With the aid of this homemade jig, mortises for tripod table legs can be routed while the pedestal is on the lathe, after it is turned cylindrical and before it is turned to shape. The jig consists of a triangular box that fits around the cylinder, with mortises in its faces to guide a router bit. To build the jig, first make a full-scale drawing of the pedestal bottom and construct an equilateral triangle around it. Draw another triangle 1/2 in. outside the first one, as shown. Then cut three rectangular pieces of 1/2-in. plywood to the width determined by the drawing and about twice as long as the mortises will be. With table-saw blade set at 60¡ and plywood held vertically against the fence, cut the long edges at a 30¡ angle. Then cut mortise templates in the exact center of each piece a dado blade simplifies the operation;…
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