# Box jig on table saw sled



## svorhees (Apr 16, 2013)

Gents, I have a question that may be simple for some but since I am just getting back into wood working I am at a loss. I picked up the Summer of 2013 Woodsmith magazine titled "Ultimate table saw handbook" I built the sled and I am working on the box jig add on. Any way it calls for a 1/4" x 1/4" pin and it's set a 1/4" from the blade I made the first cut but since my blade isn't a 1/4" wide it obviously doesn't let me place it over the pin to make the second cut. Am I wrong in thinking the pin needs to be same width of the blade kerf? Or do you use a 1/4" dado blade, but who wants to run a 1/4" Dado blade through the sled. 

What am I doing wrong?












Here is the box jig attachment


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## JohnnyG73 (Sep 10, 2013)

I would hate to run a dado stack through such a nice sled but based on the 1/4" "pin" and the design, yes you have to if you want to use that sled for box joints. The only other option would be to make a dedicated box joint sled/jig but I may be wrong.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

you are right. a 1/4" pin would be for 1/4" box joints, hence the need for a 1/4" dado blade set-up. or, you could match the pin width to match your blade kerf width. i like the replaceable backerboard arrangement. nice jig. 

most box joint jigs do not have a bottom, just the miter gauge attachment. that sled being the beauty that it is, i would just use the box joint jig on the miter gauge alone, without the sled.


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## svorhees (Apr 16, 2013)

Thank you guy's, the article was misleading but I guess I learned I better think things through first in advance. I will modify it to fit on miter gauge. 

Thanks again.


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## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

using a 1/8th pin would work but thats a lot of fingers


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## eepaul (Oct 16, 2013)

What if you used two 1/8th pins, with the second one being removable? I dont know how you could attach the second pin in a way that it would be stable and sturdy and still easily removable, but would that work?


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## bladeburner (Jun 8, 2013)

To address another of your questions, here's my procedure.
Make a cut in scrap. Measure that notch because it's carved in steel. I use a micrometer. Set both the gap and the key to that measurement and it will work perfectly. 
Miss it by as little as .003" and after a few inches along the cut and the fingers wont mesh.


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## Old Skhool (Oct 31, 2009)

bladeburner said:


> To address another of your questions, here's my procedure.
> Make a cut in scrap. Measure that notch because it's carved in steel. I use a micrometer. Set both the gap and the key to that measurement and it will work perfectly.
> Miss it by as little as .003" and after a few inches along the cut and the fingers wont mesh.


If you cut each corner in pairs, the tolerances may stack like you are saying, however the "matched pair" will fit perfectly as they are clamped together offset by your pin width which doesn't change so they stay in perfect alignment. I mark the top edge of each corner, 1/1, 2/2, ... and place the numbers next to the pin, otherwise trouble...You're right about the close tolerance of the pin width to the slot being critical to the fit. That's what scrap is for. :smile:


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## Old Skhool (Oct 31, 2009)

I'm sure blade runner knows this, but if your new to making box joints, it's a good idea to run your scrap through the planer at the same time, through the same side of the planer as the wood for the box. While not absolutely critical, it will allow you to easily dial in your blade height so pins are ever so slightly proud at each corner as it is a lot easier to sand the ends slightly, rather than thinning the sides of the box by sanding, or other methods when flushing everything up


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## 4DThinker (Mar 13, 2013)

I tried to make a backer plate that could shift left and right a bit to open up one blade width to make a 1/4" slot. No matter how carefully I tweaked it I couldn't get enough of the play out to make it useful for box joints. Move to a 1/4" dado stack and it'll get easy.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

bladeburner said:


> To address another of your questions, here's my procedure.
> Make a cut in scrap. Measure that notch because it's carved in steel. I use a micrometer. Set both the gap and the key to that measurement and it will work perfectly.
> Miss it by as little as .003" and after a few inches along the cut and the fingers wont mesh.


I believe that if you keep the mating boards referenced on the same edge (e.g. the bottoms to the right), the tolerances won't stack on you and though off the mesh.

another way to keep the tolerances minimized, is to apply english in _the same direction_. that is apply some pressure to your stock to the right (or the left) against the pin as you pass through the cut, just keep it the same.


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## svorhees (Apr 16, 2013)

Excellent info guy's, thank you very much :thumbsup:


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