I bought the SBOX8 box joint cutter to make 20 decorative boxes for our woodclub's Toys for Kids Christmas project - The older kids need something nice too. This mini-dado is not cheap but does a first-class job of cutting accurate box joints. Once you make up the spacing jig to attach to your miter, you can crank out box sides very quickly. I was using some 1/4 veneered plywood and had very, very minor chipout. Much less than the 1/4 brand-new spiral cut router bit I first tried to use to cut the joints. I always say to buy the best tool you can afford, it's usually money well spent and the SBOX8 is worth every penny.
LOU Freud SBOX8 Box Joint Cutter Set, Cuts 1/4-Inch and 3/8-Inch grooves.
I tried unsuccessfully for years to cut the perfect box joint with a dado cutter. I could never get the bottoms of the groves flat, without filing and messing with it after they were cut. The instructions for the jig was easy to understand and build. After cutting the box joints with the Freud cutter, I didn't have to fiddle with them any more. This is money well spent for a cutter that is simple and easy to use, and gets excellent results every time.
The quality of the blades is great, there is a LOT of carbide on these teeth. I had no problems installing the blades or building the jig, the instructions were very clear.
The cuts are very nice, no tearout, only minor splintering with plywood. Certainly no worse than ripping or crosscutting plywood with a regular blade.
Tip: If possible, secure the jig to your miter gauge using a bolt rather than a screw. I simply countersunk a hole on the "blade" side of the jig and epoxied in a nut. This prevents the screw hole from slipping after a while.
It works as descibed. The instructions for setting up the jig to cut the joints on the table saw are good, although i still had to mess with it a little bit like some of the more standard ways to set up that type of jig. It cuts real nice and clean too. I only needed something for doing various knotches for half laps and that kinda thing so for me it was a way better value than spending 300 bucks for a dado blade. Wish you could just run one blade only but other than that, I'd definitely recommend it.
Chalk another innovation from Freud!! This Dado set makes perfect box joints. After trying a countless number of other jigs using routers, I decided to try this dado set. The most important aspect about using this dado, is the jig itself. Make a quality jig that is adjustable for finger width, make sure the miter bar has no slop, and the index finger is tight to hold the work piece while cutting the other slots. Once adjustments are fine tuned, results are flawless. The problem with using a router, is that its rotary cutting action from the bit tends to tear out the wood when the bit breaks through the slot. Using this Dado setup eliminates all that. Also, it's way faster than using a router. If I had to do all the experimenting over again, I would just buy this dado and scrap everything else. I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend this to anyone.
This blade set makes cutting box joints easier and much more accurate, especially if you try to cut them with a wobble blade like I have been. It makes them square & precise. But there can't be any play in the miter gauge that the jig is attached to. Also, the cut must be backed up precisely. I glue a new piece of wood in the previous slot in the backer board each time I go to a shallower joint or it will blow out the back of the joint. I like the looks of my boxes now most of the time. Its money well spent for a good product. I would buy it again.
I didn't really NEED this... Afer all, I already had a nice Freud Dado set and a #10 grind Forrest blade, both of which can do box joint cuts. But it sure is convenient to just throw the blades on and start cutting -- perfect 1/4 or 3/8 cuts, with no shims, adjustments, or multiple passes required.
Cuts very cleanly and makes a perfectly square bottom as needed for box joints. I have several other Freud blades, and like those the quality of this set is top notch.
I own a Freud dado set and have used it to cut box joints...and it works; however, this dedicated box joint blade set yields a better box joint. The reason? A good dado set has flat top teeth and beveled teeth. The flat top teeth leave a nice flat-bottomed dado. The beveled teeth have the bevel points facing the outside of the dado stack and cut a groove slightly deeper than the flat top teeth. While this groove allows the cutter to cleanly slice through plywood veneers and leave a clean dado without torn wood fibers attached in the bottom corners of the dado, it does leave the grooves cut by those beveled teeth on either side of the dado bottom. So, if you use a standard dado set for box joints, each notch has those darn grooves that prevent a perfect fit of the fingers of the adjacent parts. Not a huge deal--that's why wood putty was invented. But if you're a perfectionist, it's annoying. This box joint set has only flat top teeth, so there's no groove on either side of the cut. Nice and precise. When I bought this set, I was not enthusiastic about being married to only 1/4 or 3/8 finger joints, but I got over it. I always use the 3/8 configuration, and it has made my box joint jig much simpler--I no longer need an adjustable jig since I'm always cutting 3/8 box joints...so this blade set has simplified my life. I've used it to make boxes, drawers, and a display case. It's a pleasure to use. I don't have to fiddle around with shimming the blades as I did when I was using a dado set for this application. It makes it so convenient to cut box joints, that I find I use them much more than I would without this blade set.
After trying to make a box joint jig and still not happy with the results, I was a bit hesitant about trying this set. Boy was I wrong! Following the easy to understand and easier to make instructions and jig, my first porject was a huge success. For me at least the price was a considerable amount, but will have a high quality addition to my tools for years to come.... - Woodworking - Razor Blade - Dado - Freud'
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