Question on Bottom of Finger Joint Box

[DavidCBaker]

I'm building a small box with finger joints. I was going to make the slits for the bottom of the box with several passes over the table saw rather than mess with a dado blade. I suppose I could use a router, too, set up on a guide rail.

But in either case, I don't know how I'm going to do that without having the slots cut into the inside of an individual finger...and then look silly in the joint. Does that make sense? In other words, I need to route or groove the sides up TO the finger joint without scoring across it.

Any ideas on the best way to do this?

I can post a picture if that helps.

 

[harry_]

you could make the bottom 'stopped'. Where the part that goes into the groove does not go all the way into the corner, that way the groove can be stopped.

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if you use a router, you can stop your groove before the edge of the finger and be able to use a full squared bottom.

 

[DavidCBaker]

And then use a chisel to clean it up a tad?

Something else I could do, I guess, is glue a strip inside the bottom and then glue the bottom of the box to the top of the strip.

 

[lym]

i used a 1/8 straight bit o a router table for a small box that i made.  blocks at either end assures that you won't go too far into the fingers.  if the fingers are large enough, you could also use a 1/4 in. straight bit.

 

[harry_]

And then use a chisel to clean it up a tad?

Doubtful you would even need to chisel it

 

[GPowers]

The Woodsmith Shop did a video on small finger joint boxes http://www.woodsmithshop.com/episodes/season3/305/ The talked about who the bottom and the finger mated.