Making a Box Joint Jig - UPDATED
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Box Joints are one way of connecting corners in woodworking. They look great and when they are glued together they make a very strong joint which makes them suitable for drawers and boxes, especially ones that get high usage. The problem with most box joint jigs is that they are often finickity to use and very often will only make one, or at the most two sides at the same time. From what we have been able to gather, this jig was originally conceived by Lynn Sabin and later modified by others.
We have taken the original plans and modified them yet again, by primarily making the base much wider. The advantage to making the base wider is that the jig can now be adapted to cut wood flat side down. This means a type of weave pattern can now be cut into wood and not just on the edges.
Anyone who has tried to cut trivets manually on a table saw will be doing back flips when they see just how easy it is to make multiple cuts, accurately and easily.
Making a Box Joint Jig - UPDATED
We made the original version of this jig first of all to see how it worked and what problems we might encounter along the way. We were so happy with the first version that we decided to re-make the jig with a few modifications and changes to make it even better and more versatile. For more info and links, read on ...
The Rockler Glue Tool
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Some of the greatest frustrations in woodworking come from seeminly simple tasks. Like when you glue boards together, it's important not to get glue on parts of the boards where you don't want it because when it dries it can effect the finish of the wood. Over the years I have tried everything to spread glue from my own fingers, to little wooden sticks, foam brushes, good quality paint brushes, disposable paint brushes, chips of plastic ... pretty much anything that I hope will work. I always seem to be looking for something that is easy to use and more importantly, something that spreads the glue evenly over the area to be glued so I am not wasting glue, but so I am getting enough so that I avoid getting voids in the joints.
The Rockler Glue Tool
Now, someone has invented a little glue brush that spreads glue evenly, particularly over the edges of boards such as when you are glueing narrow boards together to make wider boards. One of the problems with gluing boards together is that if you miss putting enough glue on a particular spot, when the glue dries you get "Voids" in the wood, little areas where there wasn't enough glue and it leaves small holes between the boards being joined. These are most annoying because they are hard to fill and stand out like crazy when you are trying to finish a woodwork piece. This little brush actually does a great job of spreading glue evenly because of it's large bristles. If by chance you are like me and often forget to clean the brush after you use it, the dried glue can be easily cleaned off after it is dry.
These are great little brushes .. inexpensive and easy to use and one of the great little addtions to helping to keep the frustration out of your woodworking time.
Copyright Colin Knecht
Woodworkweb.com
Magnetic Switches for Jigs
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Innovation and woodworking go hand in hand. Despite the fact that woodworking is the second oldest profession, it has always been a place where new tools and ideas meet. Such is the case with the "Magswitch". If you aren't familiar with the Magswitch, it is simply a magnet that can be switched off and on. So if you place a magswitch on a steel table, like a table saw, and turn the switch, the magnets are energized, adhering the unit to the table. When the switch is turned off, the switch can be lifted off the table with same effort it takes to lift a screw driver off the table.
Magnetic Switches for Jigs
Having a tool that is quick and easy for making and adapting to jigs is a HUGE benefit in the workshop for saving time and for making more accurate cuttings, and that's just where the magswith is perfect ....
Comparing Box Joint Jigs
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One of the most recognizeable joints in woodworking is the dovetail joint. It has been around for centuries and is always associated with quality. In the past century one of the main purposes of dovetail joints is in making drawers, which is a real pity because dovetail joints are such a pretty joint they should really by "seen" more often. What many woodworkers don't realize is that as popular as dovetail joints are, they are often confused with another joint called "box joint", which is similar in design and look, but box joints have square pins and tails compared to dovetail which have angled pins and tails.
When comparing the two joints, the dovetail joint is easily the prettiest of the two but slighly more difficult to make. The dovetail joint It appears to take more time to make and just looks better. Among woodworkers, anyone who can actually hand-cut high quality dovetails are often held in high regard. One of the best people for hand cutting dovetail joints that I have had the pleasure of meeting and working in association with at woodworking shows is Rob Cosman. I can't imagine how many dovetail joints Rob must have cut in his lifetime, but the quality of his cuts is evidence that practice make perfect. Check out Rob's website for more information on dovetail joints at www.robcosman.com.
Now, back to the topic of box joints, and comparing the jigs and how to make them.
Comparing Box Joint Jigs
What most woodworkers don't realize is the most people who know a bit about fine furniture will call box joints dovetail joints. There is really only a small portion of the population that really know the difference. It's almost like what a woodworker told me once, "if you want to impress another woodworker, make a dovetail joint, if you want to impress the rest of the population, a box joint will work just fine". To back up his claim, I told him that I had been in a number of situations where people have called box joints dovetail joints, and he agreed and confirmed that only a very few, knowledgeable furniture experts have been able to identify the difference.
So, what are some of the best ways to make these joints, well, read on and we will show talk about them.
Using Anti-Slip Accessories in the Workshop
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One of the miracles of the last decade is the invention of anti-slip (or anti-skid depending on who you talk to) material. I`m not entirely sure what this material was invented for but has spawned a whole new realm of inventions and ideas. And that idea is what was the see for this article. An interactive video on what members are currently using this anti slip material for.
Using Anti-Slip Accessories in the Workshop
Comparing Saw Blade Quality
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Working with wood can be challenging enough with out having to be fighting tools as well. One of the drawbacks of working with wood is that it is always moving due to moisture in the air that wood is constantly either absorbing or releasing depending on the humidity.
As woodworkers we are always striving to make the most accurate, and straightest cuts we can and that is why we purchase expensive machinery with highly accurate fences and micro adjustments, so that we can make perfect cuts. The reason we want perfect cuts is the wood is MUCH easier to work with when we work with flat, straight and right angle cuts. When these cuts are bad, wavy rough or otherwise at some sort of an angle, it either means wasted wood, or having to re-do of fill something, which costs more time and money.
Comparing Saw Blade Quality
One of the best investments is purchasing excellent quality table saw blades. Even if your saw is not the best in the world, you can still make excellent cuts if you have an excellent blade to work with. One of the features of a good blade is reduced vibration during cutting. A blade that is "dead" is far more likely to product a good, straight and accurate cut that one that wants to vibrate.
We decided to test some Freud blades with their non-stick Permashield trademark coating to see if this actually make any difference to the "resonance of the blade" ... have a look a the video and you will see that an excellent quality "dead" blade is not created that way with coating, but during the actual manufacture of the steel. There is no substitute for good quality tools
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