Anyone made a jig for when making bracelets etc?

[no2lurch]

I've started making paracord bracelets etc and someone has suggested I make or buy a jig to speed up the process.

I've looked in the internet including YouTube and seen some very elaborate jigs but u wondered if Anyone in here has Made one of their own that aren't so complex?

Anyone had experience in making a jig?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ben Trout]

I've made a few jigs for jewellery making and the like. What patterns did you want to make? Could you put a couple of the youtube links on here so we can see what you want to replicate?

 

[veryWildbill]

I knocked up a rough one a while ago when I had a few cheap christmas pressies to make.
I wouldnt bother for the odd one off, but quicker if you have a few to do. Size is adjusted with the sliding arm and the ends of the braceclet clip into the fixed clips either end.

 

[no2lurch]

there are loads of jigs on the internet/youtube. some real easy, and some more involved.

a more simple on -

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-FixtureJig/

a more complex one -

http://uniqueropecraft.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/how-to-build-compact-paracord-jig.html

i think what i will do for mine is have it like the simple one, but encorporate a way of adjusting the length. I just had an idea!!! watch this space.

 

[Colin.W]

I used an offcut of plywood. mainly because I often end up working off my lap and its easier to use a piece of ply than try to balance sone elaborate jig on my lap

 

[NS40]

My joinery skills aren't the best in the worlds so I went with the plenty-much simple approach.

I had a couple of bits of wood crying out for a purpose...they had originally been spreader bars for ex-army mozzie nets that I'd replaced with old tent poles.

I used one full bar as the base so it's quite a bit longer than what you'll see in the pic. This allows a long section that you can then tuck under your backside when seated which holds the jig solid but also keeps the work close to you.

The second bar was cut into sections, glued and screwed to allow a raised working area and good access all around the bracelet. These raised areas are fixed, the size of the bracelet is adjusted by the webbing strap buckle and using the 1" graduation ruler I burnt on using a soldering iron as a guide.

It was about 15 minutes to make, cost nothing and was a lot less complex than others which I've seen. It's very portable, takes up hardly any space and hangs on a hook out of the way when not in use.

This is a pic I took a while ago but of you need any other views to give you a better idea of what it's like, let me know and I'll post some more.

 

[reedx]

I like that NS40. Brilliantly simple!

Colin

 

[NS40]

Thanks Colin, much appreciated. Simple is always good for me.

I went for the simple approach as many of the jigs I had looked at involved all sorts of sliding blocks held in place by clamps or bolts with wingnuts etc. This way keeps everything static apart from the webbing strap holding the bracelet buckle.

I've taken some more pics this morning just in case this design is useful for anyone.

The first pic shows the whole jig. The longer section on the left is basically the bit that gets tucked under my backside as I start tying the bracelet. As I get nearer the end of the finished bracelet, I simply pull the jig forward as required.

The overall length is 32 inches and it's marked to allow bracelets of up to 12 inches (although I suppose you could also make larger sizes or adapt it to make longer items)

This pic shows the top end of the jig. The block was formed by cutting a few sections of a second identical plank then gluing and screwing them to the base of the jig (you could also use solid blocks instead but this method saved me a lot of joinery work and meant I was putting otherwise wasted wood to good use) Best to attach them from the underside as this avoids them interfering with the attachments for the webbing. I also countersunk the screw holes for neatness (and so it didn't snag on the couch which would have brought me a world of pain...)

I have a buckle permanently attached by webbing which is screwed in place with washers on the screws to avoid the webbing tearing.

Once you've attached the top buckle, you can measure down before attaching the bottom section. I burnt the graduations on using a soldering iron just for quick reference when setting the bracelet size.

The bottom part of the jig is attached similarly to the top section but also incorporates an adjustable buckle which allows the webbing strap to be adjusted to allow the jig to be set to the size of the bracelet you want.

Hope this is useful for folks. As I mentioned before, it's literally a 15 minute job to make one and if I can do it pretty much anyone can.

 

[Essexman]

That's a very neat soloution. You could sell them on eBay, or on the forums.

 

[NS40]

Thanks Essexman. I never really thought about making the jigs commercially, chances are that someone who saw a pic of one and wanted one might just go ahead and build their own version anyway. I'm happy enough just to share the design and if anyone wants to copy it they can feel free.

 

[Essexman]

Thanks Essexman. I never really thought about making the jigs commercially, chances are that someone who saw a pic of one and wanted one might just go ahead and build their own version anyway. I'm happy enough just to share the design and if anyone wants to copy it they can feel free.

You'd be shocked at what you can sell on the internet, I sold some paracord once, or twice