Building the Pin Layout Jig
I am building a pin layout jig to ensure that the pins line up across the leaf and are consistent throughout the tabletop. This will also help me drill the pilot hole for the pin before I drill the real hole with the 3/8″ Forstner Bit.



The Process

Build the Pin Jig
When building the template, make sure the holes line up correctly.Â
- Use a piece of oak that fits perfectly into the mortice to align the template
- Glue the hole template to the oakÂ
- After it dries, mark important locations on the template. Determine the hole locations.
- Drill the template holes with a 3/32" drill bit on the drill press.

Drill Fixed Pins
Drill the fixed Pins, i.e. pins that will not be draw-bored. These pins will hold the Tenon in a fixed location. When the other side of the tenon is draw bored, it will hold everything in place.
- Put the Template in place
- Drill the pilot hole into the top
- Clamp board to bench
- Place the tenon into the mortice. Make sure, if you used any shims for alignment, that they are in place.
- Drill final holes with 3/8" Forstner Bit through both sides of the mortice and through the tenon.
Gallery Showing How I Created the Pins
Here is a series of images from today.
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Oak, yes? What kind of table will this be? Is it for you or someone else?
This will be in the sunroom. It will be a light gray stain on the oak. Love ya, sis!
Impressed with your work and commitment. It takes time to do these posts, that’s my weakness right now with my blog.