Fingerjoint

[Amy Leigh Baker]

I thought you could cut a fingerjoint (for something such as a drawer box) with a router rather than a tablesaw, but all I find is bits like the following...

boxjoint57.jpg

I prefer the wide fingered joints such as this...

untitled.jpg

Can I cut these with a router?

Amy

[Alan Schwabacher]

Look for box joint, which refers only to what you want. These are sometimes also called finger joints, but some restrict the use of that term for joints at the ends of two boards to attach them to make a single longer board.

Yes, you can cut them with a router. One way is to use a sled that is almost the same as the tablesaw sled, but sometimes must slide differently because of lack of miter slots. Here's one jig, with a video:
http://us.oak-park.com/catalogue.html?list=boxj--

[Michael Pfau]

Amy , yes you can on the router table. I have done it several times, using a quarter inch straight bit. A sled is used up against your router table fence. Same machanics as on a table saw, using a spacer and such. Good Luck!

[Russ Sears]

A 1/4" spiral bit works nicely as well.

[Tim Thomas]

Amy, I have the Porter Cable Dovetail Jig that will let you cut box joints using your router. It comes with a dovetail and a straight router bit and a two sided template that can be used for either dovetails or box joints. Dead simple to use and it makes excellent joints. There are some other models of this jig from Rockler and Woodcraft, etc. but I don't know anything about their performance. They look like the same design though.

[Cody Colston]

Google "box joint jig" and you will find instructions for several variations of a shop-made jig. I prefer the simpler ones and have used them on both the tablesaw and the router table...both with the jig attached to a miter gauge.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I thought you could cut a fingerjoint (for something such as a drawer box) with a router rather than a tablesaw, but all I find is bits like the following...

boxjoint57.jpg

I prefer the wide fingered joints such as this...

untitled.jpg

Can I cut these with a router?

Amy

That kind of jig can work for a router table too. Most people will make a jig for the router table, specifically, to run in the miter slot or registering off an edge.

Doc

[Peter Quinn]

Check out Yeung Chan's book Joints with Power Tools, I built his box joint jig and it works great.

[Bob Feeser]

I have bought a lot of books on woodworking, and that is what I consider to be the most impressive books on the subject. Engineered to simplicity. Clear explanations. Intuitive, practical, advanced techniques. It also displays a depth of character of the author.

Check out Yeung Chan's book Joints with Power Tools, I built his box joint jig and it works great.

[Rob Will]

Amy,
This is a table saw method but I don't see why it would not work with a router. Good topic by the way.
http://www.cabinetmaking.com/pages/fingerjig.htm

Rob

[Will Blick]

If you prefer the wider bits, say 1/4", why not use the TS?

The benefit of the TS is, the blade is less prone to tear-out vs. a router spiral bit. The disadvantage is, most TS's have very rough height controls, vs. routers.


I once had a Craftsman contractors saw that had tremendous precision in the blade height, about ~25 cranks to raise the blade from bottom to top. Other than that saw, I never found one that was a slow cranker, so precision height settings are much harder to achieve.... does anyone know of a good precise slow crank'in TS?

One benefit of the router bit you showed, usually called a finger joint bit, it will cut the same exact cuts over and over, unlike the single cut system, where slight errors can be introduced. Of course, the limitation is the height of the wood that can be used, next, you're into shapers. (a bigger version of a router table)


If I needed to cut LOTS of box joints, I can't fathom anything being faster and more precise than a shaper.

[Amy Leigh Baker]

If you prefer the wider bits, say 1/4", why not use the TS?

I don't own a table saw and am borrowing one from a friend. It does the job, but there is no miter fence or dado blades, so I would have to buy both for a saw that I will have to return. If I am going to buy a table saw I would rather buy something worth keeping, and I don't have the money for that. Maybe down the road.

However, there are things I need a router for on my current project, I can afford a halfway decent one of these so I don't mind outfitting it since it will be something I own.

Thanks for all the tips so far!

[Greg Cole]

Amy,
There are alot of jigs you can make for this task if you dig around a little & google it. FWIW, you don't need a miter gauge to start with..... then again the gauges that are factory equipment aren't good for much anyway. Make the jig and use a wood runner so you don't buy something for someone else tool, unless you consider it "rent".
Regardless of cutting method use a backer board to keep tear-chip out to a minimum.
I've done some on the TS and via a router, 6 of one 1/2 dozen to me. Depends on what machine is set up for what at the time, I hate "un-setting up" a machine to set up for something & then "re-set it back up". One of about 1,000,000 pet peeves of mine.

Cheers.
Greg

[Scott duprat]

Check out the woodworking channel dot com, check out the router guys, the desk set episode...show how to do it with the router and minimal setup...plus they have neat-o smocks.

Scott