Great job! Very clear directions. Much better than Incras video. Ignore the critics. Cutting through the guard was an error but no big deal. Every manufacturer of box joint jigs requires fine tuning. You did an excellent job of explaining the finer details. Thank you for taking the time to make a well thought out video. I love the fact you were all business. No boring 3 minute introduction with unnecessary drama or gimmicks. There is another You Tube poster that thinks he is Gods gift to the woodworking world and spends half his time criticizing other YT posters. Thanks for keeping on task. Your editing was spot on.
First of all I wish to thank you for your video. I am the owner of the Incra Box Joint Jig and have been frustrated more than once with the directions of the red and silver knobs, your video clarified this problem for me. As far as the blade guard being backward, I think they are both the same and the plexiglass shield can be used on either of them. I found the video presentation to be well done and your "hands on," work was clear and unobstructed. Keep up the good work.
One commenter had me convinced that the board guards were in backwards but you're right that they're both the same. Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad the video helped.
Thanks for the video. I’ve had the ibox for several years but haven’t used it in awhile so I felt a quick refresher was due. Your video was concise and to the point. Thank you for taking the time to make and share it with us. Tom
This is a very good video on the IBox jig BTW...Just want to add one more thing here on the issue of tear out with plywood. I found unscrewing the 1/4" mdf backer on the jig body and using pre cut 1/4" mdf pieces NOT screwed into the jig just moving everything down and holding together the backer and my plywood as cuts are made so you always have a new backer to cut thru eliminated my tear out issues almost 100%. I just turn the backer over so I have a clean edge to make the next set of cuts.Wanted to add this for anyone interested. I highly recommend the Freud box cutter blade for this jig as well
Thanks for muting the sound on the video when using the table saw. It is nice being able to watch a woodworking video without having to turn the volume up and down when a power tool is used. I wish all woodworking videos would do this. Dan
@@SkinnySkinch You do realize that audio signals are not flat right? In case this isn't straight trolling, here goes: Setting a fixed volume does not equate to a fixed decibel. When you're watching a movie on tv, and there's a quiet scene with two people whispering, you may turn your volume up so that you can hear it. Then the next scene happens to be a heavy action scene and you realize it's too loud and you turn down the volume. Welcome to audio.
@@tigeraudio I’m well aware of the basics of what is involved with audio mixing for post-production so you can save your professional comments for others in need.
Wow! Thank you so much for your thoroughly detailed explanation of that beautiful tool and technique. No need for almost apologizing for being an excellent craftsman ... you modeled and explained skills and habits that, as a beginner, I want and need to make my own. My fear now, is that I will become over confident, but you modeled humility too. And, by the way, you've helped me select the Inca jig for my box joints. Thanks again.
Very good video. Just figured out how you flipped the boards. That is the part I am struggling with but I will get it sooner or later. Your video is well done.
I needed to make several boxes for coaster holders. I watched the Incra vid on set up prior but referred back to yours on 'dialing in' the exact fitting of the fingers. Your video covers it much better than Incra's video. This was my 1st attempt using my I-Box. As you indicated, Mike, you need to make several test pieces while dialing in an exact fit. I cut several 'test' pieces based on your recommendation. It took every piece of test material for me to get it dialed in exactly. Patience is a virtue! Once you have the jig dialed in exactly you can easily and batch out a bunch of pieces very quickly. I ended making 8 boxes all of which fit together perfectly. I REALLY like the Ibox! I'm plan on getting more 'hands-on' practice with it for some serving trays and jewelry boxes in the future. I have the Hinge-Crafter accessory and have a project in the works which will require the use of it. Thanks for your video, Mike, as it's a great resource in setting up & using the Ibox!
I'm glad to hear that you had good success with the I-Box jig. You're right about being able to quickly batch things out after getting it adjusted the way you want. I was able to batch out a whole bunch of pieces last night, still using my setup from 3 months ago.
Jez enough about the guard. This is an excellent video thank you for taking the time to make it. It's short and to the point. Much better than the Incra one.
Hi. I really enjoyed your video. I just got the jig and I have just about everything figured out. I can get the joint to fit together nicely. I am having one very small, annoying problem. On all 40-50 test pieces I have done, I have been left with on little 32-64th of an inch piece right on the end of one piece but no slot for that on the other piece. I have adjusted the jig back and forth time and time again and I just can’t figure out why I keep getting left with that little piece?? Do you have any ideas???? Please help
Best video for this jig I've seen yet. I've considered buying this but I made a sled using William NG's video and the results are acceptable for me....so far, I still want one but not sure if I "need" one.
Great video, I also have one of these jigs and I noticed that when you first moved it over towards your blade by loosening the two screws, you did not use a square to make sure when you tightened it back up that it would be square to the blade, as it is pretty sloppy when the screws are loose.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I just got an i box jig and was having a little difficulty with the joints being too tight. I watched their tutorial but it wasn't clear how to fix that problem. Of course I didn't watch the whole tutorial because it was somewhat cumbersome. You definitely did a good job explaining, righty tighty, lefty loosey!
That's great, Richard! I'll have another video for you in a couple of hours (still editing it) that shows how to cut a center-keyed splined joint to have a more decorative look.
I know the is a long time ago, but when cutting the stock for the box do you have to compensate plus or minus on the finger joints? Like if the box length is 10 inches do you have to add the size of the joint so it would be like 10 1/4 ? Or do you just use the measurements for the size of the box? That make sense?
If you're referring to the exterior dimensions, I would add about 1/8" to each length because the box joints will likely protrude a bit from the ends until they're sanded. That will leave you about 1/16" on each end to sand off. If you're referring to the interior dimensions, then you'd need to add 2x the thickness of the material plus that extra 1/8". I hope that helps.
I'm getting serious burning in the joints with oak. Lots of smoke has been the result and even enough to set off my smoke alarm. I have cleaned my Dado blades but I still seems to have issues. A single pass through leaves burnt remnants at the back side of the cut so much that I have to loosen the front blade guard to remove the piece and sand off clean and then reset the blade guard each time. It's a very slow process right now. I have no problem getting clean cuts with pine so let me know if you can suggest a solution given my issue with hardwood.
It's likely due to friction, so you might want to try lubricating the blades. I suggest trying a silicone spray like this one. amzn.to/311DnEr It's quick to apply and makes everything really slippery. I apply it to my blades and table saw top from time to time and it makes a huge difference.
I was using this Crystal Clear Paste Wax amzn.to/3kcZWN8, but I recently started to use this silicone spray and it works great on blades as well as the tables on my jointer, bandsaw, and table saw. amzn.to/3mNXZZu
You had your blade guards on backwards, ie. the front one on the back and vise versa. Also Incra's instructions for initial setup are different than what was in the video. I almost cringed when you ran the saw blade through the guards.
I just watched the video and noticed that. He cut through the blade guard. But other than that, he has one of the best instructional videos.. short and sweet..
I use 1/8" finger joints on dozens of boxes but find that changing wood type seems to get me in trouble. I can get perfect setup for one type of wood, say mahogany, but the joints commonly get too tight and often have progressive errors if I switch to a "harder" hardwood, say granadilla. I have also found if making centered keyed boxes the width of the sides must be absolutely identical. Any variation in width - even as small as 1/64th - pushed the fingers on one side of the center key off. Any help??
I may be wrong but I think you have you front blade guard backwards. The machine will cut from either side if you turn the entire jig around. But I believe you need to have the opening to the left of your blade on the right side rather than cutting through the HDF blade guard.
How do you ensure that the fingers are equidistant from the top and bottom edges of the box? Do you cut the width of the sides based on the size of the finger? If you get it wrong, can you rip the sides later to make it equidistant? I guess my question applies to any finger joint jig. Thanks as always.
I've tried, without success to use this jig many times. When the height of the stock is critical to fit the drawer, I want the width of the fingers to be equal and not have a odd finger on the end. I could use the middle space method or cut of the odd finger off with the table saw. I've read many confusing mathematical methods to make this happen. Does anyone have a easy to understand system, I would appreciate some help.
My biggest concern on buying one of these is the wood used is a hard board on the safety shield getting cut down to an unsecured /safe size to use and the miter bar fitting in my sawsmith 2000 slot. can the parts be purchased easily and is the miter adjustable to fit different types, in my case a latger, T slot?
It's pretty easy to buy replacement parts and they're priced reasonably. Here's a link to the INCRA page where they offer replacement parts, including a miter bar for a Shopsmith saw. www.incrementaltools.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=PC-IBOX
After you make the first cut, do you flip the piece over end for end to cut the other end? I understand how you set the pieces to make the first joint (i.e. front and side) but I'm confused about how to set up the cut on the opposite end of the same piece.
What you need to do is mark the edge that will be at the top of the box and then have that marked edge facing the blade. When you switch to the other end, flip it end for end so that the marked edge is still facing the blade and you'll be good to go.
For something that thin, I would have just broken it off by hand before doing the fit. It's a little hard to see because I'm moving the pieces during assembly, but the long side doesn't have a clean break on one edge. That's something that's easy to clean up with a plane or sander after gluing it up.
I use a Grizzly 1023RLW which is a 3HP cabinet saw. Prior to that, I was using a Ridgid TS3650. Ridgid doesn't make that saw anymore, but it was a great value. It's been replaced by the R4512. I upgraded to the Grizzly only to get more power, but was very happy with the Ridgid saw.
wondering the same myself on question #1; question two I believe you're saying if theres overlap once you glue your box together you just sand it down or trim on bandsaw or many other methods. belt sander or band saw probably the easiest way
@@SkinnySkinch that is correct, just sand off afterwards. You want the pins to sit a little proud. If they say shy, then you'd have to sand the entire exterior of th ebox to match the ends of the recessed pins.
so if I want to make a box with finger joints let's say a 4 deep by 10 wide. How long do the 2 sides plus the front and the back have to be so when the fingers interlock that the box ends up the desired width plus depth. Also would these dimensions be inside or outside.
If those are the outside dimensions of the box, then the length of each side would be the same as those outside dimensions. You'd cut two pieces to be 4" and the other two pieces to be 10". To allow for the fingers to extend a little beyond the side of the box and then sanded off later, you might want to add 1/8" to each length so that the fingers would extend about 1/16" beyond the side.
Ok so what if those dimensions are inside, I just tried that darn Incra again and can't seem to get tight fingers. I have adjusted it as you showed on the video but no luck. Not sure what I keep doing wrong or missing. Almost 1 year later and I still can't figure this thing out. Might have to put it away again for another year hahahaha
If those are the inside dimensions, then you'd need to add 2x the thickness of the side pieces to the length of each side piece. For example, if your sides are 1/2" thick, then add 1" to the length. If they're 3/4" thick, then add 1.5". I'm not sure why you're not able to adjust the jig to get tighter joints. Do you have the black knob on the top loosened while you're making the adjustment with the micro-adjust knob? If not, that might be the problem.
Yes I have that knob loose. When I put two sample pieces side by side on the jig the seams don't seem to line up properly. I take it that the pieces have to be squared for this to work properly. I mean do I have to have the test pieces just as squared as the good pieces. Thanks for your help BTW much appreciated.
Yes, the test pieces need to be squared up. They should pretty much replicate the width of final pieces, although the thickness and the length do not have to be the same as the final pieces to set up the fit of the box joint. Hopefully that's the problem you've been facing and you'll get the joints fitting nicely after getting the material squared up.
I used to use a Ridgid TS-3650 which I really liked and was quite adequate for most things, but I upgraded to a Grizzly G1023RLW to have more power that I needed for cutting through thicker materials. It's the Grizzly saw that I used in this video. For the blade, I'm using the Freud Super Dado SD508 that you can find here: amzn.to/2WdL4V4
Thanks for the video. The incra ibox instruction video doesnt say you need to loosen the jig from the miter bar and slide it towards the blade. Your video is great but Incra really needs a better setup video.
I have the Incra jig and have tried and given up so many times. My joints are either too tight or too loose and I always have gaps in between. How do you figure out what size width to cut the boards so that the fingers all match evenly. I will try one more time since I have watched your video but any suggestions would be appreciated. I don't want to trash this jig but if I can't figure it out then that is exactly where it is going to go to the trash
frehleycomet it sounds like you have the calibration a little off. Before you do the "kiss" bring the silver tabs together but so that they just barely touch. DO NOT over tighten them. Then do the "kiss". This is where I went wrong at first. Also if your fingers are to tight then turn the silver micro adjust knob counter clockwise,after loosening the locking knob. Go clockwise if they are too loose. Hope this helps.
Can I suggest you cut template boards. One template for each size of finger. For example, I have a 10mm flute bit on my router table that I cut a template board using. If I’m making drawers etc, the depth of the drawer gets sized using that template. It’s a tried and tested method. Then you won’t get drawers with a half width or an unevenly width finger. You will have several template boards depending on the kerf/bit size you regularly use. Hope that makes sense.
Hang in there, Frehleycomet! When initially using the Ibox I found having additional 'test pieces' (as Mike has indicated here) is really a plus. Be patient. Once you have this dialed in you will be so pleased with perfect results. Mike's video is an excellent reference for adjusting the Ibox for that perfect fit. You'll be so impressed with yourself when you finally get it right.
Same problem here. The fingers are always about 1/32” wider than the grooves no matter how I calibrate the jig. I’ve given up on this and will try a LEIGH Jig next.
I just bought one today! Quick question though. If you make a box with finger joints should you shellac the ends of the joints before staining to prevent it soaking up extra finish?
I guess it depends on the look that you want. In some cases, having the darker end grain could add a nice contrast to accentuate the finger joints. It's probably worth experimenting a bit to see how the different options will look.
Mike - I assume that if you're using a 1/2" dado stack as an example, you want to move the pin plates 1/2" off the blade after you've used the "kiss" method to touch the blade? I want that first pin on my board to be 1/2" and if I only move 1/8" off I assume my first pin is only 1/8"? or is there a different measurement required to ensure that the first pin is the proper width?
The "kiss" calibration is set up to work so that when you use the red knob to set the pin plates to be the proper distance apart, it simultaneously moves the pin that's closest to the blade to be the proper distance from the blade to set up the thickness of the pin to be the same as the thickness of the dado set. In your example, if you're using a 1/2" dado stack but you want the first pin to be only 1/8", you'd have to start off with the pins locked together for the calibration, but then have the pins go beyond the blade (i.e., more than just kissing, but actually moved past the other (right) side of the blade). With that position as your starting point, you can move the pins back onto the correct (left) side of the blade, do your test cut, and then use the red knob to separate the pin plates to fit into the slot you just cut. It would probably take a bit of trial and error to get the desired size of the first pin, but then the process would remain the same for the remaining cuts.
I see my mistake. I did my test cut, adjusted the pin plates, then used the SAME board for the rest of the cuts, so the first pin was the wrong size. Discarding the test board after setting the pin plates and doing all the cuts on a new piece of stock resulted in all the pins of the correct size. thanks!
how ironic your video is up I was just at Rockler returning their router table box joint jig and three workers recommended this jig sd its the best and worth rhe extra coin.thanks gor sharing 🍻 QUESTION: DO I NEED A DADO STACK OR CAN I USE A SINGLE KERF BLADE?
Oh, that's great timing! You'd need to have either a dado stack or a good router table and the appropriate bits to make the cuts. Otherwise, you'd be limited to only a single size of box joint, which would be the kerf of the blade you are using. Hopefully my video will help you figure out how to use it. It's all in the manual, but sometimes it's easier to watch somebody else do it.
Joe, I have the Rockler Box Joint jig for my router tables. I'm here in Ontario Canada and purchased it from an online Canadian website. It's nice, but way over priced in Canadian dollars. I do plan on purchasing the INCRA iBox in the very near future, to use with both my router tables, and on the Table Saw, By the way, INFINITY Tools has some excellent 1/8", 1/4" and 3/8" flat bottom saw blades for doing box joints. I have a lot of INCRA items, so the iBox will be right at home when I get it.
If the joint is too tight or loose you said turn the none red knob, but if you turn it to the left the pin guides will be hit by the blade, so I’m confused with your explanation.
You probabaly realized this afterwards, but I thought I make this comment for others: You cut through the guard on your first cut off screen and your first cut on screen. The guard should have been shifted so that the large cut out on the underside is over the blade. The 1/4" backing is meant to be cut through. Also, there was no need to adjust the backing after the first cut on screen since it already matched your blade.
Yep, I certainly did realize it and wasn't too happy about my mistake. I find that setting up the video shots takes a lot of my brain power, so I often end up doing dumb things that I wouldn't normally do. 😊
@@Woodumakeit Well, I did the same thing last night. Oh well, I don't think the guards are needed anyhow, unless you loose track of your fingers. And the front one does keep the dust out of your eyes.
How on earth did you stay so calm after sawing through your blade guard. Had that been me the video would have contained every four letter word known in the English language. david
Vivienne Pierce I guess the camera helps me to conceal my emotions. If I had damaged my work piece, you might have heard an expletive or two. Cutting the tool guard doesn't bother me too much. It'll still last a number of years and it's pretty easy to replace.
Hahaha yes! I think I said a few 4 letter words when I was watching it happen. I just purchased mine so the wallet is still bruised and made my reaction multiply. 😮
Oh my gosh, you're destroying your blade guard by cutting through it at 6:55. When you replace your blade guard, position it where it won't cut into it and tighten it up against the wood. Good tutorial though...
Yeah, it's not the first time I've done that. I should know better but sometimes my mind is thinking a few steps ahead and I don't pay enough attention to the present moment. Thanks for pointing it out to help others.
forget the INCRA setup video I watched this one and the INCRA one at least a dozen times and still had issues. It wasn't till I used my calipers to set everything that it finally worked. I calipered my freud box cutter blade thickness on my table saw 10.03mm then calipered the distance from the blade to the box guide to match my blade thickness 10.03mm then calipered the inside of the guide to match the other 2 readings.at 10.03mm. Then you can every so slightly adjust the silver fine tune knob if needed. Jesus , NOT so easy to setup as videos have you think.
I must have missed something, your not using the blade guard properly. It looks like you put the back guard on the front and the front guard on the back. The blade is meant to pass through the big miter slots milled in the guards.
That's just me focusing more on shooting the video than using the tool. It's not the first time I've neglected to move the blade guard into the right position.
If you want the joints looser, you suggest moving the micro adjustment knob counter-clockwise which moves the pin plates closer to the dado blades. But won't the dado blades cut the pin plates? Your initial setting had them "just kissing" the blades already, moving them even close seems disastrous!
Excellent question as it's understandable why you would think that. The pin plates are set to "kiss" the blade at the very beginning of the setup, but then when you expand the pin plates to match the width of the blade, the pin plate that is closest to the blade pulls away from the blade, so it is no longer touching the blade. If the joint ends up being too tight, that's what allows you to back off the separation of the two pin plates by turning the micro adjustment knob counter-clockwise. When you're making that adjustment, the pin plate is far enough from the blade that there is no risk of a collision.
I have had this jig for over a year and have not been able to get the process down. I enjoyed the video, as it allowed me to see what to do. Except, with the safety guard in place you lost me when you cut the opposing fingers. Wish you could have shown it without the guard or done a dry run after cutting the second set of opposing fingers. I am a visual learning type of person, your explaining just didn't work for me. Thanks
Just an FYI, but you should not be cutting into the guard in the front or the back! If you do you are not placing the guard correctly! You need to refer back to the set up directions for correct placement! I have been using an I-Box from when it was first made available and have never cut into my guards!
You're totally correct. That's one of my issues while videoing and working at the same time. I realized it instantly, but just carried on. Thanks for pointing that out though.
Terry Stearns the setup of the ibox is way faster than in any of the videos I have seen. Talking can really slow you down. It takes me less time to setup than changing a bit on my router. 👍
Sorry to be critical of an otherwise informative exercise but when you set up the I-Box for the test cut you did not remember to re-center the blade guard when you put it back and hence managed to cut yourself a new slot through the blade guard (observation of the cuts through the front of the guard indicate you have forgotten more than once!) Do that enough times and you will have to buy yourself a new front guard piece as it becomes unstable. The original instructions make a point of this fact.
pretty much anybody watching this is going to know "righty tighty lefty loosey" so you don't have to keep repeating it and talking to your viewers like they're children
Thank you for your very concise video, it made the original INCRA video obsolete.
Great job! Very clear directions. Much better than Incras video. Ignore the critics. Cutting through the guard was an error but no big deal. Every manufacturer of box joint jigs requires fine tuning. You did an excellent job of explaining the finer details.
Thank you for taking the time to make a well thought out video.
I love the fact you were all business. No boring 3 minute introduction with unnecessary drama or gimmicks. There is another You Tube poster that thinks he is Gods gift to the woodworking world and spends half his time criticizing other YT posters. Thanks for keeping on task. Your editing was spot on.
First of all I wish to thank you for your video. I am the owner of the Incra Box Joint Jig and have been frustrated more than once with the directions of the red and silver knobs, your video clarified this problem for me. As far as the blade guard being backward, I think they are both the same and the plexiglass shield can be used on either of them.
I found the video presentation to be well done and your "hands on," work was clear and unobstructed. Keep up the good work.
One commenter had me convinced that the board guards were in backwards but you're right that they're both the same. Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad the video helped.
Thanks for the video. I’ve had the ibox for several years but haven’t used it in awhile so I felt a quick refresher was due. Your video was concise and to the point. Thank you for taking the time to make and share it with us.
Tom
This is a very good video on the IBox jig BTW...Just want to add one more thing here on the issue of tear out with plywood. I found unscrewing the 1/4" mdf backer on the jig body and using pre cut 1/4" mdf pieces NOT screwed into the jig just moving everything down and holding together the backer and my plywood as cuts are made so you always have a new backer to cut thru eliminated my tear out issues almost 100%. I just turn the backer over so I have a clean edge to make the next set of cuts.Wanted to add this for anyone interested. I highly recommend the Freud box cutter blade for this jig as well
Thank you!
Thanks for muting the sound on the video when using the table saw. It is nice being able to watch a woodworking video without having to turn the volume up and down when a power tool is used. I wish all woodworking videos would do this.
Dan
why do you need to turn the volume down when a power tool is used? your speakers are playing the same volume
@@SkinnySkinch You do realize that audio signals are not flat right? In case this isn't straight trolling, here goes: Setting a fixed volume does not equate to a fixed decibel. When you're watching a movie on tv, and there's a quiet scene with two people whispering, you may turn your volume up so that you can hear it. Then the next scene happens to be a heavy action scene and you realize it's too loud and you turn down the volume. Welcome to audio.
@@tigeraudio I’m well aware of the basics of what is involved with audio mixing for post-production so you can save your professional comments for others in need.
Wow! Thank you so much for your thoroughly detailed explanation of that beautiful tool and technique. No need for almost apologizing for being an excellent craftsman ... you modeled and explained skills and habits that, as a beginner, I want and need to make my own. My fear now, is that I will become over confident, but you modeled humility too. And, by the way, you've helped me select the Inca jig for my box joints. Thanks again.
Very good video. Just figured out how you flipped the boards. That is the part I am struggling with but I will get it sooner or later. Your video is well done.
Excellent video. Helped me immensely. Thanks so much.
Excellent video. It helped me correct the loose joints I was producing.
I needed to make several boxes for coaster holders. I watched the Incra vid on set up prior but referred back to yours on 'dialing in' the exact fitting of the fingers. Your video covers it much better than Incra's video. This was my 1st attempt using my I-Box. As you indicated, Mike, you need to make several test pieces while dialing in an exact fit. I cut several 'test' pieces based on your recommendation. It took every piece of test material for me to get it dialed in exactly. Patience is a virtue! Once you have the jig dialed in exactly you can easily and batch out a bunch of pieces very quickly. I ended making 8 boxes all of which fit together perfectly. I REALLY like the Ibox! I'm plan on getting more 'hands-on' practice with it for some serving trays and jewelry boxes in the future. I have the Hinge-Crafter accessory and have a project in the works which will require the use of it. Thanks for your video, Mike, as it's a great resource in setting up & using the Ibox!
I'm glad to hear that you had good success with the I-Box jig. You're right about being able to quickly batch things out after getting it adjusted the way you want. I was able to batch out a whole bunch of pieces last night, still using my setup from 3 months ago.
I read your response then noticed your avatar. Fellow Hodager here! has your setup remained on point?
Jez enough about the guard. This is an excellent video thank you for taking the time to make it. It's short and to the point. Much better than the Incra one.
This box is amazing. Truly gorgeous work! I really enjoy all of your videos!
Just bought one. Thank you, this is a great help. Great builds you got here all around. God bless you, sir.
Hi. I really enjoyed your video. I just got the jig and I have just about everything figured out. I can get the joint to fit together nicely. I am having one very small, annoying problem. On all 40-50 test pieces I have done, I have been left with on little 32-64th of an inch piece right on the end of one piece but no slot for that on the other piece. I have adjusted the jig back and forth time and time again and I just can’t figure out why I keep getting left with that little piece?? Do you have any ideas???? Please help
Best video for this jig I've seen yet. I've considered buying this but I made a sled using William NG's video and the results are acceptable for me....so far, I still want one but not sure if I "need" one.
Great video, I also have one of these jigs and I noticed that when you first moved it over towards your blade by loosening the two screws, you did not use a square to make sure when you tightened it back up that it would be square to the blade, as it is pretty sloppy when the screws are loose.
Thanks for pointing that out. It definitely would have been better to square it up before tightening it back up.
thank you I have been looking everywhere to figure out the looser tighter problem
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I just got an i box jig and was having a little difficulty with the joints being too tight. I watched their tutorial but it wasn't clear how to fix that problem. Of course I didn't watch the whole tutorial because it was somewhat cumbersome. You definitely did a good job explaining, righty tighty, lefty loosey!
Your video is better than incra's! Thank You!
Thanks for the video. Really helped me understand better.
What is that sled you use to cross-cut?
Thank you. I followed the video and cut my first box!. First of many I hope. Thanks again.
That's great, Richard! I'll have another video for you in a couple of hours (still editing it) that shows how to cut a center-keyed splined joint to have a more decorative look.
I'l look for that.
I know the is a long time ago, but when cutting the stock for the box do you have to compensate plus or minus on the finger joints? Like if the box length is 10 inches do you have to add the size of the joint so it would be like 10 1/4 ? Or do you just use the measurements for the size of the box? That make sense?
If you're referring to the exterior dimensions, I would add about 1/8" to each length because the box joints will likely protrude a bit from the ends until they're sanded. That will leave you about 1/16" on each end to sand off. If you're referring to the interior dimensions, then you'd need to add 2x the thickness of the material plus that extra 1/8". I hope that helps.
@@Woodumakeit thank you so much for replying, that helps a lot . I’m making the tray for the jewelry box im making.
I'm getting serious burning in the joints with oak. Lots of smoke has been the result and even enough to set off my smoke alarm. I have cleaned my Dado blades but I still seems to have issues. A single pass through leaves burnt remnants at the back side of the cut so much that I have to loosen the front blade guard to remove the piece and sand off clean and then reset the blade guard each time. It's a very slow process right now. I have no problem getting clean cuts with pine so let me know if you can suggest a solution given my issue with hardwood.
It's likely due to friction, so you might want to try lubricating the blades. I suggest trying a silicone spray like this one. amzn.to/311DnEr It's quick to apply and makes everything really slippery. I apply it to my blades and table saw top from time to time and it makes a huge difference.
@@Woodumakeit Thx for the advice. I will give it a try.
Nicely done, thanks. You mentioned waxing your dado blades. What kind of wax do you use for that?
I was using this Crystal Clear Paste Wax amzn.to/3kcZWN8, but I recently started to use this silicone spray and it works great on blades as well as the tables on my jointer, bandsaw, and table saw. amzn.to/3mNXZZu
@@Woodumakeit thanks.
You had your blade guards on backwards, ie. the front one on the back and vise versa. Also Incra's instructions for initial setup are different than what was in the video. I almost cringed when you ran the saw blade through the guards.
When I watched that I was thinking to myself, "that can't be right".
I'm not sure what I'm missing. His setup looks like the photos I see on Incra's site to me...
I just watched the video and noticed that. He cut through the blade guard. But other than that, he has one of the best instructional videos.. short and sweet..
Thanks for a very cogent informative explanation of how the jig works.
אליאל בן-דן i
I use 1/8" finger joints on dozens of boxes but find that changing wood type seems to get me in trouble. I can get perfect setup for one type of wood, say mahogany, but the joints commonly get too tight and often have progressive errors if I switch to a "harder" hardwood, say granadilla. I have also found if making centered keyed boxes the width of the sides must be absolutely identical. Any variation in width - even as small as 1/64th - pushed the fingers on one side of the center key off. Any help??
which sled is it at 0:38 sec mark
It's the INCRA Miter 1000 SE that I use. Here's a link to it on Amazon: amzn.to/48P7dem
I may be wrong but I think you have you front blade guard backwards. The machine will cut from either side if you turn the entire jig around. But I believe you need to have the opening to the left of your blade on the right side rather than cutting through the HDF blade guard.
How do you ensure that the fingers are equidistant from the top and bottom edges of the box? Do you cut the width of the sides based on the size of the finger? If you get it wrong, can you rip the sides later to make it equidistant? I guess my question applies to any finger joint jig. Thanks as always.
I've tried, without success to use this jig many times. When the height of the stock is critical to fit the drawer, I want the width of the fingers to be equal and not have a odd finger on the end. I could use the middle space method or cut of the odd finger off with the table saw. I've read many confusing mathematical methods to make this happen. Does anyone have a easy to understand system, I would appreciate some help.
My biggest concern on buying one of these is the wood used is a hard board on the safety shield getting cut down to an unsecured /safe size to use and the miter bar fitting in my sawsmith 2000 slot. can the parts be purchased easily and is the miter adjustable to fit different types, in my case a latger, T slot?
It's pretty easy to buy replacement parts and they're priced reasonably. Here's a link to the INCRA page where they offer replacement parts, including a miter bar for a Shopsmith saw. www.incrementaltools.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=PC-IBOX
After you make the first cut, do you flip the piece over end for end to cut the other end? I understand how you set the pieces to make the first joint (i.e. front and side) but I'm confused about how to set up the cut on the opposite end of the same piece.
What you need to do is mark the edge that will be at the top of the box and then have that marked edge facing the blade. When you switch to the other end, flip it end for end so that the marked edge is still facing the blade and you'll be good to go.
sir were can I buy incra I box jig im from Philippines sir
At 10:40 you have avery thin piece for the first cut then it disappears when you ut the piece together
For something that thin, I would have just broken it off by hand before doing the fit. It's a little hard to see because I'm moving the pieces during assembly, but the long side doesn't have a clean break on one edge. That's something that's easy to clean up with a plane or sander after gluing it up.
What table saw do u use. Im curently looking for a new saw and would like it to be able to use all those fancy jigs to up my saw dust game.
I use a Grizzly 1023RLW which is a 3HP cabinet saw. Prior to that, I was using a Ridgid TS3650. Ridgid doesn't make that saw anymore, but it was a great value. It's been replaced by the R4512. I upgraded to the Grizzly only to get more power, but was very happy with the Ridgid saw.
1. why do you cut through the guard?
2. how do you trim down the pins if they are too long?
wondering the same myself on question #1; question two I believe you're saying if theres overlap once you glue your box together you just sand it down or trim on bandsaw or many other methods. belt sander or band saw probably the easiest way
@@SkinnySkinch that is correct, just sand off afterwards. You want the pins to sit a little proud. If they say shy, then you'd have to sand the entire exterior of th ebox to match the ends of the recessed pins.
I spent good money on a so-so product. Steve Ramsey has a good one that you can adjust to your needs fast.
Yeah, this seems overly complex and overpriced to do something you could carry out with the simple jig in Steve's vid.
so if I want to make a box with finger joints let's say a 4 deep by 10 wide. How long do the 2 sides plus the front and the back have to be so when the fingers interlock that the box ends up the desired width plus depth. Also would these dimensions be inside or outside.
If those are the outside dimensions of the box, then the length of each side would be the same as those outside dimensions. You'd cut two pieces to be 4" and the other two pieces to be 10". To allow for the fingers to extend a little beyond the side of the box and then sanded off later, you might want to add 1/8" to each length so that the fingers would extend about 1/16" beyond the side.
Ok so what if those dimensions are inside, I just tried that darn Incra again and can't seem to get tight fingers. I have adjusted it as you showed on the video but no luck. Not sure what I keep doing wrong or missing. Almost 1 year later and I still can't figure this thing out. Might have to put it away again for another year hahahaha
If those are the inside dimensions, then you'd need to add 2x the thickness of the side pieces to the length of each side piece. For example, if your sides are 1/2" thick, then add 1" to the length. If they're 3/4" thick, then add 1.5". I'm not sure why you're not able to adjust the jig to get tighter joints. Do you have the black knob on the top loosened while you're making the adjustment with the micro-adjust knob? If not, that might be the problem.
Yes I have that knob loose. When I put two sample pieces side by side on the jig the seams don't seem to line up properly. I take it that the pieces have to be squared for this to work properly. I mean do I have to have the test pieces just as squared as the good pieces. Thanks for your help BTW much appreciated.
Yes, the test pieces need to be squared up. They should pretty much replicate the width of final pieces, although the thickness and the length do not have to be the same as the final pieces to set up the fit of the box joint. Hopefully that's the problem you've been facing and you'll get the joints fitting nicely after getting the material squared up.
what table saw are you using also what blades? thanks
I used to use a Ridgid TS-3650 which I really liked and was quite adequate for most things, but I upgraded to a Grizzly G1023RLW to have more power that I needed for cutting through thicker materials. It's the Grizzly saw that I used in this video. For the blade, I'm using the Freud Super Dado SD508 that you can find here: amzn.to/2WdL4V4
Thanks for the video. The incra ibox instruction video doesnt say you need to loosen the jig from the miter bar and slide it towards the blade. Your video is great but Incra really needs a better setup video.
I have the Incra jig and have tried and given up so many times. My joints are either too tight or too loose and I always have gaps in between. How do you figure out what size width to cut the boards so that the fingers all match evenly. I will try one more time since I have watched your video but any suggestions would be appreciated. I don't want to trash this jig but if I can't figure it out then that is exactly where it is going to go to the trash
frehleycomet it sounds like you have the calibration a little off. Before you do the "kiss" bring the silver tabs together but so that they just barely touch. DO NOT over tighten them. Then do the "kiss". This is where I went wrong at first. Also if your fingers are to tight then turn the silver micro adjust knob counter clockwise,after loosening the locking knob. Go clockwise if they are too loose. Hope this helps.
Can I suggest you cut template boards.
One template for each size of finger. For example, I have a 10mm flute bit on my router table that I cut a template board using. If I’m making drawers etc, the depth of the drawer gets sized using that template. It’s a tried and tested method. Then you won’t get drawers with a half width or an unevenly width finger. You will have several template boards depending on the kerf/bit size you regularly use. Hope that makes sense.
Hang in there, Frehleycomet! When initially using the Ibox I found having additional 'test pieces' (as Mike has indicated here) is really a plus. Be patient. Once you have this dialed in you will be so pleased with perfect results. Mike's video is an excellent reference for adjusting the Ibox for that perfect fit. You'll be so impressed with yourself when you finally get it right.
Same problem here. The fingers are always about 1/32” wider than the grooves no matter how I calibrate the jig. I’ve given up on this and will try a LEIGH Jig next.
I just bought one today! Quick question though. If you make a box with finger joints should you shellac the ends of the joints before staining to prevent it soaking up extra finish?
I guess it depends on the look that you want. In some cases, having the darker end grain could add a nice contrast to accentuate the finger joints. It's probably worth experimenting a bit to see how the different options will look.
Have used the jig and the joint fits nice and tight, but the tops of adjacent sides are not flush. What do I need to adjust? Thank you
You did not mention you backed the guide off prior to your first cut after the kiss set up.
Mike - I assume that if you're using a 1/2" dado stack as an example, you want to move the pin plates 1/2" off the blade after you've used the "kiss" method to touch the blade? I want that first pin on my board to be 1/2" and if I only move 1/8" off I assume my first pin is only 1/8"? or is there a different measurement required to ensure that the first pin is the proper width?
The "kiss" calibration is set up to work so that when you use the red knob to set the pin plates to be the proper distance apart, it simultaneously moves the pin that's closest to the blade to be the proper distance from the blade to set up the thickness of the pin to be the same as the thickness of the dado set. In your example, if you're using a 1/2" dado stack but you want the first pin to be only 1/8", you'd have to start off with the pins locked together for the calibration, but then have the pins go beyond the blade (i.e., more than just kissing, but actually moved past the other (right) side of the blade). With that position as your starting point, you can move the pins back onto the correct (left) side of the blade, do your test cut, and then use the red knob to separate the pin plates to fit into the slot you just cut. It would probably take a bit of trial and error to get the desired size of the first pin, but then the process would remain the same for the remaining cuts.
I see my mistake. I did my test cut, adjusted the pin plates, then used the SAME board for the rest of the cuts, so the first pin was the wrong size. Discarding the test board after setting the pin plates and doing all the cuts on a new piece of stock resulted in all the pins of the correct size. thanks!
I'm glad you figured that out. Sorry if my video wasn't clear when explaining that part. -- Mike
how ironic your video is up I was just at Rockler returning their router table box joint jig and three workers recommended this jig sd its the best and worth rhe extra coin.thanks gor sharing 🍻 QUESTION: DO I NEED A DADO STACK OR CAN I USE A SINGLE KERF BLADE?
Oh, that's great timing! You'd need to have either a dado stack or a good router table and the appropriate bits to make the cuts. Otherwise, you'd be limited to only a single size of box joint, which would be the kerf of the blade you are using. Hopefully my video will help you figure out how to use it. It's all in the manual, but sometimes it's easier to watch somebody else do it.
Joe, I have the Rockler Box Joint jig for my router tables. I'm here in Ontario Canada and purchased it from an online Canadian website. It's nice, but way over priced in Canadian dollars. I do plan on purchasing the INCRA iBox in the very near future, to use with both my router tables, and on the Table Saw,
By the way, INFINITY Tools has some excellent 1/8", 1/4" and 3/8" flat bottom saw blades for doing box joints. I have a lot of INCRA items, so the iBox will be right at home when I get it.
Great information, thanks Mike,
Maybe I missed it but I didn't see you talk about zeroing it out to the Philips head screw with the line in the middle.. Other than that great video..
Are you supposed to cut through the jig?
Definitely not. It's just a mistake that I made, which I've done more than once, unfortunately.
Something seems to be wrong , why is the blade cutting kerfs in the guard???
That was my mistake. I forgot to reposition the blade guard properly before starting my cut. It's not the first time I've made that mistake...
Excellent video. I'm planning on getting my INCRA iBox very soon.
Just make one out of wood and save yourself some cash
Liked-Subscribed-Notified! Great video. Pinky finger ring-Order of the engineer?
Yep. Electrical engineer
@@Woodumakeit Mechanical here.. bs, ms, pe. - I wished the schools that I went to would have pushed the Order of the Engineer.
If the joint is too tight or loose you said turn the none red knob, but if you turn it to the left the pin guides will be hit by the blade, so I’m confused with your explanation.
Your first cut you cut the guard . Nice video thumbs up :)
In addition to cutting through the guards, you also failed to make the jig 90 degrees to the blade when you performed the initial KISS alignment.
You probabaly realized this afterwards, but I thought I make this comment for others: You cut through the guard on your first cut off screen and your first cut on screen. The guard should have been shifted so that the large cut out on the underside is over the blade. The 1/4" backing is meant to be cut through. Also, there was no need to adjust the backing after the first cut on screen since it already matched your blade.
Yep, I certainly did realize it and wasn't too happy about my mistake. I find that setting up the video shots takes a lot of my brain power, so I often end up doing dumb things that I wouldn't normally do. 😊
@@Woodumakeit Well, I did the same thing last night. Oh well, I don't think the guards are needed anyhow, unless you loose track of your fingers. And the front one does keep the dust out of your eyes.
I was wondering about the cut through the guard!
Why would you use birds eye maple as a test piece? Pine is a lot cheaper.
How on earth did you stay so calm after sawing through your blade guard. Had that been me the video would have contained every four letter word known in the English language.
david
Vivienne Pierce I guess the camera helps me to conceal my emotions. If I had damaged my work piece, you might have heard an expletive or two. Cutting the tool guard doesn't bother me too much. It'll still last a number of years and it's pretty easy to replace.
Hahaha yes! I think I said a few 4 letter words when I was watching it happen. I just purchased mine so the wallet is still bruised and made my reaction multiply. 😮
That's as easy as it gets for making any size box joint up to I guess 3/4 inch.
Oh my gosh, you're destroying your blade guard by cutting through it at 6:55. When you replace your blade guard, position it where it won't cut into it and tighten it up against the wood. Good tutorial though...
Yeah, it's not the first time I've done that. I should know better but sometimes my mind is thinking a few steps ahead and I don't pay enough attention to the present moment. Thanks for pointing it out to help others.
forget the INCRA setup video I watched this one and the INCRA one at least a dozen times and still had issues. It wasn't till I used my calipers to set everything that it finally worked. I calipered my freud box cutter blade thickness on my table saw 10.03mm then calipered the distance from the blade to the box guide to match my blade thickness 10.03mm then calipered the inside of the guide to match the other 2 readings.at 10.03mm. Then you can every so slightly adjust the silver fine tune knob if needed. Jesus , NOT so easy to setup as videos have you think.
your shouldn't ever need to cut into your guards. thats why they made the taller groove !!!
I must have missed something, your not using the blade guard properly. It looks like you put the back guard on the front and the front guard on the back. The blade is meant to pass through the big miter slots milled in the guards.
That's just me focusing more on shooting the video than using the tool. It's not the first time I've neglected to move the blade guard into the right position.
Your vidieo is great but you cut through the blade guard which is not required do to the open space you have for blade clearance.
Big whoopsie! I don't think you meant that?
If you want the joints looser, you suggest moving the micro adjustment knob counter-clockwise which moves the pin plates closer to the dado blades. But won't the dado blades cut the pin plates? Your initial setting had them "just kissing" the blades already, moving them even close seems disastrous!
Excellent question as it's understandable why you would think that. The pin plates are set to "kiss" the blade at the very beginning of the setup, but then when you expand the pin plates to match the width of the blade, the pin plate that is closest to the blade pulls away from the blade, so it is no longer touching the blade. If the joint ends up being too tight, that's what allows you to back off the separation of the two pin plates by turning the micro adjustment knob counter-clockwise. When you're making that adjustment, the pin plate is far enough from the blade that there is no risk of a collision.
@@Woodumakeit Oh okay, got it. I didn't realize the left pin plate moved away from the blade when adjusting the width of the pins. Thank you!
hew man , you are not suppose to cut the guard all up. that is why there is already a space cut out for that.
I have had this jig for over a year and have not been able to get the process down. I enjoyed the video, as it allowed me to see what to do. Except, with the safety guard in place you lost me when you cut the opposing fingers. Wish you could have shown it without the guard or done a dry run after cutting the second set of opposing fingers. I am a visual learning type of person, your explaining just didn't work for me. Thanks
I make them
Just an FYI, but you should not be cutting into the guard in the front or the back! If you do you are not placing the guard correctly! You need to refer back to the set up directions for correct placement! I have been using an I-Box from when it was first made available and have never cut into my guards!
You're totally correct. That's one of my issues while videoing and working at the same time. I realized it instantly, but just carried on. Thanks for pointing that out though.
No Problem, just didn't want you to destroy the guard and have to buy a new one, or "Would You Make It", LOL :)
This jig is VERY frustrating to set up not sure its worth the effort.
Way too much effort to make box joints
Terry Stearns the setup of the ibox is way faster than in any of the videos I have seen. Talking can really slow you down. It takes me less time to setup than changing a bit on my router. 👍
Sorry to be critical of an otherwise informative exercise but when you set up the I-Box for the test cut you did not remember to re-center the blade guard when you put it back and hence managed to cut yourself a new slot through the blade guard (observation of the cuts through the front of the guard indicate you have forgotten more than once!) Do that enough times and you will have to buy yourself a new front guard piece as it becomes unstable. The original instructions make a point of this fact.
I’ve had this thing for a few years but have never used it. It’s too complicated. Waste of money.
I agree lol
pretty much anybody watching this is going to know "righty tighty lefty loosey" so you don't have to keep repeating it and talking to your viewers like they're children
Jijj
You missed a step, after kissing the blade.
I don't know about your woodworking skill, but you should definitely work on your video editing.