Fat Joints in the AM

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

Wondering what kinds of joints some of you have tried using in your enclosures, and what was easiest/ strongest/ prettiest....

I decided i'm building my own box, since NONE of the shops i've had build me a box have done a very good job, and my #1 fear is upholstery, so i'm going to build using a finishing wood (walnut or birch) and stain and wax it....

Since i'll be able to see the wood, tho, i'd like to use some nice looking joints on the box, tho......

My first idea was tongue and groove, but tongue and groove joints are really intended to replace butt-joints, and not corners, and you're really not supposed to glue tongue and groove joints......

I guess my 3 choices are mitre-joints, tongue and groove, or dovetails... I think dovetails require a jig as well as the bit, which is pretty expensive if i recall correctly, and althogh mitres have more surface area than just gluing the pieces together, i don't know how they stand up to internal pressure.....

What do you recommend?

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[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

and does anyone know how to factor in extra length for a tongue and groove joint?

Do i just add 1/4" to each direction that will have a tongue at the end, and set my fence @ 1/4"?

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

Dovetail is probably the prettiest. Beyond your simple butt/lap joint, I've done dados, Tn'G and chamfer/miter joints. TNG is probably the strongest, but as I said, dovetail looks the best. On speakerboxes though, dovetail is worthless unless you're using a **** enclosure.

 

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

ya, i just don't know if i have the nerve to learn to dovetail on $50+ per sheet finishing wood.... And i'm sure i could do it with a jig, but that's a big investment for a box here and there....

I definitely plan on dado'ing the port piece, but still not sure what i'll do for the rest...

Either a mitre joint around the perimeter (looks good, pretty simple) or i'll do tongue and grooves, and use a rounder bit around the edges..... I think those are my two most realistic options, only thing i'll need to buy/build is a table for my router, and a tongue and groove bit ($40)

You think that would look alright?