The other set must start exactly 3/8" (for a 3/8" joint) off the block. Some rules are made without the benefit of actual experience, I think this may be one. © 2020 Meredith Corporation. Make the remaining cuts in the front piece by removing the scrap, placing the notch over the pin, and proceeding as described earlier. If you leave them proud they can easily but flush cut and sanded to flush for a great fit every time. Place the second stop, that you cut at the bandsaw, in between the attached stop and the blade using the second one as a spacer. 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. Step 1: Prepare Your Material Cut the sides of the box 1/32 to 1/16" longer than necessary. This is where the spacer block comes in. Please refer to the video attached to this Instructable for more details on these cuts. 3 years ago. There will be some blowout on the backside so marking your outside and inside faces can help you to make sure that the blowout is inside the box where you will not be able to see it. Thanks for the lesson! I inserted a 1/4" straight bit in to the router table … 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. Share it with us! Fortunately, it's easy to make one, following these simple plans. I use them in a lot of projects, I'm sure you will as well. That brings up a good point. Also, insure that when the stop is in place that it is flush at the bottom of the backer. 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. Use some sandpaper to sand the bottom a little to insure that it is flush and smooth with the bottom. A 3/8" wide notch was cut (sorry for the blurry photo) to clear the index block on the jig. It works well and is the best choice fro thinner material. The joints are snug, but enough room for glue, and the edges of all sides line up without steps. For additional information on setting up Dado blades, see the Instructable "Setting-up a Stacked Dado Blade". A very clever design. So I made a jig for cutting 1/8" box joints. To begin, install your blade of choice into your table saw. I assume the rails float slightly and the unit rests on the base entirely? In practice, the fingers are made a tiny bit less than 3/8" to allow for glue and easy assembly. My goal is to give back to a community that has taught …, Pikachu Bedside Table - a Diy Furniture Project Inspired by Pokemon. You only have to make more passes for one slot. Now that your jig is set up, set the height of your blade to just higher than the thickness of the wood that you will be cutting. This would work for those in the EU. How far away to put the index block from the blade? Clamp the box together as shown below. Cut the second set of sides in a similar manner as you did the first set, but start the cuts with the spacer block in place. After you build the jig, follow these steps and see firsthand how easily you can master this joinery method. That's very strange. With your hands and fingers safely away from the blade, make the first cut. Do not flip this board once you reach the end and make the last cut even if it cuts less than the blades width. Can't keep a good man down. The front and back will be cut in the same manner. The pictures are worth a 1000 words. Also, mark the top edge on each of these pieces. 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). Box Joint Jig: Cut the inverse sockets Flip the first board to the other side of the peg so the reference pin is between the peg and the blade. In order to make different widths of cut, what is the optimum distance from the blade for the Index block? Tap the joints together with a rubber mallet if necessary. As Wing Commander Douglas Badder RAF once said: " Rules were made for the guidance of wise men and to be obeyed by fools!". "-thick stock discussed here and in the jig-building article, the width of the workpieces must be an increment of 1⁄4 Step 3: Perform Test Cuts. Many do have a square thread for the blade mount, which is tricky to machine. 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. 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. Ironically they are made in Italy, an EU country, as is may Freud dado set. How to do this when you may be making 3/8 or 1/4 kerfs? Did you make this project? Got it. The adjustments can be made by loosening the screws holding the backer to the miter gauge and making slight shifts closer or further aways from the blade. There are many very skilled Model Engineers in the UK that could make new arbors for their woodworking brothers. Wider boxes may require additional clamps. Be careful not to round over the corners. Note that we used scrap pieces on each side of the corners to evenly distribute the clamping pressure along the joint. Draw an arrow on each piece to show which edge the cutting will start on. Then, unclamp the board and slide the slot that you just cut on to the stop (third photograph). There are several Instructables showing how to build Box Joint Jigs, but not much on how to actually use the jigs. :-) I have a (self-made) jig that can cut any finger/gap width that's a multiple of 2 mm - that's the step length of the threaded rod I have used (about 1/12"), and also very close to the kerf of the blade I use - the blade is 0.1 mm wider, just enough for 6-8 mm fingers to fit tightly but not too tight into the gaps . Participated in the Makerspace Contest 2017. Box joints are an easy way to make strong attractive joints quickly and easily. The notches cut in the second set of sides must be precisely offset from the first set. I don't mean any Dancing With the Stars sort of thing. It is also important that the width of all sides is identical. The easiest way to do this is to make a spacer block. One is a backer, made of thin plywood. Once the backer is in place, clamp it to the miter gauge, and then screw it in place from behind. Thanks. Make the first cut as shown at top. Answer A real pain the the German's arse as well as the RAF. It's possible that the backer may need some slight adjustments to insure that the joint is the proper fit. Next, place the second board for your joint, flush against the first one and clamp it in place (first and second photograph). Boy you are so clever! The Joint. This should place the edge of the spacer block in line with the left side of the dado cut. Wider boxes may require additional clamps. About: Youtube Channel: Penalty Box Woodshop - Instagram: @penaltyboxwoodshop - Website: www.penaltyboxwoodshop.com - Step by step woodworking and DIY projects.