The Lamination Pro - by Lloyd Johnson

Then, Build-It T-Slot Panel Connectors can be added to permit easy expansion of the platform size and to provide T-slots to make adding and adjusting your jigs critical components like fences and hold downs a snap. And, if one of your Build-It System Jigs looses its usefulness in your shop, you can reuse and reconfigure the components quickly for your next jig design. While we all know the safety and efficiency benefits of jigs and fixtures, it is all too often that we put off building a jig simply because of the time required to design and build the sliding platform. Before the Build-It System that meant beginning with a blank piece of sheet stock carefully measured and marked for a series of neatly aligned and properly placed holes required to mount the guide runners. Then, another set of holes for mounting the jig components (fences, t-tracks, hold down fixtures), followed by some anxious assembly and hopeful alignments, which don't always work out just like you planned. Before you know it you've spent your entire day in the shop working on the jig instead of your project.

I’ve personally enjoyed making and using each of the jigs shown in the plans, some of which were assembled and in use in less than 30 minutes. And for those of you who have seen some of the small pieces I cut for my puzzle boxes, I can assure you that jigs like these are the ONLY way to safely and accurately reproduce the results. Thanks to the Build It System, I’m looking forward to taking advantage of a little more time in my shop to work on the projects that I enjoy most. The free jig plans you’ll see included on the Build-It System’s page are just the beginning of a concerted effort at INCRA to provide a place for you to gather more than product information. Let’s face it, were it not for woodworking projects, who would need tools in the first place. So you can look forward to even more new Build It System Jig Plans in the future and beginning this week we have also added a NEW section to our website devoted to Woodworking Project Plans.

In a nutshell, the technique revolves around crosscutting a series of short pieces from a strip lamination with the miter angle set to some number less than 90 degrees. Every other one of the resulting pieces is then flipped over and the parts are glued back together. This first pattern is referred to as a first generation lamination. The process can then be repeated with the resulting glue up to create second or even third generation laminations with ever more intricate patterns.

He also included plans for a fairly complex jig that looked like it would have required several days to produce. These formulas, along with the complicated jig, scared away many who might otherwise have tried the technique. What we needed was a little interpretation, and this is where Lloyd Johnson comes in.

While you don't need Lloyd's program to try out the mitered lamination technique in building any of the two projects on our project page, you can download a free 30-day trial version and try it out for yourself. Lloyd's site also includes a variety of plans and additional software for designing and visualizing segmented turnings. You can visit his website at www.woodturnerpro.com. If you or anyone you know has a jig or fixture design that would be a candidate for the Build It System components or if you have a unique project that features the use of any of the Incra line of Precision Woodworking Tools send a photo to perry@incra.com and lets see if we can add your name to the list of contributing craftsmen that are appearing in our Gallery, Projects or Build It System pages at www.INCRA.com.