question on box building

[Karl Card]

I am new to building boxes and have several cut out and ready to go together for the most part. I did one with some old 2x4's just to get an ideal of what I am doing.

I got my box joint jig made and it seems to be working pretty good. I have a larger router but so that I can cut the pins and tails flush with the side of the box. There is so little hangover on the pins and tails that I may could just sand them down with ras, but I didnt want to take the chance and put a "dip" in the side of the box.

Here is my huge real big problem though, the bottom. on mitered corners on a box I did for practice I just dado cut each side and slid the bottom and top in respectively and then glued up the joints and tada.... but on box joint at each corner how can I or what is the nicest way for a beginner to attach or install the bottom ?

I did do a google search and all I am finding is text instructions.... well I really need a picture...

[Ray Newman]

?? Box slotting bits from Lee Valley??

www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=47818&cat=1,46168,46176&ap=1 (http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=47818&cat=1,46168,46176&ap=1)

[Jim Summers]

?? Box slotting bits from Lee Valley??

www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=47818&cat=1,46168,46176&ap=1 (http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=47818&cat=1,46168,46176&ap=1)

Neat idea.

I wonder if you can build your box, clamp it together and then use the cutter? Then if anything bad happens all you have to do is redo the messed up piece?

Hmmmmm.

[Karl Card]

I am under the assumption that those bits are used after you clamp the four sides together so it kind of makes a dado cut all the way around without it showing at the box jointed corners....???

sounds pretty cool.... I wished they were here like yesterday....lol

[David Christopher]

you can do a stop dado with a strait cutting bit

[Lance Norris]

I am under the assumption that those bits are used after you clamp the four sides together so it kind of makes a dado cut all the way around without it showing at the box jointed corners....???

sounds pretty cool.... I wished they were here like yesterday....lol

This is exactly how I do it... on the router table. Then you can disassemble the box and square off the ends of the dado groove with an 1/8" chisel(assuming you are using 1/8' ply for the bottom...?), or you can round the corners of your bottom panel so that it fits in the rounded corners that the bit leaves.

[Rod Sheridan]

If there are sides you don't see, cut the groove so it lines up with one set of pins. This of course is done before you glue the box together.

Another method is to cut the groove with the box slotting router bit, once again befor gluing the box.

The third is stopped grooves which can only be cut with a router or shaper before the box is assembled. This is what I do, cut them on the shaper, square up the ends with a chisel).

DO NOT try to make a stopped grooved on a table saw.

Regards, Rod.

[Lance Norris]

I guess I need to add that the grooves are cut before you glue it all together. I started using clamps at first, but soon found they were in the way and kinda difficult to use. I now use painters tape and just tape the box together. I dont build huge boxes, but this works well for small to medium size boxes.

[Jim Summers]

you can do a stop dado with a strait cutting bit

That is how I have been doing it.

But these cutters look a little less stressful as long as you make sure you are on the correct side of the cutter with your feed direction.

[Karl Card]

Good info....

I have a nice router table just not much experience on it... I guess that is why they make pine 2x4's...

I really wanted to use the dado blado because of repeat exact cuts but there was no way I was even going to try a stop and start point with a blad that big moving that fast... I could just invision fingers being dismantled..