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Box Mitre jigs

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Box Mitre jigs

Postby Steve Maskery » 19 Feb 2021, 00:43

My box project suffered an Apollo moment*, but before then I learned quite a lot and built a couple of jolly useful jigs. Enjoy!



S

*Of the "One small cut for a tablesaw, one giant cock-up for the project" variety.
Last edited by Steve Maskery on 19 Feb 2021, 20:54, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby NickM » 19 Feb 2021, 08:19

Thanks for posting that Steve.

I’ve done some mitred boxes just using the mitre gauge but your jig would be much better.

I have just made a shooting board for doing these which seems to be working really well. When you shoot yours, how do you make sure opposite box sides remain the same length?
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby Steve Maskery » 19 Feb 2021, 09:23

NickM wrote:When you shoot yours, how do you make sure opposite box sides remain the same length?

Carefully, is the short answer. I cut them as accurately as I can, then shoot and compare the two every couple of shavings. Because it's a feather edge, the sharp corner can be a bit indistinct, especially if you are using a bit of old pallet stuff, as I am in the video, so in that case it is better to compare the inside length rather than the outside length. The sharp corner will get cleaned up after assembly.
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby NickM » 19 Feb 2021, 10:28

Thanks Steve

I’m about to head out to the workshop to take my latest effort out of the clamps to see how I did!
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby Steve Maskery » 19 Feb 2021, 17:47

Bob has left a very helpful suggestion in the comments on YT, so today I've made that change, filmed it and edited the original film. Unfortunately that means I shall have to upload a new film. I've changed my ISP and now uploading is dire, 2 hours+ for an 18m film!
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby Steve Maskery » 19 Feb 2021, 20:53

Film uploaded. Jeez it takes forever. I'll edit the original post to reflect the later version.
Thanks for the suggestion, Bob, much appreciated.
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby ScaredyCat » 20 Feb 2021, 01:17

Any reason not to cut 4 splines at once?
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby Steve Maskery » 20 Feb 2021, 05:39

ScaredyCat wrote:Any reason not to cut 4 splines at once?


I don't understand, Andy. How do you mean?
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby ScaredyCat » 20 Feb 2021, 17:53

Clamping the 4 pieces side by side for the spline cut.
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby Steve Maskery » 20 Feb 2021, 19:40

ScaredyCat wrote:Clamping the 4 pieces side by side for the spline cut.


I think that clamping them p and making sure that there were all perfectly aligned would take longer than doing them one at at time, TBH, Andy. And if you clamp them, how are you going to hold them against the fence of the jig without the clamp itself getting in the way?
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby ScaredyCat » 20 Feb 2021, 21:22

Steve Maskery wrote:
ScaredyCat wrote:Clamping the 4 pieces side by side for the spline cut.


I think that clamping them p and making sure that there were all perfectly aligned would take longer than doing them one at at time, TBH, Andy. And if you clamp them, how are you going to hold them against the fence of the jig without the clamp itself getting in the way?


I didn't think your Kreg clamp was that wide. I was thinking you'd butt the first one against the fence, clamp it, butt the 2nd up to the 1st and clamp..etc

Image
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby Woodbloke » 21 Feb 2021, 09:41

As a non-tablesaur user, I chop of most of the waste on the bandsaw and then go straight onto the mitre shoot. I use a little jig on the router table to insert a spline on two, in much the same way as you'd do for a picture frame, after the box mitres have been glued - Rob
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby Steve Maskery » 21 Feb 2021, 10:08

Woodbloke wrote:As a non-tablesaur user, I chop of most of the waste on the bandsaw and then go straight onto the mitre shoot. I use a little jig on the router table to insert a spline on two, in much the same way as you'd do for a picture frame, after the box mitres have been glued - Rob


Those are the sorts of splines I am using on my box project. I did them yesterday, actually and I have the film fottage to prove it :)
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby ScaredyCat » 21 Mar 2021, 11:40

Steve,

I tried out your spline shim cutting method and although some of them were a close fit, most were still sloppy - and clues as to the cause and any ways to ensure a better fit?
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby Woodbloke » 21 Mar 2021, 15:16

ScaredyCat wrote:Steve,

I tried out your spline shim cutting method and although some of them were a close fit, most were still sloppy - and clues as to the cause and any ways to ensure a better fit?


If you're using a spline jig as you would do say, in a picture frame f'rinstance, there's a temptation to pass the job through the jig a couple of times, which will cause the spline to be a sloppy fit, so now I simply pass the joint through once - Rob
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby ScaredyCat » 22 Mar 2021, 09:52

Ohh, I can't remember if I did that. Do you class 2 cuts as forward and back?
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby 9fingers » 22 Mar 2021, 11:26

ScaredyCat wrote:Ohh, I can't remember if I did that. Do you class 2 cuts as forward and back?



I do. Forward and lift off would be my method or stop the saw before return journey.

I presume from the context it is some of your kerf cuts are too wide not that some splines too thin?

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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby ScaredyCat » 22 Mar 2021, 12:53

9fingers wrote:I presume from the context it is some of your kerf cuts are too wide not that some splines too thin?

Bob


Well, that's the $1 million question, and I don't know the answer.
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Re: Box Mitre jigs

Postby Steve Maskery » 22 Mar 2021, 14:23

Sorry about not responding. I'm not getting notifications of replies to this, I've only just spotted it.
Not much to add from what has been said, TBH. Did you check your spline material for square before you started? If it's a bit off then one edge of the spline will be a bit thinner than he other. But apart from that, no more ideas, I'm afraid.
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