Replies

1. 
   frenchy | Oct 06, 2006 07:47pm | #1

   bob k

     Use your shaper. they have an actaul finger joint cutters set.  You might be able to use arouter if you have the set although few routers can cut deep enough. those that do are positively scary..

    

1. 
   bob k | Oct 06, 2006 08:10pm | #3

   Thanks for the input. I don't own a shaper, and feel the same as you do about trying to use a router table. I thought about using a hand-held router to cut a spline across a mitered joint, but can't get the depth I need.

2. 
   JimV | Oct 06, 2006 07:57pm | #2

   Instead of finger jointing, have you considered a splined miter? You could also choose to handcut the joinery, whether it be finger joints or dovetailes.

   Jim

3. 
   mufti | Oct 06, 2006 08:41pm | #4

              Have you considered cutting the fingers on pieces say, six inches long by whatever means is easiest to you and getting a perfect match and then using those pieces as templates to cut the actual joints by hand? I would.

   Good luck, David

4. 
   JohnWW | Oct 06, 2006 08:41pm | #5

   A butt joint held together with dowels or screws hidden by plugs will have plenty of strength, assembling it with epoxy will add even more strength.  There isn't any obvious source of stress that will be trying to break the joint apart, so no great amount of strength is needed. 

   If you have any problem, it is that the span is very long for the stiffness of the shelf.  How many supports will be underneath it,  where will they be located and how much weight will be on the shelf?  If you are trying to support the shelf by the ends only, you may have problems with sag.

   John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine

1. 
   bob k | Oct 06, 2006 11:49pm | #6

   Thanks, John. I guess I never think to use dowels because of the weak connection in the cross-grain end. Will using epoxy make this a significantly stronger joint?

   You are right. There won't be anything really pulling the joint apart. On my insistence, the shelf will be supported at the middle, despite the wishes of the designer. (Don't they teach these guys about gravity?)

   The more I think about it, dowels make sense. Thanks a lot.

   Bob K

1. 
   JohnWW | Oct 07, 2006 12:17am | #7

   Gravity? What's gravity?  No they never get it, most of them also don't understand that water runs down hill either.

   As to the epoxy, it has fairly good strength, even on end grain in a butt joint or simple miter.

   John W.

   Edited 10/6/2006 5:34 pm ET by JohnWW

5. 
   pins | Oct 07, 2006 01:50am | #8

   I agree with John White. Screw it and plug the holes.

   John

6. 
   philip | Oct 07, 2006 03:25am | #9

   Bob, why not just do an ordinary half-lap? Can be done with hand tools only very easily and will be as strong as the unjoined piece. No need of screws, crappy dowels or screws-just glue and clamp.We are not builders or carpenters here, so surely normal cabinet making is in order?
   If you want to get fancy, then you can exercise some hand tool skills by doing a scarf joint.

   Philip Marcou
7. 
   ring | Oct 07, 2006 08:49am | #10

   Bob,

   1)  I totally agree with all the posters that you can use any number of alternative joints.  If you wanted the FJ for its beauty, just do dovetails by hand.

   2)  You actually can do that FJ on a Radial Arm Saw, with the blade running parallel to the table.  I doubt that it's worth the effort though.  Takes a while to get the spacing right - how much to crank up the height for each finger - but I did some a long time ago.  Gang the pieces together and use a waste strip in back for tearout. 

   DR

1. 
   user-173162 | Oct 08, 2006 07:45pm | #11

   I have done finger joints on long boards using a bandsaw to slice in from the end grain to the desired depth, followed by hand chopping to remove the waste material. The hand chopping is really not hard; clamp a 1-2 inch thick straight board along the scribe line to guide and keep the chisel vertical as you chop away.