Box joints

[mmayo]

I'm not sure how many of you make box joints but the are very strong and attractive. See photos for the look in a finished box.

The issue is that you want to cut them to fit tightly, but sometimes after tediously adding glue to forty of so joints it can swell them. Then your beautiful box won't go together! Don't ask how I almost knew this.

Shown is a very tight dry fit that required clamps to seat. Adding glue could have been catastrophic. I came up with a sanding block JUST LESS in width than the 1/2" gaps with two layers of 400 grit sandpaper. A couple of strokes per gap was all it needed to make the dry fit easier and more importantly it worked with glue.

The third photo is after seating the joints and 4 clamps were applied to square the box. I'm a bit anal about joints so most were puttied to fill tiny gaps with mahogany wood filler. It will sand tomorrow to flush and the microscopic putty will disappear like in the finished box.

It is square!

 

[wolf creek knives]

Mark, these are a great example of a well made box joint. The finished product in your first photo shows the beauty of the joint. Great!!! Job.
During my furniture making days I used box joints and dovetail joints. All of our bedroom furniture was done with dovetail joints. I actually made a jig for box joints but I have no idea where it is now. Like you mentioned, box joints are strong and relatively easy to make. However, I've found that you need a lot (many, many, many) clamps to finish bigger projects. And I learned, due to glue splits in the wood, to use them sparingly and not "crowd" the work piece. They are beautiful and with a little imagination can add a great texture to any project. I once did a jewelry box with Maple and Walnut accents. On the spokes of the box joints I used Walnut to accent the maple. I only wish I had a photo of that box now. I glad you shared this, I really miss making furniture.

 

[mark james]

I do love your work Mark. Thanks for sharing.

 

[CHARLES STOPCZYNSKI]

Mark, I've seen and liked many of your posts over the years.
Just last evening I stumbled across this fellow's box joint jig design. It's metric, easily converted to inches for whatever size joints you wish to make.
Watch carefully near the end how he shows two very effective methods to introduce a controlled, but very small gap in the joints to allow for gluing in the assembly process. I think I will build this one. Have tried many others and always something was lacking.

 

[mmayo]

Thanks Charles, I've seen a few of his videos and his skill level is high.

I use this jig from Rockler. Add three quality spiral cut bits in different sizes and you are set. The jig gets used so much in my shop that I may buy a new one. The skill is in test cuts using the SAME material you will use for your box. After the test cuts are satisfactory, make sure everything is tight and cut. My goal is to get them as tight as possible yet get them to go together. Any time my joints go together easily it is sign to reduce the distance from the router bit to the key. If you very closely look at his joints, they fit together easily yet have chips, tear out and spaces. Most table saw blades will give this kind of result even with 80 tooth Freud blades. When the box is glued together and sanded these will be unacceptable to me. Each one must be filled with wood dough and big ones can be seen easily in the finished box. Since I sell boxes my sales would drop to zero with those joints. I have 1/64th or less gaps in a few of the joints and have decided to fill the entire row just to be sure. Today I sanded the filled joints and there were still two very tiny gaps left that I filled. I made a book shelf for my classroom a long time ago and had some so so dovetails. I filled them and they looked fine with my classroom reference books on my desk, so sale no way.

Thanks again for thinking of me and sending me his video. I will subscribe to his YouTube channel.