# Box Joint Router Bit



## jg2259 (Oct 28, 2011)

Hello all, I am in the market for a box joint router bit to join the sides of small boxes. A couple years ago I bought a Whiteside finger joint Bit, but after one test cut, I realized that it was not what I needed. It was meant to rout a joint to either widen or lengthen two boards. 
I had to sell it at a major loss, as I could not return because of it being used for test cuts. 
I now want to purchase what I initially wanted, but don’t want to make the same mistake twice. So I want a BOX JOINT BIT and not a FINGER JOINT BIT. 
Do any of you have a recommendation of a quality box joint bit, that is easy to setup and use. 
I have seen where some of them are adjustable. Would that be difficult to use, or should I buy a fixed, say 1/8” or 1/4” joints?
Thanks for any guidance or direction that you might offer. 


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I don't really understand your question, particularly the adjustable part, any straight bit that cuts a flat bottom will work for box joints, the size of the fingers you want will determine the size of the bit.

There are jigs to space the fingers, both for sale and ones you can build yourself that range from very basic to intricately adjustable.

A simple one is here:
http://sawdustmaking.com/Box Joint/boxjointjig.html


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## Terry Q (Jul 28, 2016)

Up-cut spiral bits will cut the cleanest.

Box joints don’t require special router bits, just straight bits the size of the box joints you want to cut.


In woodworking there is always more then one way to accomplish something.


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## jg2259 (Oct 28, 2011)

Terry Q said:


> Up-cut spiral bits will cut the cleanest.
> 
> Box joints don’t require special router bits, just straight bits the size of the box joints you want to cut.
> 
> ...




Thanks, but I have made plenty of box joints with my shop build box joint jig, however, I want to make some with a router bit specifically designed for small boxes, a box joint router bit. Some are adjustable. 


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## GuitarPhotographer (Jun 26, 2015)

jg2259 said:


> Thanks, but I have made plenty of box joints with my shop build box joint jig, however, I want to make some with a router bit specifically designed for small boxes, a box joint router bit. Some are adjustable.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



The "Adjustable box joint router bits" you are finding are actually for making finger joints, as discussed earlier in this thread. If your boxes are small enough to warrant the use of such, one manufacturer makes one that makes fingers 4mm X 7mm. Few are any larger.


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## jg2259 (Oct 28, 2011)

Thanks Guitar, that is correct that when the joints are made that small (1/4”<), I always called them finger joints. That’s where I got in trouble buying a finger joint router bit. Now I realize that I need to look for a boxjoint router bit, that makes finger joints. 


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I see, it is for little stuff, your best bet may be to shop at Amazon, they are pretty good at accepting returns, I have no idea about quality, the Yonico they sell is reasonable and they do have a satisfaction guarantee.


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

JG, while I cannot help your quest, I will just add that box joints and finger joints have been two names for the same joint for a very long time. It hasn't been until relatively recently that people began to distinguish the two as different, with the advent of the tapered cutters that are often used to join wood end-to-end, and those being labeled finger joints. This is likely why there was confusion in the terminology, both in obtaining the bit you wanted, and in some of the responses to your post.


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## sunnybob (Sep 3, 2016)

answered on the other forum, but this is what the guy was looking for.
https://www.trenddirectuk.com/876x1-2tc

the cutters are 4 mm high, works on a maximum of 40 mm wood you can remove blades for narrower wood. I have one, and by carefull planning I can turn the wood over and double up to 80 mm high.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

the adjustable appears to be a stacked bit, cutting multiple grooves at a time. is that what you are looking for? 


most confusion comes from the fact that we typically use a single cutter with a box joint jig for making box joints.


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