Finger/Box Joint Software

[scottp55]

Guys!!! Get back on topic!
Ok, So GIVE!
What tape that finds the center of a board so you can do a FingerMaker Box faster on your Shopbot?

[myxpykalix]

Even I don't remember that! I think it was a regular measuring tape but that it had extra marks for mid points
read this
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...r-to-keep.html

[Steve Wonser]

Here is a link to center finding tapes at Lee Valley.
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/pag...58&cat=1,43513

[Burkhardt]

That is what I am using for center finding. It still has a geometric flaw and needs a sliding middle bar to prevent tilting but it works good enough (3"-20") and I did not bother so far. But if that is interesting to the general public I can improve it and post the Vcarve files. Does not take more than an hour to make.

[Tim Lucas]

Here is a link to Oregon centering rules, they come in different widths and colors

http://www.oregonruleco.com/Centering.htm

[scottp55]

Thanks all
Interesting how a simple question here gets so much information!
I was going to do the old "board with 2 dowels and a brad at midpoint" for width and regular tape for length

[Burkhardt]

My contraption is admittedly over-designed. I made it a while ago to find the center inside a confined space and to be operated vertically.

For a simple center finder on top of a board a pantograph style compass would be sufficient and much simpler. I bet one can buy that somewhere but I have not seen it.

[dmidkiff]

A good way to find the center of a board is a regular tape measure. Run the tape out diagonally across the board to an even number. Half of that number will be your center. This method may not work so easily on a wall but for most needs in the shop it works every time. No special tape or tools needed.
Of course, this is not my idea, I learned this from watching Tommy on Ask This Old House.

[bleeth]

Or you can buy one of those "Fast-cap" center finder tapes and then go nuts trying to remember which drawer you stuck it in!
My issue is how hard it is now to find a decent tape without "dummy" fraction numbers printed all over it without ordering it from some out of town warehouse. I don't know whether the latest crop of "carpenters" is that stupid or the manufacturers just think they are.

[Burkhardt]

I know I am not Macbeth but after more than a year of tinkering and frustration I finally decided that my box joint software is good enough to launch. I just put it on my web site and if anybody is interested please have a look and let me know what you think about it. I would be happy to get feedback about the program (yes, I am sure there are still bugs) and the web site (yes, it is still rough around the edges).

Thanks to all for your patience to put up with my obsessions!

Here my latest demo objects that I made with no specific purpose but I needed some pics for the web site.

This is the glued up and finished box with the split half-blind joints (I posted the pic of the cut boards a few pages up).



This is a test of the limits for unequal thickness boards, joining a 1/4" piece to a 3/4" piece. Works pretty good, but full miter joints to the corner are hard to get accurate.




Test of tabs. Actually rather an onion skin that connects the finger end to the surrounding material: