[oncealways]

I am trying to make a recipe box by joining the sides with box joints using a spacer fence. Having difficulty aligning the sides so they will fit in the desired orientation.

I want the cube to be fully put together, then I will route a dodo on the outside to intersect with a previously routed dado on the inside of the box to allow the lid to fit over the bottom portion of the cube.

How do I set up the sides for the box joints so the interior dados are aligned when I join the sides? Every time I tried on scrap wood, one dado is toward the "top" of the box, and the other towards the "bottom".

 

[oncealways]

Well, I tried Robert Burns' spider's advice and tried, tried again. I think I have finally figured out how to align the pieces so they fit together as I wished. I just should have marked all the pieces first, so I cut the joints on the right pieces together, instead of routing two fronts to join! Luckily, I was able, I think, to salvage that.

My spacer fence has moved slightly, though, so I need to make a note to check that and ensure the wing-nuts are tight!

Naturally, this is all done at the last minute, as we open gifts from family on Christmas Eve. I am making 7 recipe boxes and they all need to be varnished after being built.

Turned out the insides of the pieces (with dado cut in them) need to face in the same direction, but the dadoes are offset when routing the two pieces to fit together. (I am not going to try to figure out how to clamp all four pieces to route them all at the same time) After the joints are routed, one piece is rotated to fit with the other - that is what had me confused.

Thanks for letting me "brainstorm" - it helped.

 

[jw2170]

Well, I tried Robert Burns' spider's advice and tried, tried again. I think I have finally figured out how to align the pieces so they fit together as I wished. I just should have marked all the pieces first, so I cut the joints on the right pieces together, instead of routing two fronts to join! Luckily, I was able, I think, to salvage that.

My spacer fence has moved slightly, though, so I need to make a note to check that and ensure the wing-nuts are tight!

Naturally, this is all done at the last minute, as we open gifts from family on Christmas Eve. I am making 7 recipe boxes and they all need to be varnished after being built.

Turned out the insides of the pieces (with dado cut in them) need to face in the same direction, but the dadoes are offset when routing the two pieces to fit together. (I am not going to try to figure out how to clamp all four pieces to route them all at the same time) After the joints are routed, one piece is rotated to fit with the other - that is what had me confused.

Thanks for letting me "brainstorm" - it helped.

With this method, the box is glued up before you route the 'outside' dado.

Make sure all the 'inside' dados are at the top.

 

[Mike]

This is a combination of the Magic Box project with box joints. I think it would be easier to make the box and lid as two different units and cut a rabbit on the edges of the parts to form the ship lap joint.

 

[oncealways]

Thanks, James.

I was not able to get the boxes finished by Christmas, but will continue with them until they are completed. I did get the joints all milled, and am ready to sand and glue them up. Yes, I have all the inside dadoes aligned correctly and will set the fence on my wife's router talble before I glue them up to ensure the outside dado is correctly aligned.

Al

 

[oncealways]

Thanks for the input, Mike.

But, where is the challenge in that? Ha ha. Neither my wife not I are accused of doing things the easy way! And, this method did look easy when Bob demonstrated it at a woodworking show in Southern CA years ago.

I am ready to sand and glue up now. Just need to remember to set the fence on my wife's router table before I glue the boxes to ensure the outside dado is correctly aligned.

Al