are marked on the workpiece. Their centers should be located at a distance of 8 mm from the side edge (the thickness of the chipboard sheet is 16 mm). There should be 32 mm from the end and between the holes, in accordance with the generally accepted system of furniture fastenings. For marking, you can use a carpenter's angle or caliper. It is better to make marks on the part using a sharp metal object - an awl or a large needle. You can use a core and a hammer to make holes for the initial installation of the drill. When drilling holes, it is important to prevent the drill from moving and make them strictly perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece;
- use a drill with a diameter of 5 mm to make holes;
- to create a stop, you need to cut a piece of the required length from a metal plate (1x25 mm);
- sand the edges with sandpaper;
- bend the workpiece at a right angle, holding it in a vice. Fold the parts, aligning them coaxially;
- fasten the parts in this position using a clamp;
- From the side of the plate along the length of the device and at the end, drill holes corresponding to the size of the screw. Cut threads and fasten parts;
- Cut off the excess thrust plate and process the edges.
Source: mblx.ru
Materials and tools
To manufacture a device, you must first decide on the tasks that it will perform. Accordingly, the necessary material is selected from which the furniture template will be made with your own hands. The most durable, reliable and “long-lasting” is considered to be a metal conductor. To create a furniture jig for drilling with your own hands, it is permissible to use wood, plywood, textolite, and plexiglass. This is due to lower labor costs and cheaper materials. All this is important, especially if you are going to make several different templates yourself.
To make a conductor, a piece of reinforcement, a block or a plate is suitable - something that can probably be found in any garage or home workshop. To make a simple marking device, you can take a regular school ruler - wooden, plastic or metal.
Of decisive importance in the manufacture of the jig is the accurate calculation of the location of the holes on the workpiece. You can take a ready-made diagram or make it yourself. The latter option is preferable, since the dimensions in the drawings must correspond to the tasks being solved.
