You only have to make more passes for one slot. I checked it out.

Step 2: Cut Sides. To start the cuts for the joint, place your first board vertically against the backer and the edge flush to the stop and clamp it in place (second photograph). Once you've cut the two wooden pieces for the jig, install the … Share it with us! Before you cut the actual box joints, keep in mind that the width of your box sides must be an increment of the finger width. Make sure you have the block firmly against the index block when making the cut. 1 year ago. The simplest one, which I partially replicated, using a screw, is on the darbin orwar channel on youtube. I will be using a dado stack to cut 1/4" wide fingers but you can cut whatever width fingers that is right for your project and if do not own a dado stack you can use your regular 1/8" blade to make 1/8" fingers. This is mandatory EU occupational safety regulation. "-thick stock discussed here and in the jig-building article, the width of the workpieces must be an increment of 1⁄4

For all of the following cuts, hold the top edge of the workpiece toward the jig pin for the first cut. Be careful not to round over the corners. Make the remaining cuts in the front piece by removing the scrap, placing the notch over the pin, and proceeding as described earlier. There are many very skilled Model Engineers in the UK that could make new arbors for their woodworking brothers. So grab one set either front and back, or left and right, and set the other set out of harm's way. Please refer to the video attached to this Instructable for more details on these cuts. (that is, at the end it has a nice space, not cutting a half finger). For additional information on setting up Dado blades, see the Instructable "Setting-up a Stacked Dado Blade". Unclamp the board and flip it so that the face that was pointed towards the blade is now against the backer and your first cut is slide into the slot. Then, unclamp the board and slide the slot that you just cut on to the stop (third photograph). One is a backer, made of thin plywood. Flip the piece over. Clamp the box together as shown below.

This was on a forum and it explains it well.The use of universal moulder heads, wobble saws and dado heads is forbidden on all woodworking machinery (table saw, router, shaper) used with hand feed. ", etc.).

There are two things that greatly improve the Box Joint Jig, the Backer, and the Spacer Block. The exact placement of this cut on the backer is not overly critical but insure that the hight of the cut is greater than the width of the boards that you will be cutting the finger joints on.

Place the spacer block over the index block. ", 51⁄2 Wider boxes may require additional clamps. Strong, practical, decorative, and easy to make. For each box you make, you cut the sides consecutively, and the front and back consecutively. In this case a strip of 1/4" plywood, 2-1/2 wide was used. Using the jig, cut a slot high enough to clear the height of the index block on the jig, similar to the Backer. Make sure your stock is flat and square.

Make sure your stock is flat and square. For example, for 8 mm(~ 1/3") fingers/gaps, you'd cut every step for four steps/turns of the threaded rod, then skip four turns, and repeat. Table saw arbors are usually very simple devices. All Rights Reserved. Cut the other side piece in the same fashion. Rockler makes a very affordable jig for router table box joints. (You may need to position a clamp diagonally to square the box.) Setup the Dado blade to match the size of the box joint jig you plan to use. Once you have reach the edge of the board, the last cut will most likely not be a full blades length and this is okay. This is where the spacer block comes in. " (such as 5", 51⁄4 Do one end, flip the piece over and do the other end. I don't mean any Dancing With the Stars sort of thing. When installing crown molding, I find it difficult to measure accurately between the corners of a... read more. Make the cut, then advance the piece to the next position, cut, and so on until the end is complete. The pictures are worth a 1000 words. The Joint. Use some sandpaper to sand the bottom a little to insure that it is flush and smooth with the bottom. We will be using a 3/8" box joint for this project. To start the cuts for the joint, place your first board vertically against the backer and the edge flush to the stop and clamp it in place (second photograph).

The ones featured in the video are cut at 1/4" wide and were perfect for my current shop project, which will be a wall hanging router bit storage cabinet. To add to my previous question, how to calculate the height of the piece so the fingers dont look awkward? It works well and is the best choice fro thinner material. Place the just-cut notch over the jib pin and repeat to cut fingers along the full width of the workpiece. Homemade Jigs Conquer Crown Molding Measuring. Question Place the backer flush to the miter gauge and then slide the stop towards the blade. I suppose if you were engineering savvy you could make an extension but for real safety, I would ensure it is supported at both ends to give better balance, I would hate to think of two blades whizzing around your workshop. 1 year ago. Do both pieces in the set the same way. So the newer table saws are manufactured with purposely short arbors. Wider boxes may require additional clamps.

Fortunately, it's easy to make one, following these simple plans. Reply Booyah. You can use a similar jig to make finger joints on a router table. Here's a crafty dude with no dado as well: https://www.instructables.com/id/My-Super-Simple-Single-Blade-Box-Finger-Joint-Jig/Problem solved! Yes sir, it would absolutely make your life easier when it comes time to assemble. How do I hide the bottom slot in a box-jointed box? Nice pictures though. A 3/8" wide notch was cut (sorry for the blurry photo) to clear the index block on the jig. Once you have the correct fit, cut two stops the exact same size. In practice, the fingers are made a tiny bit less than 3/8" to allow for glue and easy assembly. It doesn't matter which pair you do first, so we'll start with the sides. I talked with others about this restriction. Using a bandsaw (which would be the safest tool), table saw or miter saw cut a piece of wood that is slightly shorter than your cut, fits tightly in the slot, and is long enough to protrude from the backer at least 3/4" when fit in place. Sadly dado blades are banned in the EU. Make the first cut as shown at top. I assume the index block is stationary.

I would love to make on of your finger joint jigs, BUT, we unlucky souls in the U.K. are not able to get hold of dado stacks. After you build the jig, follow these steps and see firsthand how easily you can master this joinery method. That's very strange. Check out the video as well! Member of The MakerBarn. Glad it helped! I use them in a lot of projects, I'm sure you will as well. Some rules are made without the benefit of actual experience, I think this may be one. Set the Spacer Block aside for use with the second set of sides. Many do have a square thread for the blade mount, which is tricky to machine. At this point I highly recommend making a test joint on scrap pieces of wood of the same thickness as what your using for your project. About: Retired Electronic Design Engineer.

The front and back will be cut in the same manner.