symmetrical box joints on Akeda?

[Zach England]

Does anyone know of a way to make symmetrical box joints on the Akeda? By this I mean joints where the "pins" and "tails" are the same size. I am sure it is painfully obvious, but I am not good with geometry and can't visualize how to set it up. The only box joints I can find in the literature are the ones where the "pins" and "tails" arre different sizes.

I know I can do it on the table saw, but my dado stack leaves slight grooves at the perimeter of the cuts and I don't want to have to deal with these.

Thanks.

[roman fedyk]

Here are the steps involved (from the Akeda website) You do need a different guide to accomplish:

You will need the .350” box joint bit (P/N 3458 with 1/4” shank, or P/N 3858 with 8mm shank) and the .578” guide bushing (P/N 3530)
Your stock width should be a multiple of 1”, but if you want a “pin” at each end as shown on the left, add 1/2" for the extra “pin”. Use a shim to align your stock, or adjust the index strip (P/N 3460 Index Strip Adjuster).
Install a row of half blind pin guides from below, and clamp your stock up underneath them in the rear vertical clamp and rout out the sockets.

Make the usual pencil marks on the guide rail before you remove your stock from the jig. Discard one HBD pin guide and move the remaining pin guides to the midway points between your first pencil marks, or 1/2” to the right Now install the mating “pin” piece and rout out the sockets.

There is a picture of the process on the website. http://www.akeda.com/documents/BoxJoint1-2.1.pdf

These instructions are for a 1/2" joint, but I believe they are coming out with a 1/4" one as well.....

I heard AKEDA is coming out with a couple of new cutters that will enable us to make 1/4" and 1/8" uniform box joints. I heard they've figured out an easy way to do it by using the stock guide fingers to form precision templates and apparently no new guide bushings required.

That makes a total of four different sizes of box joints all done with the basic equipment and no templates....excellent.

[Zach England]

Thanks. I'll give it a try.