You can cut large circles with a router, bandsaw, or jigsaw. Of those three, only a router with a straight or spiral bit ensures a true circle requiring very little edge cleanup. To do so, you'll need a trammel that extends out from the center of the circle and replaces the router's subbase.

To cut a circle in wood, use a compass to draw the desired size onto the wood. Then drill at least one hole inside the circle and insert a jigsaw blade to follow the outline. Alternatively, use a router with a circle-cutting jig or saw with a circle-cutting attachment for more precision.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you 4 ways to cut circles in wood, using DIY homemade circle cutting jigs. Below, I’ve included a summary of how to make each circle cutting jig, whether it be with a router, a bandsaw, a table saw, or even a jigsaw.

Using a hole saw is the absolute easiest way to cut circles in wood for your project. All you have to do is lock your hole saw in the chuck of your drill or drill press and start cutting. You can use hole saws to cut circles from ¾ inches up to 7 inches in diameter.