I want to buy a good box joint jig

[Rich Engelhardt]

Looking real hard at the pricy Ibox by Incra.
I'm ok with the price I can get at Infinity - $179.90
The biggest problem is - they are in short supply everywhere.

I was all set to order one from Carbide Processors - but - CP pulled the item from their website on Sunday - just as I logged in to order it!
The ability to stick one in the shopping cart wasn't there like it had been - weird...oh well...

Anyhow - in looking around, I see there are a lot of others that are about half the price.
Are they any good?

[Frank Pratt]

A box joint jig is dead easy to make. Check out William Ng's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NutwD7B6tmE&t=1s

[Gary Ragatz]

There's a guy selling a lightly used Ibox for $147.95 on the big auction site. Says he won't ship it - pick-up only. He's located in Hermitage, PA, which looks to be pretty close to the Ohio border - not sure if that's close enough for you to make it worth looking into.

[Von Bickley]

I have the Incra I-Box and have been satisfied with the results.
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[Dave Cav]

I used home made box joint jigs for years and after I got my IBox jig a year or so ago I threw them all away. Once you get it figured out and set up it's great, very easy to fine tune.

I don't know what's going on with their production and availability; I recently ordered an LS Positioner and it took about five weeks to show up. I think it's probably a problem with their production not being able to keep up with demand. On the other hand, when I ordered new metric scales for the positioner, they showed up in a couple of days, so their shipping department is working fine.

I just checked the Incra website and the IBox jig shows in stock, with a 2-3 week lead time. I'd go ahead and order it direct from Incra.

[Bruce Wrenn]

If you are going to use a router, search up WoodSmith / ShopNotes box joint jig. Super simple!

[michael dilday]

The Leigh RJT400 is a great jig for many types of joints including Box. Pricey but I have one and it is worth it.

[David Buchhauser]

Looking real hard at the pricy Ibox by Incra.
I'm ok with the price I can get at Infinity - $179.90
The biggest problem is - they are in short supply everywhere.

Hi Rich,
I bought the Incra I-Box about a year ago. Price was $153.99 at the time from Peachtree Woodworking Supply on Amazon. The price has increased, but it's still available for immediate delivery on Amazon.
David

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LD4S5G/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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[michael dilday]

I have the Incra. I used it and could get good box joints with it but there seemed to be quite a lot of slop or variation in the "kiss the blade" setup adjustment. This was causing joints either too tight or too loose so it was taking several test fits before I was happy with it. Just seemed inconsistent to me. I wanted to up my game for dovetails from the Porter Cable so I got the Leigh Tools RTJ400. Did box joints on it yesterday and it was very simple. Set the bit with my one way multi-gauge to board thickness over the jig base and add 10 thousands and my test fit perfect. Very happy with the Leigh Tools RTJ400. I guess I have an Incra box jig for sale now.

[Bruce Page]

I have a Woodhaven box joint jig that is easy to set up & makes nice joints. If I were shopping today I’d buy the Incra Ibox jig.

[glenn bradley]

I have and use the i-Box. The price has jumped nearly 25% since I bought mine!?! At any rate, it is a nice, versatile jig for repeating patterns. It is easy to setup and use. I do still use a sac-fence clamped to my sled with a key now and then since that is very easy too. I prefer the Incra if I am doing a lot of parts like drawers or production runs of things. A keyed sac-fence is quick for one-offs.

[Randy Heinemann]

The iBox is a great jig. l own one because I generally don't like spending my time making jigs and all of Incra's stuff is accurate and precise. However, you can rather easily make one and there are numerous videos on YouTube, as well as other woodworking sites (like Fine Woodworking) which show how to do it.

Also, if you are buying the iBox, check on the incramentaltools.com site. If this is your first order, you may get an additional 10% off their price. Sometimes Woodcraft has in-store or online sales which also may give you a discount. If you're not in a hurry you can probably get it a little cheaper than the regular Incra online price.

[Bill Space]

Another vote for the I-box jig.

Can't say enough good about it. As mentioned above, once you understand the setup, you can not beat it for fine tuning adjustability.

Do not remember what I paid a year or two ago, but it was worth it.

[Stan Calow]

Didn't somebody who is a contributor here on SMC design the I-box? I seem to remember that I bought one based on that discussion.

[tom lucas]

I built this one and it is awesome:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYxDXHGRRrk&t=1177s

You can make joints in 1/16th increments, mix and match sizes too. Works great and cost me about $5 plus scrap lumber.

[Charles Lent]

I bought an I-Box jig almost as soon as they became available, because the inventor of it gave me a demonstration of his prototype before the jig hit the market. His demonstration of how it worked completely convinced me that I had to have one. I make a lot of boxes, so it has been put to good use. After getting it, all of my shop made box joint jigs went in the burn pile. Not only did the I-Box work better than most of them, it was easy to adjust for different size box joints, and it took up less space in my shop than that stack of shop made box joint jugs that I had (one for each size joint). I found that I get better results using it on my Unisaw than on my router table, and use the Freud SBOX8 blade set most of the time. For 1/8" joints I found a Freud Ripping Blade with a FTG tooth grind that has a 0.126" tooth width, so it works well for 1/8" box joints. For joints wider that 3/8" I use my Freud Dial A Width dado blade set. It doesn't make true flat bottomed cuts, but on larger box joints, this isn't as noticeable as on smaller box joints. I can even get perfect box joints in Baltic Birch plywood.

Charley

[Bruce Wrenn]

Didn't somebody who is a contributor here on SMC design the I-box? I seem to remember that I bought one based on that discussion.Alan over in Little Washington NC

[Charles Lent]

If you buy an I-Box jig, take the time to make some duplicates of the sacrificial strip that comes with the jig. A 2 X 4' piece of 1/4" MDF will cost you about $5 at Home Depot. From it you can make about a dozen of these in about an hour. You need a fresh position of the strip each time you are about to start cutting box joints, and if you cut all day you will benefit by cutting a new position in it after about 4 hours. You can slide the strip back and forth to find new uncut positions, and even turn it over to use the opposite (top) edge, but if you make as many boxes as I do, you will soon need a new sacrificial strip. Incra sells them at 3/$10 plus shipping, but why buy when they can be so easily made. $40 worth at the cost of a $5 piece of 1/4" MDF and about an hour of shop time. It's shop time/fun time right?

Alan is a member here, but doesn't seem to be as active as he once was. A search will bring up several posts where he has helped users resolve problems with their I-Box jigs.

Charley

[Derek Arita]

I'm just gonna throw this one out there. If you want to be able to do box joints and dovetails, the Leigh D4R Pro is a great jig. I used it to make this box. The joint are as tight or loose as you like. I works. By the way, I have the IBox as well, but find the D4RPro to be easier and simpler to use. https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/h151/derekarita1/0/811004ED-E972-4245-B9EE-6092152B4364.jpeg (https://app.photobucket.com/u/derekarita1/p/4039b931-c8c2-4350-be57-72799e28d30d)

[Billy Merrill]

Back in stock at infinity tools.

[kent wardecke]

I'm just gonna throw this one out there. If you want to be able to do box joints and dovetails, the Leigh D4R Pro is a great jig. I used it to make this box. The joint are as tight or loose as you like. I works. By the way, I have the IBox as well, but find the D4RPro to be easier and simpler to use. https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/h151/derekarita1/0/811004ED-E972-4245-B9EE-6092152B4364.jpeg (https://app.photobucket.com/u/derekarita1/p/4039b931-c8c2-4350-be57-72799e28d30d)

That's an awesome jig. $599 wow that's a pricy piece of equipment

[Bill Space]

I'm just gonna throw this one out there. If you want to be able to do box joints and dovetails, the Leigh D4R Pro is a great jig. I used it to make this box. The joint are as tight or loose as you like. I works. By the way, I have the IBox as well, but find the D4RPro to be easier and simpler to use. https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/h151/derekarita1/0/811004ED-E972-4245-B9EE-6092152B4364.jpeg (https://app.photobucket.com/u/derekarita1/p/4039b931-c8c2-4350-be57-72799e28d30d)

Can not imagine the Leigh with the router would be easier to use than the Incra on the table saw, for box joints. Dovetails? Leigh all the way...:)

You did say box joints AND dovetails though...just picked up on that after typing...

[Derek Arita]

Sorry for the typos. Yes, for me, the D4RPro is easier to use. If I used the iBox more often, maybe I'd find it easier, but it seems every time I use it, I have to break out the video to rewatch and start from ground zero learning how to use it. I suppose on small joints, the iBox would be easier, but anything longer than 6", the D4RPro would be my choice.

[Charles Lent]

If I'm going to cut the same width box joints with the same blade set I can just put the I-box jig back on my Unisaw, set the blade height and move the sacrificial strip to a new position and begin cutting box joints. The I-Box holds it's settings very well. I store it in a box that I made for it, so it doesn't get knocked around.

Charley