Cutting Your Own Shims

A table saw is used to rip shims.

Installing new windows, cabinetry or door frames requires shims to level the uneven surfaces. A wood shim is a wedge that is long and narrow. Learning to make you own shims is handy because it saves time driving to the store and interrupting your project. A wood shim is made using a jig as a guide and a table saw. Once you make the jig, you'll have an endless supply of shims.

Things You'll Need

• Carpenter's square
• 3/4-inch plywood
• Table saw
• 2-inch wood screws
• Screwdriver
• Scrap wood

Instructions

1. Lay the plywood on a flat surface and mark a 12-by-8-inch rectangle using the carpenter's square. Cut along the marked lines using a table saw.

2. Mark a 4-by-2-inch rectangle on the plywood using the carpenter's square. Cut along the marked lines using a table saw.

3. Position the square on the long side of the 12-by-8 inch plywood so that it forms a wedge shape on top of the wood. The bottom of the square should be about 1/2 to a 1/4 inch inside the wood, and the long side of the square should terminate near the end of the board. Outline the square with a pencil.

4. Cut along the marked lines with the table saw without the guard. Freehand cutting requires a steady hand to get a perfect cut. It is important that the wood never gets off line because it causes the wood to jam inside the blade, becoming a projectile.

5. Hold the 4-by-2 inch plywood perpendicular to the top of the jig and flush with the guard side of the board. Secure with four 2-inch wood screws onto the jig. This makes a handle for you to hold when ripping shims.

6. Place the jig on top of the table saw and adjust the saw's guard so it is slightly wider than the jig.

7. Insert the piece of scrap wood into the jig's groove and push the wood into the saw's blade, holding the jig with one hand and the scrap wood with the other. Be careful to keep your fingers away from the blade.

8. Flip the scrap wood over and repeat the process to cut another shim.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear safety glasses when operating a table saw. Make sure you fingers are well away from the blade when cutting shims.

References

• Woodworking Tips: Jig for Making Shims