Jig and template storage

As I participate woodworking forums, I learn that owners wish to keep dust off their precious Leigh jigs. As a result, they build storage boxes, as the jigs might go unused for weeks or months at a time. On one of the forums I was asked if I have storage boxes for my Leigh jigs. My answer was “No”, as I use them often. In fact, I keep them on, and in a cabinet that is two steps from the workbench.

I have the D4R and the D4 sitting on their respective support boards on an old library cabinet. The FMT and the Super FMT are in a small cubicle below the dovetail jigs:

I don’t worry about keeping the dust off the jigs. The dust won’t hurt them; a quick going over them with the ShopVac and a large brush takes care of the dust. However, I do worry about damaging the F3 and F2 finger joint templates, and the M2 multiple mortise and tenon template; these are all used on the D4/D4R. As a result, I keep these templates in their original boxes:

Until recently, I felt I did not care for the way I had the FMT guides in a drawer below the workbench, in their original holders. I got inspiration to re-purpose a box for this use from the Leigh Square Finger Joint Gallery (the last two photos):

I suspect that the guide storage box will find a permanent home just in front of the dovetail jigs. Only time will tell. I  documented the build and the finish of this box in earlier articles (see the list at the end of this article).

For ease of access, I keep all jig-specific allen wrenches and guide bushings together, in a small hardware drawer. This way they are always handy, and I don’t have to fish through the rest of the wrench population:

I invite you to read more on the build of the FMT guide storage box, in these earlier articles:

The finished FMT guide box

I failed my finger joints

Curly maple and dye

A storage box with finger joints

Recipe for a box

— Al Navas