A proper jig serves two basic woodworking functions: securing a workpiece and guiding a cutter. It should add control (and thus precision) and speed to the joinery process. The jigs in this article meet all of these demands, allowing you to cut a mortise-and-tenon joint in the time it takes to hone a chisel. I tested them by cutting roughly two dozen mortises and two dozen tenons on each. Most of the test samples measured within 0.002 in. of their intended dimensions, which is well within the recommended tolerances.

The modest-looking QuickTenon is a bare-bones machine, but in the best sense. It is essentially a freestanding plywood table with a built-in side vise and a sliding phenolic plate. A router-mounted collar guide tracks against the center slot of this plate, whose left-to-right travel is limited by adjustable stop blocks. Placing shim stock between block and plate makes for simple, accurate, and virtually instantaneous adjustments. This fixture also is designed to mill dovetails.