# ok...... I'm cheap (box joint jig)



## Greeneyedeagle (Feb 15, 2009)

I went to the woodworking show this past weekend and picked up a 24 x 8 x 3/8 piece of HDPE. Not sure what I was going to do with it... I took it yesterday, cut a strip 3/4 inch wide, used a 1/4 straight bit and cut a slot in the middle of the sheet, about 4" shy of each end, just under 3/8 wide. Cut the strip to fit in the slot...... 
Now I have a box joint jig. I installed a bit, clamped the jig to my table and ran a test....... 
Came out very nice... a bit shy on the depth so the ends would be completely flush... but all that is needed there is too set the bit a "bit" higher.

Ok.... I'm cheap and I duplicate other peoples ideas.....
Is that "WRONG"? Or should I feel bad... only for a moment?
Oh yea... the piece of HDPE was $5.00


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## Fourleftpaws (Feb 12, 2007)

> Ok.... I'm cheap and I duplicate other peoples ideas


Well I would not say your cheap at all - that is what its all about - making other ideas work better and for less money - I guess as long as your not selling the item - your just fine - heck look at all of the jigs and fixtures that are copied and re-re-re-made here. I think as woodworkers - that is the pride ( and you have to be humble here) of being able to re-create ideas that other have provided us to look at - and sometimes improving on those ideas for other to re-make. (Now about the $5.00 - I think the rule is - the item has to be at least $4.99 and under to be considered cheap.)


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

*Morning!*

I agree completely. I am dutch through and through, and your living man, you are LIVING. It is the way all the thinkers here normally work. That is why we like to make jigs that serve us well, and hopefully others


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## Mike Gager (Jan 14, 2009)

why buy when you can build?


it irks me when i see a people on the forums that are obviously capable of creating fantastic woodworking products go out and spend hundreds of dollars on the latest gadgets and jigs when they could build the same exact thing for pennies with scraps they probably have laying around in their shops

btw lets see some pics!


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## TreasureChest (Feb 7, 2009)

do you have a picture of it?


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## Greeneyedeagle (Feb 15, 2009)

Here it is..... very simple.
I'm also showing the box end sample and the other type of joint.... not sure what it is called.


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## Mike Gager (Jan 14, 2009)

nice job

i wonder where you could source hdpe locally?


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## TreasureChest (Feb 7, 2009)

hey, looks like you made a OP jig! did you glue the big strip into the slot? what kind of glue? did you have any trouble getting it aligned to give you a nice firm joint? thank you. pic is wrth a 1000 words.


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Thats a great job,Palmer i like it.


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## Greeneyedeagle (Feb 15, 2009)

TreasureChest said:


> hey, looks like you made a OP jig! did you glue the big strip into the slot? what kind of glue? did you have any trouble getting it aligned to give you a nice firm joint? thank you. pic is wrth a 1000 words.


I didn't glue it. I was told that you can't glue this stuff but it can be bonded. Which to me that means melted together. I might try a soldering gun later today on some scrap to see. If it works, I'll tack it in a few places on the bottom.
As far as making it straight... I set up my fence to start the cut about 4 inches from the ends and also from the edge against the fence. I used a 1/4" straight bit and made my pass. I then moved my fence back so the gap would be just shy of 3/8" and made the same pass. It was a very tight fit and had to be forced inplace but that is what I wanted. The fence kept everything straight.
The pictures of the joints were my first run trying it. I just set my 3/8 brass block between the jig fence and the bit and while turning the bit by hand, got it so the brass block just slightly skates thru. The final fit was perfect in my eyes. I had the bit a hair too low since the joints were just shy of the outside edge.

Actually this jig could be used to do 1/2" joints by changing to a 1/2 bit, setting the distance between the fence and the bit while KEEPING the stock up against the fence side closest to the bit.

You could even use some 1/2 mdf and some type of hardwood for the fence which in this case would be right at 3/8 wide and 3/4" deep. That way you can box joint stock down to 3/8 thick.

That's about it.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Very nice job Palmer

Now you need to made one for 3/8" and 1/2" size 


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Greeneyedeagle said:


> Here it is..... very simple.
> I'm also showing the box end sample and the other type of joint.... not sure what it is called.


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## Mike Gager (Jan 14, 2009)

Greeneyedeagle said:


> I didn't glue it. I was told that you can't glue this stuff but it can be bonded. Which to me that means melted together. I might try a soldering gun later today on some scrap to see. If it works, I'll tack it in a few places on the bottom.
> As far as making it straight... I set up my fence to start the cut about 4 inches from the ends and also from the edge against the fence. I used a 1/4" straight bit and made my pass. I then moved my fence back so the gap would be just shy of 3/8" and made the same pass. It was a very tight fit and had to be forced inplace but that is what I wanted. The fence kept everything straight.
> The pictures of the joints were my first run trying it. I just set my 3/8 brass block between the jig fence and the bit and while turning the bit by hand, got it so the brass block just slightly skates thru. The final fit was perfect in my eyes. I had the bit a hair too low since the joints were just shy of the outside edge.
> 
> ...


yeah if you made the jig with a 1/4" fence you could make 1/4" 3/8" 1/2" 3/4" whatever size you want basically


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Mike Gager said:


> why buy when you can build?
> 
> 
> it irks me when i see a people on the forums that are obviously capable of creating fantastic woodworking products go out and spend hundreds of dollars on the latest gadgets and jigs when they could build the same exact thing for pennies with scraps they probably have laying around in their shops
> ...



For some, it could be just time. Laziness can also be considered. We all have the right.  For me, it's both sometimes.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Some people just do not want nor like making the jigs and would rather spend their time making items instead of using all their time making jigs.

I know some guys I talk to on the net and they make all these jigs and have tons of them, yet they post very little if anything on their projects. Because life is so busy it really is to the point of "am I am going to have a hobby making pieces or have a hobby making jigs".

It should not bother anyone that someone else wants to pay their own money to have the jigs made to save them time while usually getting a quality jig and keeping someone working making the jigs. Every single thing At O.P. can be made in your shop from their router table to all their jigs. I think even some of the most prolific jig makers have purchased ready made stuff from O.P. This forum might not be here if not for OP selling their system, which really is a set of different fixtures and jigs to go along with their router table. 

CNC cutting makes many ready made jigs very appealing also becasue they are not easily made in a shop by an amateur with limited tools.

I would rather spend my time making stuff and buy every jig I like and think can help me. I make as few jigs and fixtures as possible. I only have a finite amount of time and I like that I can save days or even weeks by years end by not wasting time on making the jigs. Every day it takes for a jig or jigs to be made that I can buy is one less small project I can make.


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## TreasureChest (Feb 7, 2009)

very good box joint jig. I think thats what its called. Looks like you saved yourself about $25! Thank you! Good job!


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Nick

Talking about jigs did you get your OP wheel jigs made ? 


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nickao65 said:


> Some people just do not want nor like making the jigs and would rather spend their time making items instead of using all their time making jigs.
> 
> I know some guys I talk to on the net and they make all these jigs and have tons of them, yet they post very little if anything on their projects. Because life is so busy it really is to the point of "am I am going to have a hobby making pieces or have a hobby making jigs".
> 
> ...


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## vikingcraftsman (Mar 31, 2006)

Really good Palmer.


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## jbishop (Feb 2, 2007)

I have some pieces from a cutting board from a deli. I assumed it was nylon, I wonder if is the same stuff, kinda slick feeling? John


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## Greeneyedeagle (Feb 15, 2009)

Well I'll be using this one a lot. Attached is my first try tonight with it on some bigger stock. 7.5" Walnut and 7.5" Maple.... turned out great.... as far as I can tell. This time the bit was just a hair on the high side but the ole sander or the flush trim bit with a bearing on top just might do the trick. I really enjoyed doing this tonight. I did throw together a push block that had a 5x5 bottom plate and verticle face plate with a 90 degree support in the middle and that is where I push it from.
Also I did use a soldering iron and melt the two pieces together on the bottom side in about 6 areas. It turned clear as I heated the seam between the two and pushed down a bit. I then took a sharp knife and removed any that was sticking above the bottom area. Worked out great.

Next???????

Palmer


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi Palmer: is duplicating other's discoveries wrong? If you try to make money by copying, yes. However, you learned how to make this device and use it. That is not wrong. That is part of this craft. Do you think the great craftsmen of past centuries created everything without copying? Not a chance.

You've learned. Experiment and learn some more and pass on your new learning. Like that you honour the man you copied from and you contribute by offering him some of your knowledge.

Hmmmm, schmaltzy 

Allthunbs


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Hi Palmer

If you think you are cheep how about me?

I did not even use HDPE but I only used ½” MDF to do the same thing. I made two MDF boards about 8”x 12” each. The first has a ¼” pine square which I glued to the MDF (too small to screw). On the other one I got 3/8” and ½” squares which I drilled to the board (they are removable). So now I can make three size finger joints and my cost was almost nil.

As the other members said, that’s what all is about. We try to do whatever we can at the least cost. It’s a challenge and we do it for our satisfaction. Some times our ideas are great and some times no. Heck... it’s all about having fun.

Nicolas


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Did somebody say cheap jig? Here's the finger joint jig I've been using for a couple years, it does 1/4, 5/16, and 3/8". I have room for one more If I ever get to build something with 7/16 or 1/2" joints. I even hide the different offset blocks in the base.

This baby didn't cost me a thing but my time, it cut nice tight joints and depending on how I construct the object, I've gone glueless.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Ghidrah said:


> Did somebody say cheap jig? Here's the finger joint jig I've been using for a couple years, it does 1/4, 5/16, and 3/8". I have room for one more If I ever get to build something with 7/16 or 1/2" joints. I even hide the different offset blocks in the base.
> 
> This baby didn't cost me a thing but my time, it cut nice tight joints and depending on how I construct the object, I've gone glueless.


Hey Ron: I notice in the background that you're using an after-market fence setup. How do you like it? Have you tried RouterWorkshop philosophy and if so, how would you compare them?

Allthunbs


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Nope except for the T track all home made, 3/4 ply and Formica woodscrews butterfly nuts and bolts. I bought the 48" T track from Price Cutter last summer to refit the table track which was just U channel from the Lumber yd. quite sloppy. Last fall I refit the fence, (higher face) to accomodate the fence track. The molding profiles I've been cutting this winter need to be confined with feather boards.

Those guys haven't been on the tube around here for 5 or 6 yrs. The only thing I hold true is not needing any fence alignments, e.g., no tape gauges or fence T tracks to orient the fence on the table. I know guys who still rigidly believe you must treat the RT as if it were a TS


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