# Simple Box Joint Jig



## g-man (Sep 10, 2004)

I made this simple jig for a 1/4 inch box joint. you clamp it to the table. Not too fancy but it works!


g-man


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## fredsintheshop (Sep 10, 2004)

Very nice. Thanks for the pictures. What do you use to hold the stock while you push it through?


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

Yes, please tell us about how the stock is pushed through and how you do the adjustment to get the initial 1/4" for the bit and strip. Also is the clamping to hold the jig in place those 2 spring clamps?

Ed


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## g-man (Sep 10, 2004)

*Box joint*



reible said:


> Yes, please tell us about how the stock is pushed through and how you do the adjustment to get the initial 1/4" for the bit and strip. Also is the clamping to hold the jig in place those 2 spring clamps?
> 
> Ed


I push the stock through by standing it up straight against the wood strip and hold a backup piece of wood behind it to avoid tearout when I use pine. I am going to come up with a safer way to hold the wood soon. I drilled the hole first. It's 3/4 inches. After the hole was drilled, I cut a 1/4 inch dado in the wood 1/4 inch from the rim of the hole. I used a piece of 5/16 plywood for the jig and the dado is 3/16 deep with the strip sticking up 3/8 from the bottom of the dado. I was using two spring clamps to hold it to the table but I found it was slipping when I fed the stock from right to left so I lined up the jig like I was going to cut some stock, clamped it down with two pony clamps and drilled two 3/8 holes through the jig right into my table and now I can bolt it down so it won't move. I'm going to add more pictures so you can see what I did.

g-man


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

I was a little worried about having the spring clamps holding things that was a good improvement! 

Ed


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## g-man (Sep 10, 2004)

*Box joint jig*



reible said:


> I was a little worried about having the spring clamps holding things that was a good improvement!
> 
> Ed


Glad to help. By the way, the reason half of the jig is pegboard is the fact that I ran out of plywood. I will improve this thing as I go on and maybe make one for a 3/8 box joint. I'd like to make one for dovetails but that will be more involved.


g-man


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## Densa (Jan 14, 2005)

*Box Joint Jig*

Thanks I think I get how to step off the side part of the joint so that the sides line up when assembled. Does the "slider" on the 1/4" fence stay with the piece you are routing or does it tend to move independently.
Bob
































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## g-man (Sep 10, 2004)

*Slider*



Densa said:


> Thanks I think I get how to step off the side part of the joint so that the sides line up when assembled. Does the "slider" on the 1/4" fence stay with the piece you are routing or does it tend to move independently.
> Bob
> 
> 
> ...


[/QUOTE]


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Now if you make the jig and push block out of UHMW plastic your work will slide easier. Of course it will cost you more than just going to the Oak Park site and buying Bob and Ricks identical jig.


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## g-man (Sep 10, 2004)

*Oak Park*



aniceone2hold said:


> Now if you make the jig and push block out of UHMW plastic your work will slide easier. Of course it will cost you more than just going to the Oak Park site and buying Bob and Ricks identical jig.


Mike, Oak Park's prices are not in my price range. The shipping is always too high!


g-man


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## Densa (Jan 14, 2005)

Hi Friends;
Will the Oak park jig work on material that is not the identical thickness of the small fence? I saw Bob in Calgary and it was the best lesson I ever had however at the speed of the show I'm sure I missed important parts. I got home and tried to build the little box, and my material was a bit thicker than Bob's and I had work to do to get them to fit. Should I have milled my material to a specific thickness?
Bob


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## benny (Nov 30, 2006)

Hi,
 I'm new to router forum. I would like to know how to make the simple box joint jig.
Thanks,Benny

[email protected]


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Benny, the jig is for sale at Oak Park. You can visit them by clicking here: http://www2.oak-park.com/

Bob, are you using a backerboard to push your material through? The most likely causes for your wood not fitting together properly is twisting as it passed over the bit or not having the fence aligned properly. Check to be sure you have the correct spacing from the fence and then use a short piece of 3 x 3" to push it through. This gives the wood support to keep it from twisting or tilting. Using thicker wood is not a problem, just remember your bit must be set to a height slightly higher than the thickness of your wood for the joint to fully seat. By slightly higher I mean just enough to feel or less than 1/32".


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