# Box joint jig revisited



## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

I used the proceeds from winning 2nd Place in a recent contest (thank you again voters, you know who you are :thank_you2 to purchase a Freud SBOX8 Box Joint Cutter Set for my table saw.

I have long coveted the Incra I-Box jig and thought this blade would work well with it and for cutting drawer-bottom grooves, lock-rabbet drawer joints and such. However, I really haven't used box joints for any projects and I can't justify the expense of the I-Box jig until I'm sure I would use it.

So, since I have this shiny, sharp new blade saying "Use me!" I decided to try my hand at making a shop-built dedicated box joint sled to see how well the blade works and to start making some projects using box joints. Then, perhaps sometime down the line I'll spring for the Incra jig.

I used a plan from Fine Woodworking (Dedicated Sled Delivers Perfect Finger Joints - Fine Woodworking Tip) as the basis for my jig and made mine for 3/8" fingers. (The blade will make both 1/4" and 3/8" cuts.)

I'm happy to say the jig was a success and the blade cuts amazingly nice fingers. So my message is: unless you really need adjustable finger sizes for your box joints, you might get along quite well with a dedicated sled jig and Freud's Box Joint blade.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Thanks for the review Oliver. I've been looking at box joint blades too. I saw a test where small fingers were tested against large fingers to see if one was stronger than the other and there was no appreciable difference so there is no need to go larger than 3/8 unless it's for looks.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Great result, Oliver.

Thanks for the link to the sled.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I gotta say the finger joint fits perfect from what I can see


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Nice review Oliver. Thanks.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

You nailed it Oliver.. I"ve been using this type of blade for several years to make small boxes and drawers, they do a great job. Coupled with a sled and you can turn out nice, clean joints repeatedly and quickly.


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## billyjim (Feb 11, 2012)

Very nice Oliver. Thanks for the review.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Oliver......that's about as good looking a box joint as I've seen. Have you tried the setup with oak? I made an Oak Park style jig for the router table and it works quite well, but I get a little bit of wobble when the bit contacts the grain of the oak, and sometimes one of the slots ends up microscopically wider than intended. No big deal, but not the perfect joint that I end up with in softer wood.

It seems that maybe your setup gives you more control of the feed rate, therefore a straighter cut in hard wood. Does your jig have adjusters in the miter slot runners to ensure a wobble free feed?


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Jim,,,

I've used a similar sled to the one Oliver posted, maple runners. While snug, they are not absolutely tight in the slot. I found that by applying a consistent amount of pressure to one side or the other while feeding the stock into the blade (either one side OR the other) I got great results. Since the blade is actually hitting down on your stock when feeding, it tends to push the stock downwards and not to the side. I've used oak, maple, walnut, cherry, popular and probably a few others with success. I've never tried plywood, but look at the results Oliver got. they speak for itself. 
Even with a dedicate jig, I use a backer just to be safe. The only time I have ran into a problem is when I get to quick with the process. Trying to hurry things along, the fingers can get a little sloppy. Surprisingly not bad, but if you want the results that Oliver demonstrates a nice steady rhythm works best for me when feeding the stock into the blade. ...
A good solid table setup is key to a great job. Minimal runout on your saw blade, parallel miter slots etc...



chessnut2 said:


> Oliver......that's about as good looking a box joint as I've seen. Have you tried the setup with oak? I made an Oak Park style jig for the router table and it works quite well, but I get a little bit of wobble when the bit contacts the grain of the oak, and sometimes one of the slots ends up microscopically wider than intended. No big deal, but not the perfect joint that I end up with in softer wood.
> 
> It seems that maybe your setup gives you more control of the feed rate, therefore a straighter cut in hard wood. Does your jig have adjusters in the miter slot runners to ensure a wobble free feed?


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## TangoDown3727 (Oct 13, 2013)

Thanks Oliver, for sharing this, and for your review! I also saw that sled plan in FW magazine and had planned on making one. Thanks for reminding me, I will do it ASAP now! One question, just out of curiosity: What are the major differences/benefits between using the Freud box joint blade set (which seems really nice and convenient indeed) and a stack dado set? I assume the sled could be used with the dado set as well, is that a correct assumption?


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

Yes, Dave, The sled would be built the same way no matter which blade set you are using. An advantage to Freud box joint blades is that they require no spacers between the blades which guarantees flat bottomed cuts. When placed on the saw arbor the two blades are either back-to-back for 1/4 inch cuts or face-to-face for 3/8 inch cuts. Since I'm happy with my dedicated 3/8 inch box joint sled, I'm going to build a second one for 1/4 inch cuts.


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## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

I have never investigated a manufactured jig but have relied on my shop-made which is the same design as shown by Gaffboat. It works very well with Freud blades as long as there is a backer piece to prevent tear-out on exit. It's one of those things that requires extreme precision in making but is not really overly difficult.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Would the two outer blades on a dado set make a 1/4" slot?


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

James! I'm in shock!! Harry said you guys were metric!!! LOL

In theory it shouldn't matter what the actual measured size is, as long as it's consistently accurate, or at least that's how I understand Oliver's description.
The other thing I got from it was that his blades give him a razor sharp entry and exit, which Dennis guarantees by using the backer board.
From past discussions you'd have to try your dado blades to see if they give you the precise flat bottom you are looking for. 
I don't envy you trying to find a sharpening service that'll sharpen the whole set to that standard. Probably won't be cheap either.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Re sharpening prices; here's a link to Forrest's price list. Scroll down for dado sets. Good benchmark for anybody's local pricing, eh?
Shipping is extra...and will probably be significant.
Forrest Factory Carbide Saw Blade Sharpening -


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

I am afraid to look at the pricing.. The freight cost from/to Sydney may be more that a new set.......LOL.

CMT 6" and 8" Dado Blades : CARBA-TEC


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## billyjim (Feb 11, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> Re sharpening prices; here's a link to Forrest's price list. Scroll down for dado sets. Good benchmark for anybody's local pricing, eh?
> Shipping is extra...and will probably be significant.
> Forrest Factory Carbide Saw Blade Sharpening -


It would almost be cheaper to buy a new dado set than to have them sharpened. The 8" Freud set is about $85 new and it would cost at least that much, with shipping, to have them sharpened.
Bill


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## dirkost (Jul 8, 2009)

Hi Ho: The real advantage is that the Freud blades (like flat bottom rip blades) don't leave the bat ears that are usual with dado sets. Since you see everything a perfectly flat ground blade is the way to go.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

*re: sharpening*



billyjim said:


> It would almost be cheaper to buy a new dado set than to have them sharpened. The 8" Freud set is about $85 new and it would cost at least that much, with shipping, to have them sharpened.
> Bill


I agree. And how do you know the sharpening will leave them as good as a new set would be anyway. At least you can return a new set if they aren't right.


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## Lidcombe (Nov 16, 2014)

I'm probably a little late for this, but I've just made a 3/8" box jig for my router.
Works a treat
Easy to make.
Have dedicated 3/8" bit for the jig.
Now I have a 1/4" and a 3/8" .
The trick in making one is to make the spacing for the second cut on the jig twice the width of the bit.
!/2" for 1/4" jig. 3/4" for 3/8" jig. Then little trial and error before you fix the front plate to the sled. A small tap with a hammer will make all the difference.


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