Incra I-box

[Higon]

Anyone on here got one of these? how do you get on with it?

I'm considering getting one.. even though Rutlands the Incra dealer for the UK dont sell them. "Not enough demand"! (Same reason Lumberwizard 4 isn't sold by them).

 

[marcros]

Does Peter Sefton keep then, or if not can probably order one in for you?

 

[Peter Sefton]

Thanks Marcros, you are right we do carry them in stock.

Higon if you search on my tool shop website under I Box they will come up.

Cheers Peter

 

[Higon]

Thanks chaps. yes I'd seen you had them Peter, or rather google showed me!

I've read and watched all the available material about them but I was interested in hearing from someone who actually used them and how they found it.

 

[siggy_7]

I have the Incra LS positioner for my router table and love it. Personally where I think the I Box jig comes into its own is if you have a saw capable of having wide (i.e. dado) blades. The width of the joint fingers is determined by the cutter (Incra's material suggest you can use "any cutter between 1/8" to 3/4" width"), so with a standard table saw you are limited to about a 1/8" kerf of a standard blade. If you are using it with a dado-capable saw or a router table then these limitations don't apply of course.

 

[Higon]

Thanks for that Siggy,
(The LS does look very nice, insert green face here!) Yes thats one of the areas I'm interested in hearing about - especially with the lack of dado. Router table is an option I can use, I've a good selection of cutters and collets from PCB drilling sizes upwards.

Anybody got an I Box?

 

[siggy_7]

This guy has posted a video review of the jig showing it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK4JYV2YZbA

Having looked at the video myself, I'm convinced that it would do a good job. However, my view is that it would work best on a tablesaw with the capability to use wider blades. Router cut box joints are ok, but for boards of any thickness there is a lot of work for the cutter to do in one pass particularly if you're using a narrow bit - it looks like you could cut the joint in stages of bit height but that's lots of operations. You also get a lot more tear out with a router than a tablesaw.

The jig looks precision made, but I think its weakness is that it still fundamentally relies on the index pin method to space the joints, which makes cumulative error a potential issue in joints with more fingers. I personally like Matthias Wandel's screw advance jig design better - by using a lead screw to set the spacing, the cumulative error issue is avoided. You can also use a narrow width tablesaw blade in his design to make fingers of any spacing. The downside (if you're not into jig making or don't have the time) is of course you need to build it yourself first!

 

[shed9]

Another Incra user here, although not got an I-box, mostly LS-positioners and mitre gauges. I can concur on the overall quality of Incra equipment, it has to be seen to be appreciated.

There are quite a few suppliers, just need to dig them out, Fine tools have proved to be a good source and often quite good on price;

http://www.fine-tools.com/incra-i-box.html

Although it must be said, I've bought from Peter as well and his service kind of trumps any lower price from elsewhere (assuming there is a difference of course).