# Help With Finger or Box Joint 1x3 Wood



## Psychbiker (Jan 8, 2013)

I'm building a fold out craft table for my niece. It's 6" deep but the front will look like a standard chalk board when folder up. 

Instead of just making a standard 45 miter frame, I wanted to finger joint them somehow. The wood is solid maple 1x3. 

How could I do this? I'm drawing a blank. 

I have an Incra LS table and router I scored off craigslist, have yet to use it but know there's someway I can. 

The frame will be like the picture below but no 45 miter. 

I was thinking I could cut my horizontal pieces the desired length and then run them through the router table taking an 1/16" off the backs of them and then run them through with a finger joint bit the 3" width of the board. 

Then, I would lower the bit 1/16 and pass the vertical pieces of the frame through through. This way the "fingers" sticking up have a 1/16" of solid wood underneath....if not they would just fall off. Once the pieces are joined you would see the finger joint but on the backs of the verticals it would solid. Does that make sense at all? 

I'm open for other ideas. 









!http://www.scoutiegirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/antique-chalkboard-4jpg.jpg!


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Psychbiker said:


> I'm building a fold out craft table for my niece. It's 6" deep but the front will look like a standard chalk board when folder up.
> 
> Instead of just making a standard 45 miter frame, I wanted to finger joint them somehow. The wood is solid maple 1x3.
> 
> ...


Finger joint is for extending two pieces as one... a slice. It has angled fingers. Box joint is for a splice of a corner joint, where you are extending the grain around a corner... or for making hinged joints in the same grain orientation.

Both those joining methods use the long rain of each side to make the joint... If your frame is a box like (you said 6" deep), then that might work out for you. 

What that ends up as is each section of the frame is cut to the length of the outside frame dimensions. The width of the fingers is a personal preference (in your case). The depth of the fingers would be the width of the frame as seen from the front. The finger joint would be seen if you looked at the corner of the frame from the sides.

That type of joint... well... the challenge is going to be when you decide on that width from the front. It it is over 1/2" (you said 3" thick), then it is going to be a deeper finger than a 1/2" box joint bit would do. It could still be done w/ an Incra LS... if you had or bought the cross slide piece that slid along the fence (Like w/ the Incra Ultimate system), or made a router sled... and using a straight or spiral bit. Even if you did end up going smaller to accommodate using a box joint bit, you would have to make some king of jig to move the work perpendicular to the fence.

At least, that's how I'm picturing that happening in my head.

BUT-- (just thinking it through)
3"x 6" frame? That is going to be a very heavy kids table. Wouldn't it be better and lighter, if you used 1 by materials and used spline joints to create an edge that looks to be 3" from the front and 6" from the sides? That would be over 2/3rds lighter... and still be strong by boxing the construction. And it you did that... you'd already be setup to use spline joints to create the joining for the front of the frame, leaving the side corner joint method as more open to how you want to approach that. Besides, it sounded like there was already going to be a spline planned for the chalkboard itself, right? (To recess into the frame?)


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

The other issue with finger jointing the frame together is that the grain in one set of fingers will be cross grain which will have no strength. You may not even be able to get the joint together without breaking some of them off. I would be inclined to go with the spline joint like Mike suggested.


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## Psychbiker (Jan 8, 2013)

Sorry guys, I explained it poorly. It will look just like this below. The chalkboard will fold down open creating a work surface. I made the box 36" wide on the inside to to hold a dowel and a 36" roll of construction paper for my niece to paint and write on. 

I just didnt want to make a plain 45 miter frame for the chalkboard. Once folded up it will look like a chalkboard hanging on the wall. 

BTW: I do have the cross sled for the LS to do box joints. I have the whole kit and its the long version too. Pretty stoked, now just need to use it.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I'm not sure I understand you. Are you talking about something more like a bridle joint? 
https://www.google.ca/search?q=brid...QHc-oHQCw&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=622


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## wbrisett (Feb 12, 2011)

Have you considered using a 45º mitre lock bit? I use this when making mitre joints and while it isn't exactly what you were going for, they work well once you have them setup properly and I think they look quite nice. The only thing going against that type of joint in your case is the joint would show. But it's a thought.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I would go along with one of the above suggestions, either mitres with splines or lock mitres, unfortunately because you have forgotten to complete your public profile, I don't know your level of experience or what tools you have at your disposal. The photos show the lock-mitre and the pdf shows how I made a trinket box with mitres and splines/


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## al m (Dec 13, 2012)

You could box joint the 1" profile,treating the frame as if it was a 1" deep box.
your incra should have templates for that,
although the box would be limited to 3 or 4 fingers


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

I believe Irish you are using this for aesthetics only not for anything else am I correct




Psychbiker said:


> Sorry guys, I explained it poorly. It will look just like this below. The chalkboard will fold down open creating a work surface. I made the box 36" wide on the inside to to hold a dowel and a 36" roll of construction paper for my niece to paint and write on.
> 
> I just didnt want to make a plain 45 miter frame for the chalkboard. Once folded up it will look like a chalkboard hanging on the wall.
> 
> BTW: I do have the cross sled for the LS to do box joints. I have the whole kit and its the long version too. Pretty stoked, now just need to use it.


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## Psychbiker (Jan 8, 2013)

Semipro said:


> I believe Irish you are using this for aesthetics only not for anything else am I correct


Exactly. Just for looks and attempt at using a newer tool and getting fancy. Miter saw is plugged in and I can whip out the frame in 20 min if I wanted. 

I figure it would be nice when the table is closed to see the chalkboard and some nice joints. 

I'm going to practice today with my joint idea (if its even possible) and the 45 lock miter. I think I have the bit. The guy who I bought my Incra setup from included easily 100 bits, some still with rubber on them. Not sure what half of them do and was going to post a topic soon to help identify their profiles.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

There is some of this conversation that I am not following, but here's what I believe will suffice nicely... Refer to the photo where the partly opened chalkboard front reads "My Desk". The young lady's right hand is on what could easily be a box joint (often referred to as a finger joint) and the young lady's left hand is on what I think should stay a miter joint (as it already is). The interior partitions may be easily constructed using dado joints. A chain may prove helpful for when the front is opened to a 90* angle.

I hope this helps,
Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## williamm (Oct 10, 2011)

Yes, the box frame could easily be made of box joints or through dove tails.
The face frame around the chalkboard could be made with miters as shown or to get a little fancier, how about rails and stiles?
Also, the partitions could be installed with sliding dovetails which would add in the strength of the project.


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## Eric Grum (Oct 14, 2013)

*Excellent work!*

Harry,

Your PDF very thoroughly and clearly lays out the process you used to create a handsome little trinket box. I'm quite impressed on both counts.

Eric


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Can You set it up so the frame has the 45 degree angles cut? With the smallest Incra that I have, You should be able to make box joints with no problem. I am not going to My shop but I think that it would work!


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## Psychbiker (Jan 8, 2013)

Already made the cabinet. Got the 3rd coat of paint today. Making a bigger project out of it than it is but it's fun and I'm learning new tools. I was going to box joint the cabinet but my dad came over and saw my miter saw on its new stand and miter cut the pieces for me. 

The door I painted the outside with chalkboard paint. Just need to put the 1x3 frame around it. I have not seen any pictures of box jointed joints where the width of the board is greater than the height. Think I might just do a lap joint and then add two small 1/4" dowels for decorations. Dont need it for support, just want a decorate joint other than a 45.


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Well looking good so far,let us see the finished product.


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