James, I must tell you that I find you to be the most informative producer of useful woodworking videos on RU-vid. Your willingness to share experience, knowledge, and often plans is unsurpassed. I enjoy all your videos and look forward to the day my grandchildren will enjoy days spent in PaPa's workshop, as your children obviously do.
Hi James, I have followed your design and amended for metric... I used a 12mm Cove bit and my jig was a smidge under 18mm thick, so the distance to the board worked out at a smidge under 30mm. This worked out perfect on my first test piece so I went for it on a 18" by 16" by 2" thick Walnut and Cherry End Grain Board. I ended up with a juice groove 18mm from the edge of the board, best thing about your jig/template is that you can store it away in a draw instead of storing a massive jig in a small workshop. Many Thanks.👍👍👍. Paul in the UK
Thanks for this video. I followed your instructions and it worked quite well. I modified the jig to place the 3/4" groove at 1/2 inch from edge rather than 7/8" (reduced jig thickness to 1/2 inch, and reduce 1 5/8" dimension of jig to 1 1/4"). I got better results by always pushing the board through the router from right to left. When going left to right, I found the board had a greater tendency to be pushed away from the fence, thereby messing up the groove. Definitely a good idea to first practice with some scrap! Thanks again.
Just wanted to say thanks for the juice groove jig. It works like a champ. I used a 1/2" bit, so 3/4" from the fence and 1 1/4" from the bit put my grooves 3/4" from the edge of the board. made my first 3D board double sided with routed finger grooves for picking it up. Have a few burn marks to clean up and that was with a clean (cleaned) bit.
I’d like to use a 1/2 inch bit also, but don’t quite follow what you did. Can you tell me, when you say 3/4 from the fence, do you mean you made the thickness of the jig 3/4 of an inch, or a different measurement? Thanks!
Just to make sure I'm understanding this correctly, you changed the 1 5/8" measurement from the core box bit to the cutting board down to 1 1/4" and changed the thickness of the jig from 7/8" to 3/4". No other measurements needed to be changed to use the 1/2" core box bit, correct?
Thanks for the video. I did learn something, but I couldnt for the life of me figure out why all those different dimmension were so important. I just made an equal sided cutout in a square piece of wood and it worked fine. you used the same 3 reference surfaces agains the same reference points each time, just in different orientaitons. Thanks again.
finally after watching 20 plus video's on how to make that grove with a router and with everyone there was a large margin for screwups, finally i find one person who actually showed how to do this with the router table and make perfect groves. only problem i have now is my router table isn't big enough for the cutting board to put stop blocks on each end.
One of the best (most detailed) how to videos I’ve see yet. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and hard work. It makes life easier for us Novice Woodworkers.
Thanks for the tip just in time for Christmas! I moved the groove a bit closer to the edge by making the cutout 1 1/4" x 1 1/4". One test run and then 4 perfectly grooved cutting boards! Thanks again!
I've been sitting with a printout of your jig for too long. Finally made it today and tested on a scrap piece of plywood, and it was perfect (only after I got the thickness of the jig correct, you did say it was important and I now understand). Reading the comments below, I see how to move the distance of the groove closer to the edge for my needs. Over a year after posting this still has value and legs by those of us working to improve our skills and our craftsmanship, we value your videos. Keep them coming. Bill
@@KingsFineWoodworking Hi - just saw your juice groove jig video and very interested in purchasing the dimensions but didn’t see it on your site. Can you please furnish a link to it? Thanks - VERY cool jig BTW!
I’m figuring it out here and there but I must have watched this a hundred times. To get the theory behind it so I could use my dimensions and bit size. My grove starts at 9/16 from the edge with a half inch bit
Thank you for sharing this; heading out to the garage to make this and then cut the grooves in three cutting boards. I watched twice but didn't hear why you came up with the dimensions that that did, for example, 7/8" thickness will set the groove in from the edge (I'm assuming).
Nice. I just did a run of 12 cutting boards, all but two of which are different sizes and have been dreading doing the juice grooves via measuring and setting up stops for every single one. This is a great idea and excellent tutorial.
I wrote this then read everyone else comments. Some one ask, it it made any difference the dimensions of the cove bit. I immediately knew that Yes, it did. This is why I would have needed to add a bit to the distance to the stop blocks. My bit is a 1/2 in shank but a 7/8th in bit. Wolla.. It is fixed. Thanks to all of you for posting your comments. Helped me immensity.
Very happy I found your video. Something about the typical juice groove jigs had me rebelling against building one of those. Only issue: my 20-year-old Incra Twin Linear fence came with only one fence extension & stop. A call to the manufacturer about purchasing another extension/stop confirmed that parts are out of production. What to do? Attach an auxiliary fence? Fortunately, I had the extra Incra hardware to attach a length of 3/4” white oak of the necessary dimensions. Everything from that point forward works just as your video shows. And I had a 7/8” thick maple cutoff to make your jig. Stop blocks came from my cutoff bin as well. I never throw wood away…
I wish you had been one of my professors! Lol. I’d love to be a fly on the wall in your class to see you teach. I can only imagine that you have a way of making any subject understandable. Thank you for all you do!
So as long as the "to cutting board" distance (Orange in your drawing) equals the bit size plus bit distance to fence then all will be perfect. But you mention all dimensions must be exact. Do you use this template for other projects as well? Always good to have multiple uses for jigs and templates.
Man, I was pretty excited about this and watched the video a couple of times. Went out to the shop, made the jig - then realized my little Bosch router table wasn’t big enough to use it. Back to the drawing board....
I created the jig. Then I went to use it and found that my router table (on the end of my tablesaw) was just on the edge of being big enough to clamp stop blocks for the board I was grooving. I'm probably going to make the non-table jig so I can make bigger boards.
````That’s exactly what I did, (made the non-table adjustable jig) and it worked great! Only tip after you make it is to plan on making several pases to get the depth you want on the groove. I made a mistake and tried to take the entire bite at once, and my router jumped on me. Another tip if your router has a flat side on the guide, like my Dewalt does. Make a new guide that is completely round so you don’t accidentally hit the flat spot while going around the jig. Overall, very happy with the jig though.. good project, but I really wanted to just use this little table jig because it’s just so easy and doesn’t take up space like the non-table jig.
I seem to be having a problem. When I set my cutting board up to cut the groove. I noticed that the distance from the board as it was being cut. is 3/4 inches from the Fence. "as it should be". But, the cutting board ends against the stop block, an inch and a half from the end of the cut and not 3/4 inches. I can adjust it to end there, but with your gig, it does not. I made it according to your instructions and have checked it several times. I even cut a piece of scrap wood out of the same size as the width of my cutting board, and the cut ends 3/4 inch before the end of the board. I am using a brand new 3/4 inch cove bit. I can simply move the stop block 3/4 inches, and it would be right. I must be doing something wrong.
James, I might be missing something, but the core box bit set you reference in the notes doesn't include a 3/4 size bit. Can you confirm the size of the one you're using in the video? Is it a 3/4 inch wide, 3/8 radius bit? If not, what size do you recommend?
Great video! Thank you. One thing I’m exploring because I’m using a 1/2” bit and not-quite 7/8” thickness: We should be able to find the fence location by placing the jig with the “To the cutting board” (1 5/8”) side on the opposite side of the router fence (turning in 90 degrees) instead of relying on precise jig thickness and specific bit size. Does that make sense?
Watched your video a few times,made the jig ,thanks for showing your dimensions at the end ,used it a couple times ,perfect juice groove, very professional video , thanks so much.what is that orange colored wood called in your cutting board?
Brief question: Does the size of the board alter any of the measurements of this jig that are explained in this video? Not a great abstract thinker so it's hard for me to get my head around the correct answer. Thanks to anyone in advance.
This is great! But couldn’t you incorporate the square as the jig? The square would but up against the square side of the bit instead of the opposite side. So your jig would have a protrusion the sticks out to reference the bit rather than a cutout. Probably not explaining that clearly, but it makes sense to me.
Nope. Well kind of. The thickness of the cutting board doesn't matter. This cool little jig helps you set the offsets needed to place a juice groove 1.25 " in from the edge of the board using a 3/4" bit. The thickness of the jig matters since it controls the distance of the bit away from the fence edge. The 1 5/8" distance "to cutting board" edge matters and needs to "pair" with the 7/8" thickness so it properly stops the cut 1.25" from either end of the board. Radius of the bit = 3/8". So 7/8" + 3/8" = 1 1/4" (1 2/8") from fence to center of groove. 1 5/8" - 3/8" = 1 1/4" from stop block to center of groove. Perfect! Thanks for this jig - makes consistent cut setup so easy!
I think I messed up twice. First I used a 1/2" bit and secondly I didn't have that 7/8" thickness on my jig, i only had 3/4". My juice groves did not meet 😂.
hi i tried your jig and it did not work, is it made for a specific size cutting board? everything lined up like your video except that when i put the practice board in to try it the bit went past the end of the board, what am i doing wrong? Otherwise great video and great jig if i can get it to work LOL thanks vic
great video i am glad i found this site question i am trying to cut a grove on a cutting board that is around 18" long is it possible to do this with this jig on a router table the size that you are using in the video?
Hi. If I’m using a ½ inch bit instead of ¾ inch what adjustments do I need to make the template work. At the moment the bit is crossing over in the corners. I presume I need to take ¼ inch off but not sure which edge/a needs to be shortened on the template. Also does it also mean that the template thickness needs to be altered to set the bit the correct distance from the fence.? Thank you
While thag jig is certainly effective and convenient, I just used a piece of wood 7/8 inch thick and a square, spaced the fenc from the bit, then turned the router bit so the blades are horizontal, put the pice of wood against the left side of the bit, put a square against the fence and abutting the piece of wood, used the board to measure to the stop block on the right side then repeated to set the block for the left side and it worked.
James, please weigh in on whether or not to use exotics in cutting boards. I love how exotic wood brings many cutting boards to their next level, but I have also heard that exotics can be toxic and are not recommended for boards used for food prep. I trust your knowledge since you were a science teacher and know so much about chemicals. Thanks.
Hi Susan, I have done extensive research, and I have not found any regularly traded lumber domestic or exotic that is unsafe for cutting boards. There aren’t many databases to search, but I’ve found data on over 70 species of exotics, and they are all fine. I myself have made cutting boards from bubinga, ebony, African Blackwood, padauk, Purple Heart, lacewood, leopardwood, cocobolo, rosewood, moradillo, teak, mahogany, tiger wood, zebra wood, wenge, yellowheart, and many others that aren’t coming to mind right now. I do want to mention one thing. We all know that breathing in the fine dust from any species of lumber is harmful to our health. But there is one species that needs talked about. And that is Wenge (pronounced WHEN-gay). This is a dark black/brown striped wood from Africa. It’s beautiful. But if you get a splinter from it, you are going to get an infection at the point of splinter entry. It’ll just last a day or so, but sadly, it is a wood that gives off splinters easily. Secondly, and most important, the fine sawdust from this species can cause neurological damage when inhaled. So when you work with it, and especially when you sand it, consider wearing a respirator. Not a dust mask. Once it is fully sanded, it’s quite safe. And like all others it’s safe for cutting boards. Just watch out for splinters, and don’t inhale the dust.
Hi James, Brilliant. I am using 18mm thickness jig and 12mm cove bit. I would be most obliged if you could me let have metric measurements in photo similar to one in your presentation. Hope I’m not bothering you too much. Looking forward to your video on bevel sled. Regards, Paul
I've been experimenting with this jig and it works great for the long length but have trouble matching up perfectly when I do the short length. Any ideas?
Thanks for this. Question, why does the thickness of the template matter? I can’t figure that part out. I have failed miserably in the past trying to cut a juice groove. Can’t wait to try this out.
I had the same question and someone responded. It's the first step and sets the fence distance. Guess you could use a 7/8" spacer instead. Just handy to have it all in one piece.
Is there any significant difference if the thickness was 1" instead of 7/8"? It seems to me that the groove would be an 1/8 in more from the sides of board. I am working on a cutting board made from a counter top butcher block that was 1 1/2 " thick. Planed down to 1 1/4" thick, 12"X18" final measurement. I got two out of the counter block. Is it a 3/4" core box bit or is it a cove bit? A newbie question for sure!
How long of a router table do you have to have? I have one but I don't think it's as long as yours. Therefore could I still use that jig or should I do the other jig you made for a handheld router?
I keep getting a small groove leftover even after I measure 2x and have switched scraps and did another piece! Any help why there will still be a small groove left where the ends of the cut don't match 100%?
