The Ultimate Adjustable Table Saw Box Joint Jig!

[@jeffkowalski4936]

I’ve made this jig three times for three saws over the years. So easy to make and so accurate.

[@robertturnbull2763]

Definitely the best box jig I've seen 👌. Smaller than most of the others out there and therefore easier to store in a small workshop 😀

[@WoodsmithShowandmagazine]

Thanks! Glad you like it!

[@jackleather2812]

I bought the Masterclass Joinery Techniques magazine with the plans to make this jig. Did ya’ll make a video of the complete build for this jig?

[@josealfaro6240]

Grasias a wood Smit shop este canal es preferido por k dan buenas ideas de creatividad

[@Lord_Volkner]

Best one I've seen so far. Really like the adjustable screw idea. Thanks for sharing this.

[@nathanmitchell4839]

Setup a jig like this with a 2 inch wider base and a 3/8 key, then it can also be used to tenon door stiles without changing settings, the runner groove has to be completely square so do it on a sled or do it on a known square edge before cutting the sheet so the reference edge isn't tiny, this will help make gap free square tenons. Sounds more complicated than it is.

[@acerjuglans383]

That's a well thought out jig. I never considered using plywood on edge as miter slot runners. I was hoping to see the adjustment screw on the end being used though.

[@scottaussem1771]

I made your 10 degree angle box joint jig to make thr strp stool like 20yrs ago made about 10 gave most away over the years

[@bentontool]

Brilliant! Thank you...

[@bigsparky65]

Just made the jig, i'm making a few extra fronts with different size pins.

[@regularguy9264]

Well made and simple jig.

[@choochoo3985]

Great jig. went to Woodsmith site, but no such plan available. So I just drew it up while watching.

[@MarkThomas123]

Did you take the screw into account? What it was used for? The video didn't show, but, seems it might be used for using a single blade vs the dado stack, but, might have just been used to adjust the slot for some reason I can't see why.. Went to your channel to see if you did a vid on your build.. Would have been cool. At least why the screw was there.

[@choochoo3985]

@@MarkThomas123 I built a simular jig, but I didn't make the main fence wide enough or the sled long enough so it was a challenge to use. To top that off I ordered the freud Safety Dato blade, but was very disapointed in it as it vibrated and chipped out the Maple badly, so back to the Router table. However there I use the Original Rockler Finger Joint sled which I have had to do major rework on and it it very difficult to hold in place and I would not recommend it to anyone. With that said I will make a jig more like yours and adapt it to the router table. I have parallel T Slots which should work to hold any jig I make solid and use you procecss to make the minor adjustments.

[@choochoo3985]

Today I found your plans and purchased them. Will still rvise it to work either on my Table Saw or Router table. With short miter bars it seemed to want to tip forward. I like the other parts of the plan.

[@egbluesuede1220]

I'm in Phil! I made a similar jig for my router table, but just recently got a decent dado stack and anxious to play with it. I was eyeing the Incra i-box jig, but I prefer shop made tools as part of the fun. I've got a perfect project lined up that would look great with perfect box joints, so looks like I'll need to make this.

[@IBOXPAPA]

I built several box joint jigs including the original Shopnotes version of this one with improvements. Every single one had one or more problems I found unacceptable. One major issue is caused by inherent problems associated with dado stacks- either trying to carefully stack and shim it to cut precise 1/4", 1/2", etc. dados. (many dado sets, like the Forest Dado King are designed to cut a slightly narrower dado than the published size (stamped on the trimmers and chippers), matching the width of a fixed-width guide pin, or getting them be repeatable from session to session (stacking and unstacking) which was surprisingly difficult. The second issue is to make a guide pin that matches the actual dado width EXACTLY every shop session. A third issue, related to the first two, is positioning the guide pin exactly two dado widths from the edge of the blade. None of the jigs were reliable in all or any of these issues, so I spent some time and invented the iBox. It solves all of those problems. It doesn't care what the dado width is or that your dado stack is 1/64", .015, .001, etc. wider or narrower than you wanted, it sets itself to the actual kerf- it sets the guide pin width and blade-to-guide pin distance precisely. For those who don't like partial pins or narrow slivers which I call orphans, at the end of a box joint, rather than fiddling with the dado stack or adjusting (ripping to width) the size of your board, why not just use a "center-keyed" box joint? You will always have full width pins or slots at the beginning and end of your joint.

[@IBOXPAPA]

@Slim_Savage My jig, the INCRA iBox is available from INCRA and many WW retailers.

[@IBOXPAPA]

@Slim_SavageYou get your money’s worth. Just compare the price to what folks pay for some of the simple squares, etc. from Woodpeckers, or for an Oneida cyclone! I like saving money and also enjoy making my own stuff, too and that is how the IBox and Lock Miter Master came about, but there is a limit.

[@HibsMax]

This looks like a great jig and I look forward to trying it. One question, could you keep using the same face and just replace the keys? Or do you prefer to replace the entire face so that once you have it dialed in, you're all set? I was thinking of a similar design to this but using replaceable keys instead of the entire face/fence.

[@rfc9980]

Guess I'm missing something here with the adjustable screw feature. How can it adjust the position when the carriage bolts go through both the movable fence and the fixed fence?

[@WoodsmithShowandmagazine]

It’s a 1/4” carriage bolt that goes through an oversized (3/8”) hole in the fixed fence to allow just enough clearance for the micro-adjustments needed to hone in on the correct position of the key relative to the blade.

[@bigviper64]

I am going to make this jig, sounds great. Question tho, instead of a Dado Blade, is it possible to just put 2 blades of the same size together and cut a 1/4” cut? IF one blade is 1/8”, it sounds like it would work.

[@usaf4dbt]

Thank you

[@DannyZawacki]

This looks like it has some great upgrades on the Box Joint Jig you featured in issue 78 of Woodsmith. I'm looking forward to taking the improvements from here and applying them to the plans in the issue. I have a project in mind (coffee mill) that will require box joints.

[@vicromano2562]

I.m sure it's possible to finger joint all 8 edges of a box, but is it worth the trouble?

[@RussGeneres]

After buying the plan a year ago, I'm finally getting around to building it. Since the plan does not include a cut list, I can't find a dimension for the width if part E, the carrier plate. Is there somewhere in the plan that specifies the width?

[@wasito1103]

Is Snap On tool chest worth it?

[@geerthein5002]

I have watched your video carefully. I ask a question: The thickness of the saw blade is known. I've always been taught that you start with a finger and end with it, when all fingers and nests are the same width. In your case this is not the case. Is there a solution that you can also make large fingers with the given saw thickness. You have to be able to somehow shift your workpiece to create the width of the finger. Looking forward to your answer.

[@winner1604]

A Better idea would have been for you to utilize the video to show us how to build the jig, instead of making money by charging us for the plan. But this is the way it is with woodsmith.

[@jjlj363]

I definitely agree, waste of my time very upset calling corporate!

[@aaudain1]

Awesome great job

[@EclaWood]

Smart wood corner joint

[@wam2b]

What issue is this in?

[@WoodsmithShowandmagazine]

It was first featured in ShopNotes Magazine issue #62.

[@wam2b]

@woodsmith, Awesome! Thank you!

[@lawrencehincker8652]

@@WoodsmithShowandmagazine Thanks Woodsmith. I retrieved it from my Shop Notes DVD. It would be nice to regularly reference on your videos the issue (either Woodsmith Mag or Shop Notes) in which these projects first appear.

[@rodolfoplasencia9739]

Do not talk while cutting, or you may concentrate more in what you have to say or are trying to say and not in that there is a saw rotating that if you do not pay attention to it, you will regret not doing so! When you use the saw, is time to pay strict attention to the saw, so you don't cut yourself. Then, once off, or before, you can talk. Train all around you to DO NOT TALK TO YOU WHILE YOU ARE WITH THE SAW CUTTING! if they have anything to say to you, stand in front, or make a sign with their hands and this interruption better be of importance since you will be trying to avoid getting cut, and working so all shall learn to don't disturb you with something they can do without counting on you or interrupting you, unless is an emergency but, if they have an emergency e don't want two, so do not talk while the saw is on.

[@terristroh3965]

I was thinking you were going have that backer piece and the key and spacer all together in one removable and exchangeable piece. Could that actually work?

[@barnyardkh4]

If they aren't separate it negates the adjustability of the stop and adjustment screw on the end of the 'fence' and makes the process of 'setting' the key very difficult to get exactly correct.

[@labrat7357]

I subscribe to Woodsmith magazine in Australia and I a'm very disappointed to go to buy the plans only to find the plans are only available in imperial measurements. You are publishing your magazine in many countries that are metricated countries yet have the arrogance to NOT make metric plans available. Infact the only recalcitrant countries not to be metric are the US , Myanmar and Liberia.

[@seanflanagan2441]

Seems very pretentious, even arrogant, to call this "ultimate" when it is so limited: cutting finger joints on pieces larger foot-long will be difficult and very prone to error. jus' sayin'

[@walterwinnipeg7350]

I agree, but he's not alone! 😄Just do a scan of KZbin videos for woodworking jigs and techniques, and they are all either "ultimate" or "best ever". 🙃

[@CarmoniusFinsnickeri]

I would never call anything "ultimate" as there is always room for improvement but I can with quite big confidence say that my boxjoint and tenon jig is the best in the world. No accumulative errors, no test cuts, best accuracy, easy to trim the fit in steps of 0.05mm and shorter set up time than all the others. As a bonus it can make double tenons and boxjoint with individual spacing without problems.