I-Box Jig and Wood Hinges

Ted Calver

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I bought an iBox jig and wooden hinge jig package during the last sale thinking they were designed to worked together somehow. Finally figured out how my iBox jig works, but the Incra site doesn't show any connection between the iBox jig and the hinge jig. Has anyone used the iBox jig to cut wood hinge knuckles? Seems like it would work?
 
I don't have the I Box, so I am only thinking, that the I box would cut the hinge knuckles O.K but locating the pin in the knuckles might be a problem getting it just right. From what I have seen the hinge jig has a provision for drilling the pin location. Hey, give it a try Ted and give us a report as to what you discover, sounds like a worthwhile project to try.
 
It should work as well as any method of cutting finger joints. It just doesn't happen to be integrated into the Hinge-Crafter or whatever. the Hinge-Crafter holds already fingered and rounded sections in line for hinge pin drilling so if your spacing from the i-Box and rounding radii from the router table were correct, it should be able to assist you with the pin drilling I would think.
 
I recently made a set of wooden hinges for a box I'm building. I've made hinges using the Incra "book" way with my table router, a roundover bit and a straight router bit. The last set of hinges I made, I used my iBox with a 3/8" dado blade to cut the notches for the knuckles. Then, I lowered the blade to hog out the flats of the hinges. Finally, I used my router table for the roundovers.
 
The hinge jig is only for drilling the holes for the hinge pin. Rounding of the hinge barrels and all steps prior to drilling the hinges for the pin are done at the router table using bull nose and straight router bits. Of course, all the instructions assume you are using the Incra LS Positioner system http://www.incra.com/images/rtf_lsstandard_mainpic_zoom.jpg, which I don't have. If the iBox won't cut the knuckles I'll just pull a Glenn and build a ninety degree router fence jig:)
 
The hinge jig is only for drilling the holes for the hinge pin. Rounding of the hinge barrels and all steps prior to drilling the hinges for the pin are done at the router table using bull nose and straight router bits. Of course, all the instructions assume you are using the Incra LS Positioner system http://www.incra.com/images/rtf_lsstandard_mainpic_zoom.jpg, which I don't have. If the iBox won't cut the knuckles I'll just pull a Glenn and build a ninety degree router fence jig:)

All you need at the router table is a straight fence and a roundover bit, if you use the iBox to notch the barrel end of the hinge blank.
 
It's a really 'fiddly' procedure. I use a bullnose bit at the router table, taking two passes to cut the barrel of the hinge, then cut the 'slots' out using the Ibox at the table saw.

If the Ibox is set up right, the hinge leaves will fit together perfectly. Drilling them out takes some care to keep them secured in the hinge jig, but is pretty straight-forward.

I don't have (or need) the Incra positioner to do this. Careful adjustment of the router fence, using a 'zero clearance' auxiliary fence does the job for me.
 
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