# How do I fit a top and bottom into finger jointed box?



## mporter (May 5, 2011)

I have alway made my boxes with a grove cut by a table saw in the top and bottom of of the side pieces. This grove would allow a piece of plywood to fit into it as a bottom and a figured piece of wood to fit into the top grove for a top. Glue it up-cut the top off on a table saw and presto a box! Well you get the idea.

My question is, I am making a box with finger joints and figured out today in the shop that I can't cut these grove with a table saw because the grove will now show on the ends. How do I get around this problem? The bottom I can fit in with a rabbet cut with a router bit, but this won't work for the top. Any suggestions?


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## dodahman (Jun 12, 2012)

I haven't worked my way up to boxes yet. LOL, so bear with me. How about if you run the fingerjoints up the corners to a space where you would then cut off the top. Does that make sense? Stop the fingerjoints short of the top the distance you want the top to be cut. If I understand what you mean…

Seems to work in my head, but that's not saying much!

ooops, forget my answer, the picture in my head just disolved…...

peace, T


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

You have to make stopped grooves on the sides that show, 2 sides won't show because they will be covered by the fingers. The easiest way to do that is make the stopped grooves on a router table, rather than the table saw.


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## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

Woodsmith has a few projects with finger joints and they recommend making a small wedge shaped plug for the box bottom. Because its end grain the plug barely is visible. For higher-end type projects this may not be aesthetically pleasing.


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## jordanp (Feb 1, 2013)

You can cut a stop dado/groove with a hand saw/stair saw, by cutting in two places along the grain defining your dado width then paring out the waste with a chisel. Define the stopping point with a chisel cut before you start sawing.

You can do the same thing with a plough plane and marking the stoping point with a chisel cut.

The groove will typically be more shallow by the chisel cut/stop, so you will probably need to do some additional paring there to get a uniformed depth.


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## jordanp (Feb 1, 2013)

Any almost forgot

Mark your saw lines with a marking gauge, then on the waste side of the line take a marking knife and cut down the line giving you a nice V shaped grove to rest the saw blade in. A gents saw or dovetail saw does well with this task.


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## jgreiner (Oct 23, 2010)

A groove router bit would work something like http://www.amazon.com/Freud-99-036-Adjustable-Tongue-Groove/dp/B00006XMTT/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1386228044&sr=1-1-catcorr


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## bannerpond1 (Mar 15, 2013)

Like bondogaposis said, stop dadoes on the router table. Forget sawing through the finger and putting in a plug.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I use stopped dados done on the router table. Those solid carbide spiral straight bits are nice for these.


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