# My First Box Joint



## Titus A Duxass (Jan 6, 2010)

Here's my first box joint:









Produced on the RT fitted with a sliding fence & box joint jig.









Used to make a scratch post for our newly adopted moggy.


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Those look to be very tight joints.... Nice Job!


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## LexB (Apr 12, 2010)

It looks like you've got a perfect spacing of the finger to the router bit on your jig. It also looks like the fingers are just a tiny bit shy of full-depth. I normally cut the fingers to be just slightly proud of the sides so that I can sand them flush. If you raise the router bit so that it's slightly taller (just about 1/64 inch or so) than the thickness of the workpiece, then you get that depth of cut to allow the fingers to be slightly longer. Your first joints came out looking better than my first joints, that's for sure!


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Titus

Good job and a nice jig , here's a small tip use a trim bit to clean off the ends, sanding marks are almost as hard to get off as making the joints and take longer to remove them.

Almost no way to not sand the cross grain way with a sander, once you sand it off you can't get it back..always sand with 220 or 320 to clean it up..

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## Titus A Duxass (Jan 6, 2010)

Bob, they've already been cleaned up with a flush trim bit.
The bearing actually left marks in the wood, it would not be a problem with quality timber this is just an offcut of really soft wood (Poplar?)


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

Ok, think square bearings they will not mark up the soft woods with the nasty marks.  or to say put track marks in the stock..
Or use a fixture holding jig with a template with bearings on the top and the bottom of the trim bit. see video on the same web page below.

Euro Square Bearing
Katana® Rabbeting Router Bit Kits, Round Nose / Core Box Router Bits, Flush Trim Router Bits
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Titus A Duxass said:


> Bob, they've already been cleaned up with a flush trim bit.
> The bearing actually left marks in the wood, it would not be a problem with quality timber this is just an offcut of really soft wood (Poplar?)


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## rwyoung (Aug 3, 2008)

Titus A Duxass said:


> Bob, they've already been cleaned up with a flush trim bit.
> The bearing actually left marks in the wood, it would not be a problem with quality timber this is just an offcut of really soft wood (Poplar?)


It's something from the pine family (spruce/pine/fir).

Well cut joint. Enjoy your new jig.


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## darrink (Sep 7, 2009)

Titus,
Nice box joints. These are much better than my first also. How about some information or more pictures on your jig?

Darrin


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## Titus A Duxass (Jan 6, 2010)

Darrin,
I'll put some details together over the weekend - if the wife lets me in to the cellar.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Nice looking joints Titus, bearing marks can be very difficult to remove, a random orbital sander is what I normally use.


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## Titus A Duxass (Jan 6, 2010)

Darrin,
Here are the details of my jig. Which is a Sliding Fence (SF).

Firstly - it is not my invention. I found the "plans" for it in the book Bill Hylton's Ultimate Guide to the Router Table (which I can highly recommend).

Picture SF01 - shows the Sliding Fence. It was constructed from odd and ends that I had to hand.
Obviously the dimensions only suit my table. The only critical one is the vertical fence which is 100mm high, this makes it harder to touch the bit. If you table (like mine) is on the high side it is a bit of a hindrance as you cannot see the bit clearly.

Picture SF02 - shows the fence in position on the table.

Picture SF03 - is the Box Joint fence, this one is a 10mm flavour. I am building an 8mm & a 1/2" version. This is simply bolted to the SF and is slotted to allow fine tuning. I am thinking about a fine adjuster.

Picture SF04 - shows the 10mm hard wood peg and the 10mm cut that appears through usage. 

Picture SF05 - shows Box Joint fence installed.

Picture SF06 - set up for 10mm with a piece of ally extrusion.

Picture SF07 - the first cut.

Picture SF08 - the workpiece is then lifted up and indexed on the wooden peg for the second cut - repeat this process ad nauseum.

Picture SF09 - I added a bit more protection and dust extraction.

Picture SF10 - I am going to make the Guard slotted so that it can be closed on the workpiece thus giving more protection and a bit of workpiece support.

Incidentally the SF is a great tool for lap joints, tenons and probably dovetails.


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## darrink (Sep 7, 2009)

Titus,
Thanks for the details. I have been looking at plans for a box joint jig for the RT for a while. This one looks pretty simple, so I think I will give it a try. I will probably add the fine adjustment as you mentioned.

Thanks!

Darrin


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## AP3D (Aug 24, 2010)

Nice looking box joint,
I will have to give the square bearings a try myself.

Arnold


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

They sell those square bearings all year round, not just at the beginning of April.


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## JOVIMECA (Feb 3, 2010)

congratulations!


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## whitelaw66 (Oct 3, 2010)

Does the vacuum catch most of the chips?


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## Titus A Duxass (Jan 6, 2010)

Yes most of the chips are collected.
I think this is aided by the spiral cutter which tends to produce wooly shavings as opposed to chips.


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## Titus A Duxass (Jan 6, 2010)

Here's the same sliding fence in Tenon mode.
The piece to the left is a stop block.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Amazon.com: CMT 800.627.11 Tenon Cutting Router Bit Set: Home Improvement

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## Titus A Duxass (Jan 6, 2010)

Bob, 
Very nice but out of my price range.
If I was knocking out tenons on a regular basis I'd go that way.

I have completed my canoe seat frames (four M & T joints) and don't expect to do anymore in the near future.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Titus

How about one for 50.oo bcks, I'm not sure if he still has them but it maybe worth a try,, they can be use for many other jobs not just M & T joints 

Up to 70% Off All CMT Orange Tools

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Titus A Duxass said:


> Bob,
> Very nice but out of my price range.
> If I was knocking out tenons on a regular basis I'd go that way.
> 
> I have completed my canoe seat frames (four M & T joints) and don't expect to do anymore in the near future.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Tenon joints are really easy to make on a table saw. I bought a Delta tenoning jig but I've seen one made from plywood that slides along the sawfence that works almost as well. If you are making a through mortice, as is done on older window frames, you can make them on a table saw as well with the same jig. Otherwise, you can use use a jig and a router, or buy a morticing attachment for a drill press. M & T joints are one of the strongest and best looking.


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## RLFX (Nov 20, 2009)

Go here if you want the plans for this jig !!

Finger Joints (Box / Comb joints) - by Steve Maskery @ LumberJocks.com ~ woodworking community


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

Here's a jig you can made easy if you want to use the table saw to make Tenon joints..

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## Titus A Duxass (Jan 6, 2010)

Bob - That's a better price.

Cherryville Chuck - I don't have a table saw so table saw jigs are of no interest.
RLFX - I "stole" my dust extraction idea from Steve's jig. The rest of his design doesn't work for me as I do not believe in T-Slots/Tracks.


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## RLFX (Nov 20, 2009)

Bj great looking jig, but do you need a crane to put it on the table ? heheheh


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi RLFX

Some days it helps but it's a real plus, the mass helps hold the jig down to the table top, you will see a Delta right next to it and it's cast iron steel and almost the same weight, maybe just a little bit more, as you know it's always just a bit hairy when you cut stock on it's edge on the table saw - the more the mass the better  the saw blade wants to lift the stock up just a little bit when it makes the cuts..

I should note I don't use it all the time just when I need a LONG Tenon that the router has a hard time doing, some will saw just use the band saw I can't recall not having saw marks in the stock or that little saw nicks left behind by the band saw blade at the stop points (corners.)

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RLFX said:


> Bj great looking jig, but do you need a crane to put it on the table ? heheheh


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

I make most of my tenons on the bandsaw. A stop behind the blade. A well set up fence and mitre slide enable me to safely cut good shoulders and straight tenons. Sometimes I rout them on the table, but this makes loads of sawdust. I sometimes do them on the radial arm with a stop,great shoulders, again dusty and can I always see my fingers? The bandsaw works well for me.


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## Titus A Duxass (Jan 6, 2010)

white66 said:


> Does the vacuum catch most of the chips?


I know this is a bit late.
But I set up the Sliding Fence for cutting lap joints









I've added an improved dust collection setup and here's a short video of it in action.

As you can see it hoovers up the chips quite successfully.


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## otherpeoplestrash (Feb 15, 2011)

Are your sure that's poplar? Looks like yellow pine to me. Either way great first joint.


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