Rockler’s newly updated Router Table Box Joint Jig makes it easier than ever to craft clean, tight-fitting finger joints for small to medium-size decorative boxes. It features a backer sled that’s been redesigned to provide smoother motion during use and an enlarged clamping surface for better workpiece control.
The sled now incorporates the indexing key that positions the workpiece during each cut. The jig includes three interchangeable brass indexing keys for making 1/4-, 3/8- and 1/2-in. patterned box joints. The indexing key mounts to the sled with two machine screws, so swapping from one key size to another is easy. For added convenience, there are storage slots on the sled for the two keys not being used. The redesigned sled also is larger, with dedicated spots for clamping the workpiece, and it’s made from reinforced nylon for increased strength and durability. A replaceable MDF sacrificial fence for mounting to the backer sled is included.
The jig has a 1/2-in.-thick MDF base with a smooth melamine surface and precision-machined slots that keep the sled from traveling too far into the bit. Expandable miter bars secure the jig in router tables with a standard 3/4- x 3/8-in. miter slot, and the knobs for tightening the miter bars have been upgraded to Easy-to-Grip Five-Star Knobs with smooth, rounded contours and proprietary rubber overmolds that eliminate sharp edges. The jig will work with any router table that has the near edge of its miter track between 4-1/2 and 6-1/4 in. from the center of the router bit.
“Using an up-cut spiral bit in a table-mounted router is the best way to cut clean, crisp box joints – without the pointy ‘ears’ left by the angled tips of a saw blade,” said Steve Krohmer, Rockler’s vice president for product development. “The new Rockler Router Table Box Joint Jig provides smooth workpiece motion and precise spacing for perfect box joints.”
The updated jig is part of an array of Rockler products designed to make box construction easier and improve results, including spiral up-cut router bits (items 63008, 38238 and 62984); 1″ x 15″ Band Clamps with integrated ratcheting handles (item 58432); Box Joint Cauls (item 42784) for easy clamping during glue-up; and the dedicated Band Clamp Accessory Kit (item 56025).
Rockler’s Router Table Box Joint Jig (item 59032) is priced at $79.99 and can be purchased at Rockler.com or at Rockler Woodworking and Hardware stores nationwide. To watch a video of it in use, click here.
