Finger/box joints for case sides

[John T Barker]

I want to make some large boxes and will probably use finger joints. I know how they are made but would like to see how others make them on long sides (too tall to hold on a tablesaw or router table) to see what will work best for me. Any one want to share some methods?

[Dave Richards]

I don't have any pictures of the boxes but I made a set of three large toy boxes that stack for my son when he was little. We would rearrange the boxes once in awhile so he would get "new" toys to play with every few months. The boxes are 40 inches long on the long sides. I used box joints to join the corners and cut them with the Router Boss. It was easy and safe to run through them and they fit perfectly when finished.

[Loren Woirhaye]

For wider finger joints (like 1" wide ones) you can make a template on the table saw where the gaps are wider than the fingers of the template by the amount of total difference between your straight router bit and your template guide. With a 1/2" bit and a 5/8" template guide the gaps are 1 1/8" while the fingers are 1"... as I recall. I made one once using an INCRA fence, but careful layout would work as well. It may be the fingers would be narrower than I'm thinking. Draw it out and I think you'll be able to figure it out.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I made a jig of 3/4" plywood and attached it to two of my miter gauges. I cut the finger joints on my table saw joining the fronts to the sides of some drawers for an entertainment center I built. It worked well and was easy to do.

Here's a link to the thread showing the finger joints. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?186807-My-wife-s-long-delayed-entertainment-center&highlight= Scroll down to the last post to see photos of the jig.

[Pat Barry]

I want to make some large boxes and will probably use finger joints. I know how they are made but would like to see how others make them on long sides (too tall to hold on a tablesaw or router table) to see what will work best for me. Any one want to share some methods?

I would still use the table saw but would build a special purpose table saw sled with proper support to ensure the tall panel was held securely. In my gagrage I could handle a side that is about 5 feet tall before I run out of room. Simialr approach for the router although I prefer the tablesaw for this operation.

[Rod Sheridan]

I want to make some large boxes and will probably use finger joints. I know how they are made but would like to see how others make them on long sides (too tall to hold on a tablesaw or router table) to see what will work best for me. Any one want to share some methods?

Anytime it's too tall to hold on the machine, I use a crosscut dovetail saw..........Regards, Rod.

[Peter Quinn]

There is no side too tall for the TS saw unless it hits the ceiling! I made a sled, two runners, plywood base, 1 3/4" MDF fence 12" tall, added a heavy piece of 10/4 scrap as a back fence (the front edge of the sled which hits the blade first is what I'm meaning). Worked like a charm. I was making 1 1/4" finger joints on teak panels 45"X50", had to make up a spacer system with a 3/4" dado stack, 1/2" spacers to allow two passes per finger. I made 16 panels of similar size without any issues. I don't have a pic of the actual sled, was at a past job, but here is a few shots of the joints.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I posted some pics of my jig for doing this on my page if anyone wants to see it done on a Felder. You can make a jig for practically anything I'd think, if using your saw. Otherwise, there are some other good options above.