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A box joint is a
Applications include all sorts of wooden boxes and carcasses. While primarily used for right angle joints it can also be used for hexagonal boxes and other unusual shapes. It is used for the sides of drawers and lids, but not, in general, for joining thin panels to structural members.
A box joint is a woodworking joint
Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining pieces of wood, engineered lumber, or synthetic substitutes (such as laminate), to produce more complex items. Some woodworking joints employ mechanical fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, ...
made by cutting a set of complementary, interlocking profiles in two pieces of wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...
, which are then joined (usually) at right angles, usually glued. The glued box joint has a high glued surface area resulting in a strong bond, on a similar principle to a finger joint
A finger joint, also known as a comb joint, is a woodworking joint made by cutting a set of complementary, interlocking profiles in two pieces of wood, which are then glued. The cross-section of the joint resembles the interlocking of fingers ...
. Box joints are used for corners of boxes or box-like constructions, hence the name. The joint does not have the same interlocking properties as a dovetail joint, but is much simpler to make, and can be mass-produced fairly easily.
Creation
Box joints are generally created by using the same profile but displaced for both halves. In modern workshops these are often made ontable saw
A table saw (also known as a sawbench or bench saw in England) is a woodworking tool, consisting of a circular saw blade, mounted on an arbor, that is driven by an electric motor (either directly, by belt, or by gears). The blade protrudes th ...
s, sometimes using a dado set
A dado set or dado blade is a type of circular saw blade, usually used with a table saw or radial arm saw, which is used to cut dadoes or grooves in woodworking
Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet makin ...
. Custom machinery can cut the entire joint in one pass, using a suitable jig multiple pieces, even of opposing senses, can be cut at once. They were traditionally produced manually using a tenon saw and chisel, and fine cabinet makers still use these methods. Jigs can also be used, as with dovetails, to help produce a consistent result.
Applications
Applications include all sorts of wooden boxes and carcasses. While primarily used for right angle joints it can also be used for hexagonal boxes and other unusual shapes. It is used for the sides of drawers and lids, but not, in general, for joining thin panels to structural members.
See also
*Bridle joint
A bridle joint is a woodworking joint, similar to a mortise and tenon, in that a tenon is cut on the end of one member and a mortise is cut into the other to accept it. The distinguishing feature is that the tenon and the mortise are cut to the ...
* Dovetail joint
* Finger joint
A finger joint, also known as a comb joint, is a woodworking joint made by cutting a set of complementary, interlocking profiles in two pieces of wood, which are then glued. The cross-section of the joint resembles the interlocking of fingers ...
* Miter joint
A mitre joint (often miter in American English) is a joint made by cutting each of two parts to be joined, across the main surface, usually at a 45° angle, to form a corner, usually to form a 90° angle, though it can comprise any angle greater ...
References
{{Use dmy dates, date=March 2019 Joinery