Exactly how to Make a Paracord Jig

This tutorial will show you exactly How to Make a Paracord Jig, a handy device for making paracord arm bands. There are a few constraints to this jig. This specific jig changes by moving the location of the support points in the timber rather than moving the timber. Yet considering this was made in much less than 5 mins and completely free with things laying around the house, it’ll do.

It uses approximately 32 inches of a yardstick which can be found at your local hardware along with a few other supplies. Its very portable, light and compact.  It is adjustable from 4 1/2 to 10 inches. The general idea for this jig was not completely mine, however the use of using ONLY a yardstick is. I have not seen one anyhow. I hope you have fun making this as I did.   

Action 1: Set Up the Materials as well as Equipments

Planning our jig

There are a few aspects worth considering when making a jig. Since it is made by you, you can customize just about everything, from the wood used, to the very functionality of the jig.

If we focus on making a basic design, there are two aspects of the jig that we should consider:

1. the width
2. the length

Width

The wider the jig, the more different buckle sizes you can mount on it. This means that generally, a wider jig will have more buckle types you can use. A smart way to get around the width restriction is to have your middle and top part that have the buckles mounted interchangeable or able to rotate.

Length

The length determines how, well long the items you make can be.

Usually, you should plan for 10-12 inches of working length for most bracelets. You can easily make a longer jig though, which can also enable you to tackle larger projects, such as making dog collars or even belts.

Travelling

One more thing I would like to point out is that for those on the road a lot, you may want to design your jig to be fairly short, narrow and lightweight. Maybe even designed to be stored in a compact way by being able to disassemble it.

Products you’ll require:

• Piece of scrap 2x wood regarding 12 ″ -24 ″ long. This particular jig is made with a 2 × 6 that’s about 18 ″.
• ( 2) Golf Tee’s– Any golf enthusiast will certainly have tons of these. If you don’t golf, ask about. Tee’s are ridiculously low-cost and most golf enthusiasts would be more than willing to provide you 2.

Tools you’ll require:

• Tape Measure/Ruler/Yard Stick
• Pen
• Drill wood- you can reuse any wood you have lying around or buy it specifically for the project. All in all, you will need 2 longer pieces for the base of the bracelets, 5 smaller pieces, one for the sliding, middle part and two for the top and bottom each. I also used smaller, thinner pieces to make the sides to guide the middle part (seen below).
• a saw- needed to cut the wood to size
• sand paper- the unsung hero of the workshop enables you to smooth out the rough edges
• glue- I recommend wood glue to hold your pieces in place while you insert the wood screws
• wood screws- needed to hold the jig together. Smaller wood screws are also needed to attach the buckles to the top and middle parts of the jig.
• a drill- either a power drill or a hand operated one, depending on what you feel comfortable working with. We will need it to pre-drill the holes for our screws to prevent the wood from splitting
• a screw for the middle of the jig, used to secure it in place
• two washers, for the top and bottom of the middle part
• a wing nut, used to lock in the screw
• a tape measure
• a ruler and a marker
• cable clamps (recommended)- for attaching the buckles
• buckles- attached to the top and middle part of the jig
• screwdriver
• a protective coating and finish. I like to use raw linseed oil, since it is natural. Tape Measure/Ruler/Yard Stick
• Pen
• Drill

Step 2: Draw The Line Down the Facility of your 2x

We now need to mark and drill the holes at the top and bottom of the jig. These holes will guide the wood screws as well as prevent the wood from splitting. Use a hand or power drill.

Finally, longer wood screws are screwed in.

After the screws have been inserted we can now attach the middle part. For this we need two washers, a wing nut and a long screw.

Step 3: Mark Your Base Place and Adjustable Locations

I put my marks for my holes at 6 ″, 7 ″, 8 ″, and 9 ″. You can equally as conveniently add in the 1/2 ″ increments.

We can now screw in our buckles to the top and middle part. If you have any cable clamps, those work great.

Pay attention to where you place your buckle, especially for the next step of marking the lengths. Some pieces of the buckle add to the length of the bracelet.

Marking down the lengths can be very helpful. Make sure you also account for the buckle length.

You can use metric, inches or both.

Tip 4: Pierce Holes as well as Put the Tees in

Beginning with a little bit smaller sized than you assume you’ll require. You can always measure if needed, but you can’t size down.

I learned via all this that golf tee’s are different thicknesses. So examine your tee’s before you pierce!

Pierce about 1/2 ″ to 3/4 ″ into the 2x.

Sanding the jig will provide a nice feel to the jig. Using linseed oil or any type of finish can give it a nice finishing look and protection.

As you can see from the images, I have also attached smaller pieces of wood for the sides of the jig to enable the middle part to slide more comfortably.

Done, we have finished How to Make a Paracord Jig, for more details, you can visit the website.