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Had a pile of scraps from the last projects. Some of the wider ones needed ripped down a bit for width, as the tablesaw only goes so high... One board had "issues" Bandsaw removed most of the bad stuff... Which left a few good pieces.. I cut the skinny one in half. Set up the zero clearance plywood panel, and then the fence to cut about 1/2" thick slices... Which left a mess of 1/4" thick stuff (0.290" thick)..as opposed to these 0.445" thick parts.. Most of these two stacks were less then flat....leaned a bit from the fence...we have ways.. had two slats, about 2-1/2" wide...somewhere around 12" long....decided to cut them at 11" long, to make the longer sides of a box... And a pair at 6-1/2" long....was trying to get 4 sides all the same width... Had to joint all 4, until they were all alike. There was also a stack of narrow strips...picked out the best of the bunch..5 of them. Jointed the edges, then clamps and glue... And let this sit a day or two....corner joints were next....laid out to cut two ends, by stacking the longer sides together...making sure they matched.. Combo square, and a chisel. 6mm mortise chisel to do the spacings. Start in from the outside edges, work towards the middle....Square marks the line all around. Set to the thickness of the shorter sides. "Drop" the pair down low in the vise, to avoid vibrations from the saw.... Split the lines, or leave them...doesn't matter much..as the matching fingers will be marked from these, once they are chopped out.. Then, turn around, and do the other end the same way...Mark one one as #1, and one end of the shorter ends the same...lay out where to cut, cutting on the waste side of the lines...more line you leave, tighter the fit. One corner at a time...test fitting as I go... Finally, got all 4 corners chopped out.. Which left plowing a groove for the plywood bottom panel to sit in....had to sharpen the #12 cutter, was getting a bit dull, anyway....then set up the 45 And set up a jig, of sorts... Nothing fancy, just enough to hold things steady...to do the longer sides.. Just move two screws a bit....then check for alignment of the grooves... A few pencil lines, to help size the plywood panel....which was a hair too thick, too...we have ways.. Once it was the correct size, a block plane beveled all the edges, both faces.....then sanded the panel, and did a test fit.. No glue, yet. Checking the fit of the plywood, and getting a bunch of clamps set up. hate fumbling around, trying to set up a clamp, with glue running everywhere....so, glue is next.. Then flip this mess over, check the inside of the corners for square...add a couple more clamps....some of which came from the lid blank... Need to clean up the glue-ups...maybe today....once the clamps come off. Need to flatten the lid, too. Stay tuned...there MIGHT be a bit more to this story....than just a plain, old box...

What the title says. Wasn't without some troubles, but..made a start. had some "Project Boards" from Lowes...supposed to be Pine, seems closer to Poplar... Decided to pick out the best 2, and build a box....1/2" x 6" x 24" boards. Issues? Well, that Stanley #358 mitre box had a problem... test cut in the new location showed this to be a "Weeble Saw" Wobbled all over the place in the cut. Pull the saw out, turned the frame over...not only the King bolt was loose, so were the knurled bolts that hold the guides in place...torqued them down as tight as I could, and put the saw back in operation... Not even a slight wiggle. Board? I cut one of the 24" long boards in the middle...then checked the ends... A little off? Sent the ends through.. Then checked for square.. Square now. Used this to mark the other "half", and trim that. Then cut a couple "end" pieces... 2 sides, 2 ends. found some leftover plywood, from the Desk Project...seemed the right width, and was long enough to get 2 panels out of it.. Took the 2 sides, and matched them up in the vise... I also dug the shop stool out. Ends were close to matching each other..we have ways... End grain plane? That is the Stanley #3 I had just finished rehabbing...next, used a jig to lay out the finger joints.. That be the chisel I will use, to chop out the waste. Came towards the middle from each edge... "Dots" mark the waste. the wide finger is where the lid will get cut out... Layout tools. I had to carry the lines down to where they are to stop. marking gauge is set to the thickness of the end boards. And dug up the "Joinery saw".. Took me about an hour to get this far.....had to stop here, Boss needed errand run....might try later tonight? like I said, I had to dig the shop stool out of the place....we are a bit cramped down here.... Stay tuned....

OK, OK, I'll start it. How do you make them? I've made some using an IncraJig and a router table with a straight bit. These worked well. I can probably make them with my SOB dovetail joining jig, but it's so complex, it makes my head hurt every time I use it . There was a video a couple of years ago about how to set up a guide on a table saw and dado blade. I used it once and it worked well and with little fussing. The idea was you set up an auxiliary miter gauge fence with a key that just fits the cut. Then use that key to offset the fence from the machine's rip fence. I tried it recently on that sewing machine box and by the time I got twenty or so cuts, the cumulative error was enough that it didn't fit all that well. My dado set up was not a precise fractional amount, I think. I have some friends that made a jig that you wind a threaded rod with a nx16 thread so that every turn advanced the guide 1/16" I don't make them often enough to justify a couple of days making a jig. And I call finger joints and box joints the same thing. Apparently, Stick does not. ?

I think this was a project that I got done during the blitz last year. Wife's sewing machine (well one of 8) is the one she takes out every week to a "sewing bee." It's a Singer Featherweight, ca. 1940 and is light and compact. Does a great job on basic straight stitches. Anyway, the old case was getting a bit ratty, so I made her a new one. One admonition, "Don't make it too heavy." So I ended using 3/8" q/s white oak. I tried doing box joints on the corners by my dado blade was not a true, even amount. And by the time I'd made 30 cuts, it had trouble aligning. You know, if you're off 0.0001" per cut, after 30 pins and 30 slots, you'd be off 0.006 and that's enough to inhibit a slip fit. So I put angle supports inside and keys on the outside.

to quell or to add fuel to the fire er discussion what do you guys say... is this a box joint or a finger joint or both??? and this one.. finger joint only???

Hi I am new here buy want to use this site for info on wood working. I want to start using box joints for some small boxes I want to build. I plan on using my table saw. with a sled Want to be able to do 1/4" and 3/8" joints. So here is my questions. How do I tell which size opening I need to use. Related to the width of the wood. All the videos I have watched no body says a thing about how they came up with the proper spacing on the last cut. Jeff

Ok, I have four pieces of 3/8" thick pine.....all nicely sized, and planed smooth... All have been planed to the same sizes. Part of this project is to serve as a how to......at least the way I hand cut box joints/finger joints. The 2 longs are up, first. Square a line on one end, showing the thickness of the mating part.. Top line is from laying the short side piece and marking a line, lower one is with a square. Next, I get out the "layout tool"... Yep, just the same chisel I will use to chop out the waste with.. Spacing is just a pencil line along the chisel, working from one edge to the other edge. (Tip: use a SHARP pencil for this) I use a square to carry the lines around both sides. I also saw both long sides at the same time.... Saw down the the "base line". and clip the waste off on the ends... Then remove the two from the vise, and open up like a book.. And mark this as the inside of the box, along with a T and a B... Top & Bottom. Set one piece aside for a little bit, and get ready to chisel things out.. Some of the usual suspects. Needed a mallet, and a clamp. Been using a scrap board on the bench, to keep from beating the heck out of the bench's top. Old piece of plywood doesn't care IF it gets beat up. Square and a knife...cutting a knife wall. Takes about 3-5 swipes. Now, each of the little squares will just have to leave, but, don't get in a hurry. has to be done in two stages, otherwise you risk blowing out the other side. I take the chisel and hold it back from the base line ( Knife wall) and pare a bit out. Bevel of the chisel is away from the base line. Peel a bit out, chop with the flat of the chisel against the base line, and repeat.. You can either remove the bit tothe outside edge, or leave it there, doesn't matter much. It does support things when you flip the board over. Ok, work your way along this face of the board, Before you leave each finger, add a chop with the chisel at the base line...helps to remove the waste in a bit.. Flip the board over Same as before, strike the knife wall, peel abit back with the chisel...usually the first or second chisel hit at the base line will cause the waste to either lay down....or.. fly up out of there.. I use a wider chisel to dress the fingers. Make they look spiffy. Unclamp this piece, grab the short piece you used to mark the first line with. Stand the completed fingers onto the short piece, keeping inside to inside and top to top... SHARP pencil to mark where the fingers are. Saw the short piece on the waste side of the lines. Repeat the chisel work And do a test fit. (needs a tune up..) Adjust fingers IF they are too tight. One corner done, 3 to go. And, THAT is how I do box joints. Not all that hard to do, and a lot quieter than a tablesaw roaring along. I use this to post about the box build. Pine was resawn from the last of the un-treated 4 x4s I had in the shop. ( BTW: Already have 2 corners done.....might get the other two tomorrow....don't want to rush things...) Stay tuned..

Nothing exciting just sharing what is on my bench and what is going. I am trying to teach myself woodworking and hand craft. The attached photos are of box joints I am hand cutting. The box joint will be used in a drawer I am making for my table saw to catch the saw dust. In addition to this box joints, I had to make a jug to hold the work. Further, I sharpened up my tools. It is amazing how easy things are when tools are sharp. I sharpened my chisels to 2,000 grit wet-dry.

Think your dovetail and box joints won't come apart? My study of antiques says otherwise. But I have a solution to lock your dovetails and box joints permanently.This is my favorite woodworking tip and technique of all time. I hope you enjoy the video and find it helpful. I am looking forward to hearing feedback on experience and observations of these joints. Your friend in the shop-Todd A. Clippinger