# My first finger joint box



## simplenik (Feb 14, 2006)

Good day

Today, I made my first experiment cutting the fingers with all the 4 boards clamped together.

It took me around 30 min (including pics), It came out not bad (very bad?) but I learnt a few things

Better to joint the board exactly to the same width...(that I'll do with "Jointing on the router table") and than cut it to 4.

Plan the board a little bit wider so the last pass will have some "meat" otherwise, the bit is breaking the edges because of the direction of rotation, as you will see on the pics.

Make dust collection like BJ's one...

Oh, the good news...my wife entered to the garage and when she saw the box she said "Oh, you are making beautiful box for me?" so, not everything is lost...maybe, she likes the finger joint after all...

One question please...the joint is tight (but I still can "click" the boards by hand) and it looks like there is no space for the glue..so what is the "secret" in gluing.

Thank you
niki


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Excellent Niki, it turned out great. Yes... a backer of some kind will keep that tear out on the end. Nice photo op too as usual.

Corey


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Excellent thread Niki. Great photos as usual and an interesting way to cut finger joints.


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Great job Niki and it looks like you are going to be joining the box making ranks with us.

In regards to your question about glue, Corey and I have been experimenting with a technique from Rob Cosman who simply puts some CA (Super Glue) on the end grain of each finger and lets it soak in. It has given very good results, but use sparingly and keep your fingers away from each other DAMHIKT


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Once again you have excelled you're-self Niki, but jigs, particularly for box,dovetails and mortice and tenon joints abound in all shapes and sizes. How about, in order to keep the forum interesting, we all submit shots of our own versions of these various jigs. I shall kick off with my own which has worked well but since becoming a member of this forum I have heard so much about the very simple Oak Park jig and not a single bad word that I'm coming to the inescapable conclusion espoused by Bob and Rick that simple may well be best.


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## simplenik (Feb 14, 2006)

Thank you for your kind words

Bob
Thanks for the CA solution, it will be much easier and quicker.
I have long "relationship" with "Cyano" since the times that I was in the "Radio controlled flying model" hobby (some 25 years ago)...you don't go to field without a bottle of CA...in case of crash...

Harry
you are so correct about "Jigs all around"...actually almost every new jig is a variation of older idea and as long as they are for the same purpose they must be "almost the same with small variations".

You have very nice set-up there with the sliding table, it looks like it's part of your table saw...
And yes, I would also like to see the members jigs and different approaches...for me, the jig is more interesting than to see the finished product, I like to see the "How you did it"...

Thanks again
niki


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

No Niki, the table saw is the Triton that I recently did a photo-shoot on. The router table is just that other than the fact that it now incorporates a NIKILIFT!


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