bb

"busbus"

05/12/2011 8:48 PM

Does anybody have an opinion about the Original Incra Jig System?

I am looking into getting a box joint jig and found this one out there:
http://www.woodpeck.com/incrajig.html.

It looks like it can cut a lot of joints and, also, be used on other
machines like the drill press, table saw, and bandsaw. This is my first
venture into this territory, so I don't know if it is something that is
worthwhile or if it is just marketed well? It sort of looks too good to be
absolutely true, so there has to be a catch.

Any opinions?

Thanks,
ray


This topic has 14 replies

mI

"m II"

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

13/12/2011 6:57 PM

Yeah sure we do but, then you have to put your hand on the power switch
and the angle changes about 0.23 degrees...just a minute!


-------------
"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:04:01 -0500, blueman <[email protected]> wrote:


Don't you guys use your digital angle gauge to set the miter gauge to
the fence within 1/100th of a degree? http://goo.gl/s8PGE

--
However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the
results.
-- Sir Winston
Churchill

bb

busbus

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

07/12/2011 5:04 AM

On Dec 7, 3:29=A0am, "J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> For the price the original Incra is a handy thing. =A0I've used it on the
> router table, the table saw, the radial saw and the drill press that I
> can remember. =A0If all you want is box joints though, one of the many
> shop-made box joint jigs out there works fine if you have a few scraps
> laying around to make it from.
>

Well, to tell you the truth, I would like to also make dovetail
joints, too. I have only made them using a handsaw but I have a home
project where I need to make a number of joints and there was no way I
was going to cut all of them by hand. Well, I could but I want to get
done before I am 100 years old as I tend to do things slowly since I
only putz around and I am not making a living off this. I would
rather have dovetail joints but figured box joints would be faster
and, since I don't have any jigs, I thought a pre-fabricated box joint
jig would be the cheapest way to g.

Whenever I spied this jig, I liked the fact that you could use it for
a ton of different things and not only for box joints and/or
dovetails. I just wanted to see if anybody has any opinions about
it. Your post verified what I had hoped: That this jig really can be
(and is) used on multiple machines.


> Note--using the Incra templates to make box joints, you want to use a
> dado blade, not a router table. =A0Why? =A0Router bits tend to not be
> exactly on diameter--making Incra box joints with them they end up
> either too tight or too loose. =A0A dado blade can be shimmed to give you
> the exact dimension you want. =A0On a table saw you'll want to use a
> sled--just mount the Incra to the sled. =A0On a radial saw you can just
> clamp it down to the table.


I think you are right about using a table saw. From other things I
have read, the joints are REALLY tight and only certain bits work
well, like Whiteside. That's okay, I guess, but I most certainly will
use the sled option with a dado blade on my table saw whenever I make
box joints--thanks for the suggestion!


ray

LH

"Lew Hodgett"

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

05/12/2011 7:15 PM


"busbus" wrote:

>I am looking into getting a box joint jig and found this one out
>there: http://www.woodpeck.com/incrajig.html.
>
> It looks like it can cut a lot of joints and, also, be used on other
> machines like the drill press, table saw, and bandsaw. This is my
> first venture into this territory, so I don't know if it is
> something that is worthwhile or if it is just marketed well? It
> sort of looks too good to be absolutely true, so there has to be a
> catch.
--------------------------------------
Depends on what you want to do.

For true box joints, I'd build dedicated sleds for each size, 1/4",
1/2", 3/4".

If you want to pursue the added functions the device suggests, that's
another matter.

Lew


JC

"J. Clarke"

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

07/12/2011 3:29 AM

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>
> On Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:48:06 -0500, busbus wrote:
>
> > I am looking into getting a box joint jig and found this one out there:
> > http://www.woodpeck.com/incrajig.html.
> >
> > It looks like it can cut a lot of joints and, also, be used on other
> > machines like the drill press, table saw, and bandsaw.
>
> I still have the original. I used it to make box joints with fair
> success, but the half blind dovetails were a fiasco. I did find it handy
> for repositioning my table saw rip fence. I could put the jig against
> the fence, mark the jig setting, and remove the sliding part to get it
> out of the way. Then I could move the fence and later return it exactly
> where it was before.
>
> But in general, it got very little use. I don't think I've used it in
> the last 2 years.
>
> My favorite Incra product is the V120 miter gauge:
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Incra-MITERV120-INCRA-MiterV120-Miter/dp/
> B001RCTTG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323193266&sr=8-1>

For the price the original Incra is a handy thing. I've used it on the
router table, the table saw, the radial saw and the drill press that I
can remember. If all you want is box joints though, one of the many
shop-made box joint jigs out there works fine if you have a few scraps
laying around to make it from.

Note--using the Incra templates to make box joints, you want to use a
dado blade, not a router table. Why? Router bits tend to not be
exactly on diameter--making Incra box joints with them they end up
either too tight or too loose. A dado blade can be shimmed to give you
the exact dimension you want. On a table saw you'll want to use a
sled--just mount the Incra to the sled. On a radial saw you can just
clamp it down to the table.

LJ

Larry Jaques

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

13/12/2011 5:13 AM

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:04:01 -0500, blueman <[email protected]> wrote:

>Larry Blanchard <[email protected]> writes:
>> My favorite Incra product is the V120 miter gauge:
>>
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Incra-MITERV120-INCRA-MiterV120-Miter/dp/
>> B001RCTTG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323193266&sr=8-1>
>
>It's on sale now at Rockler (and Amazon) for ~$50.
>How durable & strong is it?

Don't you guys use your digital angle gauge to set the miter gauge to
the fence within 1/100th of a degree? http://goo.gl/s8PGE

--
However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.
-- Sir Winston Churchill

Sb

"SonomaProducts.com"

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

06/12/2011 11:40 AM

>
> Any opinions?
>
> Thanks,
> ray

I find all the Incra stuff to be generally over engineered but also
generally works well. Haven't used this but looks like the same story.
I just bought the Rockler version but haven't used it yet. Simpler
concept but about the same price.

So in other words, I have no real data but you did ask for opinions.

Cc

"CW"

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

07/12/2011 11:54 PM



"Edward A. Falk" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

In article <[email protected]>,
J. Clarke <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>Note--using the Incra templates to make box joints, you want to use a
>dado blade, not a router table. Why? Router bits tend to not be
>exactly on diameter--making Incra box joints with them they end up
>either too tight or too loose.

Mine were too tight. I never thought that this might be the problem.
Thanks.

I'm going to try building this instead:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?149768-My-Box-Joint-Jig
(It's a variant on Lynn's Jig)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For a lot less work and very good results, try this.
http://us.oak-park.com/catalogue.html?list=boxj--

--
-Ed Falk, [email protected]
http://thespamdiaries.blogspot.com/

LB

Larry Blanchard

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

06/12/2011 5:42 PM

On Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:48:06 -0500, busbus wrote:

> I am looking into getting a box joint jig and found this one out there:
> http://www.woodpeck.com/incrajig.html.
>
> It looks like it can cut a lot of joints and, also, be used on other
> machines like the drill press, table saw, and bandsaw.

I still have the original. I used it to make box joints with fair
success, but the half blind dovetails were a fiasco. I did find it handy
for repositioning my table saw rip fence. I could put the jig against
the fence, mark the jig setting, and remove the sliding part to get it
out of the way. Then I could move the fence and later return it exactly
where it was before.

But in general, it got very little use. I don't think I've used it in
the last 2 years.

My favorite Incra product is the V120 miter gauge:

<http://www.amazon.com/Incra-MITERV120-INCRA-MiterV120-Miter/dp/
B001RCTTG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323193266&sr=8-1>


--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

fE

[email protected] (Edward A. Falk)

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

07/12/2011 7:40 PM

In article <[email protected]>, busbus <[email protected]> wrote:
>I am looking into getting a box joint jig and found this one out there:
>http://www.woodpeck.com/incrajig.html.

I have one. Didn't come with any templates or instructions, and I haven't
gotten much real use out of it. They gouge you on the templates so I
wound up designing my own. I'm not all that thrilled with it, to be
honest.

--
-Ed Falk, [email protected]
http://thespamdiaries.blogspot.com/

fE

[email protected] (Edward A. Falk)

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

07/12/2011 7:42 PM

In article <[email protected]>,
J. Clarke <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>Note--using the Incra templates to make box joints, you want to use a
>dado blade, not a router table. Why? Router bits tend to not be
>exactly on diameter--making Incra box joints with them they end up
>either too tight or too loose.

Mine were too tight. I never thought that this might be the problem.
Thanks.

I'm going to try building this instead:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?149768-My-Box-Joint-Jig
(It's a variant on Lynn's Jig)

--
-Ed Falk, [email protected]
http://thespamdiaries.blogspot.com/

fE

[email protected] (Edward A. Falk)

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

07/12/2011 7:46 PM

In article <4ec30e4f-fb98-430e-bcbf-99c38d07ae73@s26g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>,
busbus <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>Well, to tell you the truth, I would like to also make dovetail
>joints, too.

Dovetail jigs work pretty well. If you can scare up a copy of Woodsmith
#58, they sell the template and plans for a do-it-yourself jig.

--
-Ed Falk, [email protected]
http://thespamdiaries.blogspot.com/

fE

[email protected] (Edward A. Falk)

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

08/12/2011 8:40 PM

In article <[email protected]>,
CW <[email protected]> wrote:
>For a lot less work and very good results, try this.
>http://us.oak-park.com/catalogue.html?list=boxj--

I made myself one of those once. They're bloody difficult to align
properly. Once you get it right, they do ok.

--
-Ed Falk, [email protected]
http://thespamdiaries.blogspot.com/

LB

Larry Blanchard

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

13/12/2011 3:51 PM

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:04:01 -0500, blueman wrote:

> Larry Blanchard <[email protected]> writes:
>> My favorite Incra product is the V120 miter gauge:
>>
>> <http://www.amazon.com/Incra-MITERV120-INCRA-MiterV120-Miter/dp/
>> B001RCTTG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323193266&sr=8-1>
>
> It's on sale now at Rockler (and Amazon) for ~$50. How durable & strong
> is it?

I've dropped mine once or twice from the saw top to a wooden floor. No
damage. From 6' on to concrete might be different :-). IOW, it's as
strong as it needs to be if not abused.

Mine works great. We sold a lot of them when I worked at Woodcraft and I
only had one customer complain he couldn't get his zeroed. I'm pretty
sure it was his saw and not the miter gauge, but just thought I'd mention
it to be fair.

You can buy it with a fancy fence for more money or you can make
replaceable fences like I do. I fasten a T-track to the top of a piece
of 3/4" plywood.



--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

bN

blueman

in reply to "busbus" on 05/12/2011 8:48 PM

12/12/2011 11:04 PM

Larry Blanchard <[email protected]> writes:
> My favorite Incra product is the V120 miter gauge:
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Incra-MITERV120-INCRA-MiterV120-Miter/dp/
> B001RCTTG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323193266&sr=8-1>

It's on sale now at Rockler (and Amazon) for ~$50.
How durable & strong is it?


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