Finger joint without a jig?

**Stiebs** · 7th March 2011, 11:57 PM

Hi all,

I'm about to start making a fairly basic box (okay, let's call it a crate) and I'm trying to decide how to do my joins.

Stock I'm using is 42x19mm oak, crate will be about 35x25cm. I plan on making four 25x35cm squares, then put a vertical support inside each corner and position the squares about 30mm apart.

A few years ago I made the uninformed purchase of a Vermont American dovetail jig, and although its given me a few good joins over the years, it's a bit hit and miss. Besides, its half-blind only.

Now that I have a router table, I would love to get a Gifkins, but I can't justify the purchase just yet, so I was hoping to try and do finger joints just using the tools I have in my shop. So I figure I'd post here and see if anyone can either give me some tips to make it work, or to tell me I'm dreaming and wasting my time!

My plan is for one side to have 3 fingers and the other to have 2. So they would be 9/8/8/8/9 to make up 42mm. I've got a 1/4" bit with a 20mm cutting blade.

So I'm hoping to be able to clamp all the pieces for the 3-finger ends together, set the fence to leave an 8mm finger, then run them through, adjust the fence to bring the gap to 8mm, rinse and repeat.

Am I asking for a world of hurt and badly matched fingers, or will it work with a little patience and careful measuring?

Thanks.

**pal** · 8th March 2011, 01:57 PM

Hi Stiebs , have a look at this http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/pdf/UKW_boxjoint.pdf .Very simple and easy to make.

Pal

**munruben** · 8th March 2011, 02:18 PM

A finger joint jig is quite easy to make. The link pal has put you onto details it perfectly. Good luck.

**Stiebs** · 9th March 2011, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by pal

Hi Stiebs , have a look at this http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/pdf/UKW_boxjoint.pdf .Very simple and easy to make.

Thanks Pal.
Maybe I didn't look quite hard enough.. I should have been searching for "diy box joint" instead of "box joint jig"

Now my remaining decision is whether to make four ¼" fingers and leave a 17mm "feature" finger in the middle, or use my 8mm bit for four 8mm fingers with a 10mm in the middle.

**AlexS** · 12th March 2011, 07:23 PM

If you have a bandsaw, have a look at the 'Wooden Hinges' sticky. My method for cutting the hinges can also be used for finger joints.

**Stiebs** · 15th March 2011, 10:07 AM

No bandsaw. I like to think that my workshop is better equipped than the average household workshop, but it's far off being equal to most I've seen on these forums! I don't even have a saw bench, just a drop saw. And this project was my excuse to get a router table instead of battling with it handheld!

There might be a new thread from me soon asking for some suggestions on workshop layout

Anyway, thanks for your help and pointers. I made a jig without too much pain, and I'm satisfied with the results. Some of the joints are perfect, some not so much. After a couple of test runs, the first few joints got gradually better and better, then I started getting a bit lazy and careless, then the last few were pretty spot on again.

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