Box joints for cutlery boxes

[Tom Andersen]

My daughters have asked me to make some shallow oak boxes for cutlery. Sides will be 3/8 thick and 2-3 inches high. I am thinking of box joints on the corners. I am aware of the method for making box joints with a dado in a table saw but unfortunately my saw is an old cast iron monster, so there is no room for a dado (apart from that the saw is actually very good). Can you recommend a clever way to make small box joints without a dado or with a router instead?

Thanks-

[tod evans]

tom, use your saw with a flat bottomed blade and cut 1/8 fingers.....02 tod

[Lee Schierer]

You can use a router with a straight bit to make finger joints just like a dado blade in a table saw. THe jig construction would be about the same. It is even more critical with a router to have a backer piece to prevent splintering on the exit side of the cut. You may also have to cut the fingers in two height passes.

When I make finger joints I always cut the two pating corner pieces at the same time so any errors are duplicated in each half of the joint. You'll need to mark top & bottom and mark the mating corners as you complete the cuts.

[Ed Kowaski]

Tod nailed this one, in 21 mins. :)

The 1/8 fingers will look better in small boxes and cutting box joints with a router is a PITA.

Ed

[Charles McCracken]

My daughters have asked me to make some shallow oak boxes for cutlery. Sides will be 3/8 thick and 2-3 inches high. I am thinking of box joints on the corners. I am aware of the method for making box joints with a dado in a table saw but unfortunately my saw is an old cast iron monster, so there is no room for a dado (apart from that the saw is actually very good). Can you recommend a clever way to make small box joints without a dado or with a router instead?

Thanks-
Tom,

Have you seen the Freud SBOX8 Box Joint Cutter Set? It's comprised of two blades that stack back to back for 1/4" slots or face to face for 3/8" slots.

Charles M
Freud America, Inc.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Is a 1/4" dado blade larger than the 1/4" box joint blade?

[Hank Keller]

Tom-
I recently went to a wood show in Columbus and purchased the woodline router spacer fence system. Being a beginner I was not sure if I could make box joints as easy as the demo guy, but sure enough, within two adjustments, I had perfect box joints. For someone who never did one before, I was impressed with how easy it was. And it has a lifetime warranty even if you ruin it accidently with the router.

[Bill Webber]

Can you recommend a clever way to make small box joints without a dado or with a router instead?

I've made a lot of box-joint boxes with just a single blade. My box joint jig is explained on my web page. Look under projects in progress. (Yeah, I know, it doesn't get updated very often :rolleyes: ) And yes, a flat ground blade is best, but the boxes I made were made with a Forrest Woodworker something or other blade and the small deviation from flat really doesn't show up.

Bill W.

[Wes Bischel]

As Tod mentioned, I've made a few boxes with a plain old ATBR blade - the raker makes it flat and clean.

This box had sidewalls of 3/4" thickness (pre planer days).

Good luck, I'll be interested in seeing the results, whatever you decide.

Wes

[Charles McCracken]

Is a 1/4" dado blade larger than the 1/4" box joint blade?
Nope, 1/4" is still 1/4" and the plate thicknesses are similar. Stacking the 3/8" with the box joint set is the same thickness plate as the 1/4" so it is narrower than can be done with a dado. Some saws that will not accept a dado stack will accept the two blades of the box joint set. This will vary by saw, of course, and almost every saw available today will run it.

Charles M
Freud America, Inc.