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Hi folks, my first post here and I like the site so decided to share a couple of jigs I made.
A few years back I had to drill and tap for M5 bolts the edge of some 3/8 and 1/2 thick aluminum pcs 6 wide by 30 to 42 long. Obviously my bench mounted drill press could not handle this job so I went to work to find a way to do it and the attached pictures show what I did.
The drill press jig consist of 1 pc of 5/8 plywood about 16x16 with 2 vertical slots which guide 2 horizontal pieces sliding up / dn holding the material to be drilled at the required height. This setup is for material in the horizontal position but if you turn the jig 90 degrees you can hold the material to be drilled in the vertical position. A hand held level is required to assure the cut material is at the right angles to the drill press. My pictures show clearly the jig.
At the same time I had to cut these aluminum pcs to length or width and some at 45 degrees and since my Skill saw and Miter saw (both equipped with the appropriate blades) could not handle either this job I made what is shown on the attached pictures.
This jig is very primitive but quite efficient. Just a guide to hold the Skill saw about 3 above the material you want to cut. To hold the material in place I use screws on its side to wedge it in place and I get perfect straight cuts with multiple depth cuts (1/8 thick I can do with a simple pass but 1/2 needs several passes)
Obviously my home shop (located in my garage) only has basic equipment and I dont want to invest for what I need occasionally neither I have the space. The jigs I made have been invaluable for the occasional job I had to do since then and take no space either.
Nicolas
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