Adjustable Incra Ibox Jig For Repeatable Results
I am not an Incra Ibox fan boy by any means nor was I paid for this review. I do not make a penny from any suggestion I make here about Incra.
The Incra Ibox just hits the ball out of the park. It is absolutely solid in terms of performance and repeatability. There are parts of it that can be touchy yet it is supposed to be. It allows for some serious fine tuning on the cut.
While I will praise them for this Ibox jig, allow me to insert one slip in here. Of the tools I have of theirs, you can see they have spent a lot of time developing in some areas more than others.
Their miter gauge is solid if you like what it offers. Nevertheless the Incra router table has more to be desired. For the price they ask I have some issues with it that I do not like.
Nevertheless it is far better than other store options. I will say it should be half the price for what you get.
In terms of the Ibox it is worth every penny. I have seen “precision tools” before that advertisement made claims the tool couldn’t keep up with.
If you have a problem with this jig then you did something wrong. Seriously it can give accuracy in the thousandths of an inch which is typically unheard of.
Weak Points Of The Ibox
Before I give it too much praise lets get the parts that should be better out of the way. The only complaint I have heard from others who know how to use this tool is the same issue I have.
There is a red and silver knob which allow for fine micro adjustments but the lock knob is in another location. If you forget to loosen the black lock knob on top of the jig before making adjustments the lead screw can potentially strip gears in the system.
If you by chance do this I am not saying that the first time will destroy it. Re-calibrate it to the saw blade like you did the first time setting it up.
Then see how it performs. Really it will depend on how far you took moving it while it was locked. You should have noticed there was some resistance in trying to use the adjustment knobs and stopped what you were doing.
In the event they do strip out and accuracy is lost it is time to make a call to Incra. I have no idea what they have in place for taking care of something like this. Nevertheless this is the only real weak point I have found in the jig. So be careful with your tools.
Ibox Parts I Found Aggravating I Did Not Care For
Their big thing is being safe while making your box joints. Incra has put every feasible safety feature they can fit into the Ibox to keep your fingers out of the blade.
The problem I had was that these features get in the way of being able to see what I want to see while making a cut.
Part of being able to have accurate box joints is your ability to make a repeatable cut of the same width. In doing this I want to see that my wood is sitting flush to the bottom plate as it should be while the cut is being made. There are times when a little upward shift can happen on wider dado cuts.
If these safety features are there it can be really hard to see this. Additionally I like to clamp the wood to the Ibox but at the same time have one hand on the wood.
I want to feel the wood on the Ibox as it passes through the blade to maintain tactile feel. In this way I can feel something shift if I cannot see it.
These safety features just get in my way. It makes the environment so cramp that it become difficult to work with. So I removed some of these key pieces.
After removing them the error I was finding in some cuts went away. I could now see and feel what was happening in the cut and my hands are at this point never in any danger.
I will advise everyone that removing safety features naturally is not a great idea. I have far less fear in my situation because I run a SawStop table saw.
This saw has its own safety features built in preventing someone from being hurt. Nevertheless if you are using the tool properly there is little danger involved.
You are at more risk making small cuts on the saw while using a push stick than you are using the Incra Ibox. The overall design of the jig itself keeps your hands away from the blade naturally while placing the wood right where it needs to be.
It is the safest jig I have seen even without the safety features installed, and it is far superior to the home brew jigs we have all made and used with no safety design. Use common sense when cutting.
Incra Ibox Design To Be Used On Miter Slots
One of my concerns when buying the Ibox was how it would lock into my miter slot. We have all had those experiences where the tool and locking mechanism just didn’t fit quite right.
We have all experienced that little play which exists throwing what accuracy we could get right out the window. The Ibox platform actually shocked me in how consistent the jig performs.
I will advise that one will need to ensure that the blade is aligned properly to the miter slot. This can be checked and adjusted depending on degree of error.
What impressed me early on with this jig is that it does lock in quite nicely. If you are not careful you can tighten it to where the jig will not move at all in the slot.
So know up front it is truly adjustable to the point of preventing movement. You will have to play with it a bit to get the fit right for your miter slot.
I do advise to wax your table, as you should do anyway periodically, and this will help get the feel you desire. Once it is set to your liking it is forever set to that miter slot.
The only time you need to adjust it again is if you move it to a different slot or machine for use. Which brings up the next point in that it was also designed to be used on router tables.
Note that your router table will need to have a miter slot for it to work. We are not talking about those little dinky tables from the big box stores.
Personally I have never attempted use on a router table. I love using the Ibox on the table saw with a dado stack. I will say that your preference will in part be determined by how well tuned your table saw or router table may be for your work.
Despite my preference, if you prefer using a router table know that it will work. Just as I continue here know all my references to the Ibox use is working with my table saw.
Just How Accurate Is The Ibox?
Once it is set up and running, if you follow the directions to the letter I found the box joints a little tight to my flavor. Please do test cuts before you begin your actual project.
Additionally there is a little trick I began to use. Everyone eventually finds little cheats to make the system easier but you will find what you are comfortable with.
I have a few small blocks of wood where I have cut different size joints according to the width of whatever dado stack I am using. If I need ¼ in cut then I have a cut from a past Ibox project to that size.
I can use my wood block to measure to the Ibox within the setup. Still make test cuts to ensure accuracy. This trick just helps to speed the process along.
I kid you not depending on the humidity and temperature of my shop at the time, it is so accurate I may need to adjust the cut.
The ¼ in cut today may not be the same ¼ in cut tomorrow just based on environmental variables. This is part of the joy in working with wood as it moves with the environment. The Ibox does hold true to how accurate it is.
If you need to make fine tune adjustments there are two knobs on the left. The bigger red knob is for larger moves. The small silver knob is for .001 in adjustment increments.
Just be sure to loosen that black knob on top so that nothing gets stripped out when making an adjustment. Do not forget this step, that black knob is very important.
I have often found that I need to loosen the cut a bit throwing an extra thousandth or so of slop into the cut for an easier fit. I do not like my box joints loose fitting, but at the same time not so tight that I need to force them into place.
This becomes very critical if one makes wood hinges. If they are too tight they tend to squeak when in use due to friction. That extra hairs width can mean everything.
I have never had an issue with the Incra Ibox accuracy other than when I made an error. It does take a little initial practice getting used to the tool. Typically woodworkers are not fanatics about accuracy, but this little tool allows you to be if you so choose.
Ibox Use For SawStop Owners
The directions tell you to put your saw into bypass mode when you are calibrating the Ibox. So here is how it works in real time as I am a Sawstop owner.
If you use my little template cheat you can avoid the kiss calibration altogether saving time. Have that piece of wood that you put different size dado cuts into and save it for future.
Their kiss calibration technique requires the metal spacer on the Ibox to touch your blade. Obviously this is never done while the saw is running.
Anyone who owns a SawStop will know this should never cause your brake to fire. The little light will blink preventing you from turning the saw on for 15 seconds or so after it touches.
Alternatively if you are genuinely worried about a brake misfire you could calibrate the Ibox with the Sawstop switched to off. No power means no misfire and fine adjustments are not an issue.
Once you calibrate the Ibox for the size dado, the blinking light if your saw was on should have been long gone. At that point you are safe to run.
The directions they give telling you to put the machine into bypass mode is for saving your wallet the cost of blade and brake just in case something weird happens.
If you are like me this is never an issue anyway. My initial adjustments are made in calibration while the saw is turned off.
Once I am up and running any fine tune adjustments are never in danger of making contact nor coming close to the blade. Once you have a wood template with your favorite cuts, this process is history anyway.
Why Should You Buy An Ibox Jig?
If you are a wood artist and the level of your woodworking is looking for that extra accuracy, then get this. The Incra Ibox is for fine work.
When making wood art boxes I cannot imagine using any other tool. I have not found anything else that will offer this degree of control. It gives the accuracy but also allows for flexibility in your cuts depending on what you are doing.
Tight fits for joints are there. A slight looser fit for hinges can be had preventing aggravation from a later squeaky box.
It fits tight into the miter slot removing excess play which would throw off a cut. The wood can be clamped down and held by hand while keeping your fingers away from the blade.
It just works.
If you have ever tried to make a jig for box joints you can know its frustration. Much will depend on the quality of your miter gauge in this case.
Even with the best you do not have the ability to adjust the cut on the fly. If there is an error you are back to making a new home brew jig which is very time consuming.
If you play with box joints much at all then this tool is worth the money and time to invest in.
Pay Attention To How You Set Up The Ibox
Please read the instructions after you open the box to put the thing together. It comes with a dvd as well, at least mine did.
You want to get the most out of it and not run the risk of breaking something nor causing a hazard. So watch the Dvd… don’t do what we men always do and set it aside.
Once it is put together follow the instructions on how to get the cuts you need. The video will help a lot with this.
After you begin using it if you are like me, some of those safety features will come off. Just know the risk of what you remove and use your head.
Safe For Kids?
I will leave this one up to you. Yet in my opinion for a responsible teen it is safe enough for them to use. There is far more danger in other tools like some cuts we shouldn’t do on band saws and routers.
Yes you know what I am talking about because we have all done them. If the tool is responsibly used as it is intended to be used, there is little danger.
If you are running a SawStop as I am then I personally would have no hesitation letting a teen run this. My greatest fear in this case would be the kid doing something stupid causing the brake to misfire.
There is nothing like costing yourself $250 needlessly for a new blade and brake when being dumb. Common sense goes a long way.