# Help!! I am so frustrated



## John Anderson 2 (Aug 12, 2017)

I recently bought a router table and router to work on small boxes and drawers. I wanted to do some box joints and eventually dovetails. 

I bought an Incra iBox jig last Sunday and after 7 days have not been able to do more than one test cut. The problem is doing the adjustment settings to even begin the project. I took the unit back to the woodworking store I go to, and basically, the only man who had used this jig had used it on a table saw, not a router table. Has anyone actually used this jig with a router? The store will not exchange it or allow a return (it's a national chain of wood stores):crying:


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I'm interested too. I also ordered this, but for the table saw. I seems to me that setting it up will require settng it precisely to the width of the bit, and also setting that as the center. Is that where your problem is?


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I also bought it for use on a table saw. If you are using it on a router table you'll need a backing plate on both sides of the workpiece otherwise you'll get blowout on the front left corner going in. That's why i use it on the TS. The backing plate that comes with it pretty much eliminates the blowout problem. You'll also need a tight fitting miter track in your router table. It only takes a little freeplay and you'll get poor fitting joints.


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

Have you watched this? Even though most of it refers to a table saw, the router table is in there.
Looks like it should work well with a good sharp cutting bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QESurntvaE&ytbChannel=Outils Elite - Elite Tools


If you want to make small box joints, this cutter will do up to 39 mm high in one pass and by turning the wood over I have cut 78 mm high joints.

http://www.toolstop.co.uk/trend-876x1-2tc-comb-jointer-set-tct-1-2-inch-shank-p78029


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

John Anderson 2 said:


> I took the unit back to the woodworking store I go to, and basically, the only man who had used this jig had used it on a table saw, not a router table... The store will not exchange it or allow a return (it's a national chain of wood stores):crying:


That would be the last time I stepped foot in that store, period.

Welcome to the forum.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

MT Stringer said:


> That would be the last time I stepped foot in that store, period.
> 
> Welcome to the forum.


I suspect he's referring to WP


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

MT Stringer: I agree wholeheartedly with you. Even if I got the problem resolved I would never ever spend one more cent with chain of stores. I detest that kind of no service.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Welcome to the community John....

If you are having troubles with your I-box, give Incremental tools a call: 888-804-6272. Customer service is top shelf.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

The inventor of the I-Box jig is on the Sawmill Creek forum. Post your problem there and you will likely get direct help from him. There was a small batch of jigs where the fingers were made under size and this made these jigs impossible to use. A call to Incra will quickly determine if your jig is one of these, but this occurred way back when the jig was first being sold. If you purchased your jig within the past several years, it's highly unlikely that you got one of these. Incra will know and help you make it right. 

Charley


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Oh,THEM...*



RainMan 2.0 said:


> I suspect he's referring to WP


I was scratching my head trying to think of a chain 'WP'...then the penny dropped. 
I never shop there so I was a little slow. No reason to start now...


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

DaninVan said:


> I was scratching my head trying to think of a chain 'WP'...then the penny dropped.
> I never shop there so I was a little slow. No reason to start now...


Dan, I must be a little slower than you as I have no idea what the name is... small matter tho, I'm doubly sure I don't shop there.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

If its a national chain just got to another location for the return. Anyone, anywhere in 2017 better be taking returns for the first 30 days no questions asked. If they aren't how can they stay in business? I offer free returns for even custom times and I could really be stuck so I make sure my service is great so that never happens. The buyer just must have that confidence in purchasing, too many places offer no question asked returns these days. And that's if the item is perfectly functioning, it sounds like this might be defective!

I am not sure what you paid but on amazon they would have shipped it to you free and you would of had 30 days to play with it with a free return if you dint like it.

I think the advice on the backer is right, other than that jigs are always something you need to fiddle with to get just right. The item seems to get great reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/INCRA-I-BOX-...qid=1502773461&sr=8-1&keywords=Incra+iBox+jig


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Dovetail it is a very good jig because it allows you to adjust to the size of bit or blade you are using by just turning a knob. I had a home made version before I bought the Ibox but I had to fine tune the dado stack when I wanted to use which was something that could take a lot of playing around.


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## Steven Owen (Aug 14, 2017)

The iBox was mostly purposed as a table saw box joint jig for Dados. The Orginal Jig and Fence System is a better choice for router table dove tail and box joints.

INCRA TOOLS :: Precision Fences :: Original INCRA Jig


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

It sounds like that jig is a pain to set-up. The original owners of this forum believed in KISS (keep it super simple) and an associate company produced a set of spacer jigs which were/are simple to set up, unfortunately they are no longer in business but the jigs are simple to make. Before winning one of these jigs in a forum competition, I made one as shown which was also simple to set up and use.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

That KISS statement and the picture of the plastic white jig just made me think of the The Router Workshop and their table, fixtures and jigs.

For me these guys are the KISS pros(I know almost an oxymoron). So much of their stuff is so very simple to use. I own almost everything they make and everything has been sitting on a shelf brand new never used.

Router Workshop: Home

Jigs and table sold here: 

http://www.oak-park.com/


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

I guess the OP has stage fright...no replies, thank you's or anything.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

OakPark hasn't existed for quite some time.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Yeah like 6 years, I guess they have very few select item left to sell, but they just won't shut the site down entirely so I really thought they might come back. I posted the link after I checked it, the store was open with a phone number. Thats a heck of a long time so I assumed they were back up and running, apparently not.

Possibly the video club is still open, but as I said that plastic jig reminded me me of their stuff. I guess I have a small gold mine of stuff then.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Alan Shaffter is the inventor of the I-Box jig and I know him personnally. He answers questions about it all the time on the Sawmill Creek Forum. In fact, he just responded several times to someone the other day. If you are having any problem at all with the jig, contact him on Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community and get the answers that you need. I've had great luck with my I-Box and it is almost 5 years old now, but I only use it on my Unisaw, and usually only with my Freud SBOX8 blade set. I can the I-Box from the saw, put it in the storage box that I made for it, and then even weeks later, take it out and use it again. If I'm cutting the same size box joint, I don't even have to adjust it for these new box joints. It stays adjusted. The design is rock solid, and there's just something small that you aren't doing quite right that's giving you the problems. My only suggestion for using it with a router table is to put a sacrificial piece on both sides of the wood being cut, because the router bit is actually cutting the joint in both directions with each pass. This will reduce chipping and cut a cleaner joint. 1/4" MDF is cheap. Copy the original sacrificial backer and make a bunch of them. Just cut them to size and then set up your drill press with stops to allow drilling the holes in the 4 positions, countersink them from the shiny side, and you are done. About a dozen can be made in about 1/2 hour for a cost of about $5. 

I do know about one problem that occurred with a few very early made I-Box jigs, where the fingers were not made to the correct dimensions, and these didn't work until the correction was made, but this was about 5 years ago and with just a small number of units, so it's quite unlikely that you have one of them.

As far as WP, I don't even know who they are, let alone done business with them, but they don't sound like a company that I would be doing business with anyway.

Charley


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

dovetail_65 said:


> That KISS statement and the picture of the plastic white jig just made me think of the The Router Workshop and their table, fixtures and jigs.
> 
> For me these guys are the KISS pros(I know almost an oxymoron). So much of their stuff is so very simple to use. I own almost everything they make and everything has been sitting on a shelf brand new never used.
> 
> ...


" I own almost everything they make and everything has been sitting on a shelf brand new never used."


Why never used?


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## JIMMIEM (Apr 4, 2010)

dovetail_65 said:


> That KISS statement and the picture of the plastic white jig just made me think of the The Router Workshop and their table, fixtures and jigs.
> 
> For me these guys are the KISS pros(I know almost an oxymoron). So much of their stuff is so very simple to use. I own almost everything they make and everything has been sitting on a shelf brand new never used.
> 
> ...


I remember seeing their show on TV several years ago. But, I haven't seen them recently. Is their show no longer aired? Or maybe just not in my area or carried by my cable tv company?


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

They aired on PBS and I haven't seen them even in reruns for years now. All 183 episodes are available for purchase still I think.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Like others, I bought the I-Box for the saw. It does require you to think a bit, but, after setting it up once, future set ups are a breeze. However, if you're away from it a while, it's a good idea to keep the directions handy for a refresher.

I love the dependable repeatability the unit gives me.


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