# Finger joint all sides of a box



## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Some time ago, there was a post on here by someone who had made a box with all sides box-jointed. I couldn't find that, but here is a video by the brilliant Jeremy Schmidt showing how he did it:


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Jim, I really like the result but until I can fast-forward myself, I'll just admire someone else's work. 

Are you gonna give it a try?


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## xxaquadogxx (Dec 14, 2016)

TenGees said:


> Jim, I really like the result but until I can fast-forward myself, I'll just admire someone else's work.
> 
> Are you gonna give it a try?




This looks like a fun project. I have a really nice dado blade but I always seem to cut my joints on a Jessem router slide table. Are there any advantages to the dado over the router?


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Nice but above my pay grade.


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## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

I 'wonda' what rip fence he has on his Saw Stop??

The tape and cursor must be very fine and precise and read with a good eye or errors will set in. Or, is it an electronic read out set to display in decimals.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

TenGees said:


> Jim, I really like the result but until I can fast-forward myself, I'll just admire someone else's work.
> 
> Are you gonna give it a try?


Not until I get a lot better at woodworking. Maybe late in this decade.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Ray Newman said:


> I 'wonda' what rip fence he has on his Saw Stop??
> 
> The tape and cursor must be very fine and precise and read with a good eye or errors will set in. Or, is it an electronic read out set to display in decimals.


He built a Biesemeyer style fence from scratch, that has the added feature of incremental settings by means of a threaded rod on the back of his saw that the fence rides on. The rod's threads are 1/16" apart, and when he locks the fence down, the matching threads on it are drawn into the threads on the rod. He also built in a fine tuning feature that allows 1/32" adjustments. 

That's probably not very clear about how it works. Here's his video on that build. Even if, like me, you end up not using the idea, it's still a fascinating process:


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

xxaquadogxx said:


> This looks like a fun project. I have a really nice dado blade but I always seem to cut my joints on a Jessem router slide table. Are there any advantages to the dado over the router?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The reason I've moved away from box joints with a router is that for the width of cut, you're pretty much stuck with whatever the router bit cuts. So if your joint is coming out too tight, it's tough to fine tune the cuts. Also, I ran into a problem with a major brand of bits varying in actual cut widths between the same model number on them. So I would have to recalibrate my jig every time I used a different (or new) bit.

But with a dado set, you can shim between the blades pretty easily when you only need to increase the width of cut by a tiny amount so the joint will fit together properly. The Freud box joint cutter set also does a good job, with it's square bottom cuts, and easy setup.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

chessnut2 said:


> Some time ago, there was a post on here by someone who had made a box with all sides box-jointed. I couldn't find that,


You might have meant the Dovetail 4 sides box I posted a long time ago.

Herb


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## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

Chessnut2: thanks for the information on the rip fence and its positioning system. Interesting link as to how he fabricated it. Again, thanks.


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## xxaquadogxx (Dec 14, 2016)

chessnut2 said:


> The reason I've moved away from box joints with a router is that for the width of cut, you're pretty much stuck with whatever the router bit cuts. So if your joint is coming out too tight, it's tough to fine tune the cuts. Also, I ran into a problem with a major brand of bits varying in actual cut widths between the same model number on them. So I would have to recalibrate my jig every time I used a different (or new) bit.
> 
> 
> 
> But with a dado set, you can shim between the blades pretty easily when you only need to increase the width of cut by a tiny amount so the joint will fit together properly. The Freud box joint cutter set also does a good job, with it's square bottom cuts, and easy setup.




That would be an advantage. I have had that issue once, I thought it was the jig. 


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## furboo (Oct 12, 2015)

chessnut2 said:


> He built a Biesemeyer style fence from scratch, that has the added feature of incremental settings by means of a threaded rod on the back of his saw that the fence rides on. The rod's threads are 1/16" apart, and when he locks the fence down, the matching threads on it are drawn into the threads on the rod. He also built in a fine tuning feature that allows 1/32" adjustments.


This is also how Incra fences work, directly using rods with threads 1/32" apart (or optionally, 1mm). It's impressive that he fabricated it himself.

INCRA TOOLS :: Precision Fences :: TS-LS Table Saw Fence


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## furboo (Oct 12, 2015)

chessnut2 said:


> The reason I've moved away from box joints with a router is that for the width of cut, you're pretty much stuck with whatever the router bit cuts. So if your joint is coming out too tight, it's tough to fine tune the cuts.


Agreed...in 1/2" bits, I have a Freud that's too tight, and a Whiteside that makes nice fitting joints.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Herb Stoops said:


> You might have meant the Dovetail 4 sides box I posted a long time ago.
> 
> Herb


Yep, that was it, Herb. Thanks.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

xxaquadogxx said:


> This looks like a fun project. I have a really nice dado blade but I always seem to cut my joints on a Jessem router slide table. Are there any advantages to the dado over the router?...


I guess chip clearing would be better on a dado, so tear-out could be less of an issue.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I found that the material matters too. Select a material that is strong enough to not break away on the side cuts with the grain going across the pin.

I started with pine and it blew out some of the pins during cutting and some during assemble. So I made another set using oak and it didn't break.
Herb


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Making box or dovetail joints all around like this makes a very interesting effect, and is quite strong when the wood being used is Baltic Birch or other good quality plywood, but they don't add strength to a box when used on the long grain edges of solid wood boxes. In fact, they will weaken the joint. When joining end grain corners of solid wood boxes, both box and dovetail joints are very strong. I like the appearance, and have used box joints all around when making boxes from plywood, but I won't attempt it with solid wood. The Incra I-Box jig does these in plywood very well in 1/4 or 3/8" increments when paired with a good table saw and a Freud SBOX8 box joint cutting blade I've made a lot of Baltic Birch boxes using this combination with great success, although I've only made a few boxes with box joints all around and 

I've never tried doing dovetails all around, so Herb you are one up on me for this one. Did you hand cut them or use a jig? If you used a jig, what jig?

Charley


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

CharleyL said:


> Making box or dovetail joints ......
> 
> I've never tried doing dovetails all around, so Herb you are one up on me for this one. Did you hand cut them or use a jig? If you used a jig, what jig?
> 
> Charley


Charley, I only did it once with a homemade DT jig made off a Stots Dovetail jig. I used a PC 690 with a 9 deg. DT bit. I made this jig to do 24" wide panels. 





I will give you a huge tip that will save you a lot of grief if you ever try this.
Make the sides tails top and bottom,and pins on the ends. 
Make the top and bottom pins on the sides and ends.
Make the ends tails all 4 sides.
The end result is for assembly ,the sides will push straight on to the top and bottom. The ends will push straight on to the ends of the box.
This will make assembly easy.

Herb


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Thanks Herb. I've only made a couple of boxes with box jointa all around, and only from BB plywood. I never tried it with dovetails, but I knew that it could be done with extra effort. When doing it with box joints you still have to deal with two different, but mating pieces at each edge. I have always labeled them A and B when making them so I don't get confused. For the box joints all around it's necessary to label each edge of each piece to keep them straight, but the end pieces are always B on all 4 edges and the ends of the sides front, back, top, and bottom are all A. Then I make the opposing long edges of the top and bottom A and the opposing long edges of the front and back B. It's easy to make mistakes if the pieces aren't carefully labeled this way before starting.

I've done it, but I haven't found it worth the effort for most of the boxes that I've made, which are usually just custom made boxes for my tools, etc. With these, I usually just glue pieces of thinner BB plywood straight to the top and bottom, box joining only the corners of the side pieces of BB plywood. They are quick, but very strong boxes to say the least. I have a Leigh D4R that I use when I want to make fancy, or stronger boxes, or drawers for furniture, but I don't use it very often. The Incra I-Box jig is just so much easier to set up and use, but I will get the D4R out for the fancy stuff needing dovetails and usually made from solid wood. 

Charley


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

CharleyL said:


> Thanks Herb. I've only made a couple of boxes with box jointa all around, and only from BB plywood. I never tried it with dovetails, but I knew that it could be done with extra effort. When doing it with box joints you still have to deal with two different, but mating pieces at each edge. I have always labeled them A and B when making them so I don't get confused. For the box joints all around it's necessary to label each edge of each piece to keep them straight, but the end pieces are always B on all 4 edges and the ends of the sides front, back, top, and bottom are all A. Then I make the opposing long edges of the top and bottom A and the opposing long edges of the front and back B. It's easy to make mistakes if the pieces aren't carefully labeled this way before starting.
> 
> I've done it, but I haven't found it worth the effort for most of the boxes that I've made, which are usually just custom made boxes for my tools, etc. With these, I usually just glue pieces of thinner BB plywood straight to the top and bottom, box joining only the corners of the side pieces of BB plywood. They are quick, but very strong boxes to say the least. I have a Leigh D4R that I use when I want to make fancy, or stronger boxes, or drawers for furniture, but I don't use it very often. The Incra I-Box jig is just so much easier to set up and use, but I will get the D4R out for the fancy stuff needing dovetails and usually made from solid wood.
> 
> Charley


Box joints would be easier in that you don't have to worry about the assembly other than getting all the pieces lined up correctly. 
Dovetails on the other hand only slide on in one direction so it is critical to cut them to line up to slide straight on to the mating part. 
If the on the end of the box if the box doesn't have all tails , the end cap will not slide on.
Herb


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