Box joint jigs for the router table -part one

Nice looking jig Bob. I am adding that one to my archive for future to do’s.

-- Grant...."GO BUCKEYES"

Bob,
This is a very useful affair. I have never used a bushing in a router table. How do you do that? My FX lift is not equipted for them(I don’t think). Maybe I dshould take a look. Anyway, a good looking jig.

Tom

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

I made the usual type that screw/clamps to the table top last week and then discovered I would probaly end up with 3 jigs lying around for different sizes of joint.
Bill Hylton gets the credit for this in his router book
I apologise for the pics – they are not my best work. I think my camera is on its last legs.

Tom I am not familar with your set up but I imagine it should take bushings.

I just checked the website and they tell us this Tom:

”Insert plate center hole (3-5/8” overall diameter) is machined to accept larger raised panel bits and includes 1-1/2” insert ring. ”
So you should be alright getting a set of bushings.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I’m going to the shop for a few minutes before church and will check. If it does it would only be a few because there are different size inserts.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Tom, I am thinking that the insert ring is there to recieve 1-1/2” bushings. the come in two sizes out there so be sure to get the right ones for your set up.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Bob. Nice Jig. I was wondering why you preferred to use the router table over the table saw for cutting the box joints?

By the way, I have the Jessem system for my router table and the Jessem inserts take ALL the standard bushings as well.

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

Hi Tony:
The dado blade sets that you buy have often have little sharp projections on the outside edges of the blades.
This can give the joint little dog ears which are unsightly.
The spiral bits give me a dead flat joint.
The second reason is that I find setting up the dado a bit frustratiing in that I have difficulty getting my big hands in the table top on my saw.
I can do it but I usually drop the blade nut and have to go get the magnetic pick up for it.
The jig I made can be switched in a minute from 1/4” to 5/16” or 3/8 or 1/2” buy just putting on a new face plate.
It can be a bit more fiddly with the saw.
Lastly it is easier for me to sneak up on the joint with the router than it is with the table saw.

p.s. The jig will also accomodate a dovetail bit and let me do rapid through dovetails (at least the pins)
More on that later as I experiment with my Fein Multimaster and dovetail joints.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

An alternative would to be to rig a slide for your t-track or miter slot, if you don’t have bushing capability that is.

Y’know, as I think about it, standard key stock might be useful here. Hmm…

The Grr-Ripper gets my vote as well. I have one, and like it so well I ordered a second one last night while Rockler had them on sale!

-- Robert from Raymond, MS. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not a practice, but a habit." - Aristotle

A great looking jig Bob. Do you get much tear out with the bits?

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Ray:
I am stuck with the bushing set up with my older Lee Valley steel top as it has no miter slot.
The trade off is that it has a unique quick clamp system for the router should I ever have to remove it and a great system for inserts that only need a 1/4 turn and sit dead flat.
As for the key stock and or cutters from the metal lathe , they are really accurate and take the pain out of setting my table saw and the router for small measurements. You can gang them up for odd cuts too.
Key stock is cheap and plentiful.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Hi Bill:
I am using more spiral bits than I used to so the tearout is not as significant as with the standard two flute bits.
However, The nature of the backing help prevent blowout when making the cut asn does a light touch,
I try ot take a slow but steady push going through the back of the wood and keep the bit speed up to prevent stalling and burning.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Tom the insert that takes the bushing is the one that comes with the lift. It has a slight rabbit around the edge. I can dig out my bushings and take a photo if you like.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Bob and Wayne,
I just got back in from the shop. I found the insert that takes the bushings. this may open up a wholenew way of thinking on jigs and fixtures. Thanks, guys.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Speaking of the Gripper, I see Rockler has the Gripper push block on sale right now.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Bill:
That’s the basic unit that’s on sale. ( GR-100)
I would suggest that if this is your first one that you get the GR-200 that has the stabilizer plate and adjustable spacer with it.
If you have to buy them separately, the run $26.95
If its your second unit you may no need the above.

Cheers
Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Good looking jig Bob, I think I’ll have to make one. I don’t like the ones I’ve made with dado blades. Too much vibration from my saw I think. This looks easy and neater. very cool, Mike

-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com

Great Jig.

Woodcraft has gripper on sale this month. Just saw the new filyer.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

That’s the basic unit that’s on sale. ( GR-100)

Wayne;
I’d suggest that if this is your first one that you get the GR-200 that has the stabilizer plate and adjustable spacer with it.
If you have to buy them separately, they run $26.95 extra
If its your second unit you may not need the above.

Cheers
Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I went back and checked. Woodcraft has the Gr-200 on sale for $69.99 and a handle bridge set for $13.99. Ad says save 10%. This is for the month of October.

Rockler is the GR-100.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

That’s about as fair as I have seen out there for the Gr-200.
It’s worth every penny to me now that I have one.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

this is a great posting ! jig looks terrific

-- a legend in my own mind ...

How’d I miss this? Having gotten to see this jig in action on the weekend, this is something really worth building. Thanks Bob!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)