Finger Joint Joinery

A finger joint (box joint) uses rectangular, square-cornered interlocking pins cut at an equal spacing on both boards. A dovetail uses trapezoidal pins at an angle that create a mechanical lock in one direction. Finger joints are faster to cut and equally strong in glue surface area; dovetails resist being pulled apart without glue due to their geometry. Visit our dovetail joinery collection for dovetail tools.

Yes. The Finger Joint Router Bit 61/500 is designed for use in a router table, where the workpiece is indexed past the bit using a crosscut sled or box joint jig. A router table setup gives good control and is practical for small-to-medium production runs.

The Finger Joint Router Bit mounts in a standard router collet (1/2" or 1/4" shank) and is used in a handheld router or router table. The Finger Joint Shaper Cutter is a larger-diameter cutter that mounts on a 3/4" or 1" spindle shaper arbor and is designed for production shops needing faster material removal and longer tool life.

An indexing jig is essential for accurate finger joints. The jig uses a registration pin exactly the width of one finger to step the workpiece sideways after each cut, ensuring uniform spacing. Jigs can be shop-made from scrap, or a commercial box joint jig can be used with a table saw or router table sled.

Yes. Finger joints are a traditional and highly effective joint for drawer boxes. The large glue surface created by the interlocking fingers produces a very strong corner that resists racking under the repeated pulling loads that drawers experience in use.

Carbide-tipped finger joint bits cut cleanly in most domestic hardwoods (maple, cherry, walnut, oak) and plywood. Avoid cutting through nails, screws, or abrasive composites. Always use sharp bits and climb-cut on the final pass in hardwoods to reduce tearout at the edges of the fingers.

Handheld use is possible with a fence and jig to control the cut, but a router table setup gives more stability and repeatability for the precise indexing that finger joints require. For best results, use the bit in a router table with a crosscut sled and indexing pin.

Yes. Our dovetail joinery collection includes a wide range of dovetail router bits, and our broader Cabinetry & Joinery section covers lock miter bits, tongue-and-groove sets, and more.

All Infinity Tools products are backed by our quality guarantee. If a bit fails prematurely or does not perform as described, contact us through our contact page and we will resolve the issue.

Qualifying orders over the minimum purchase threshold ship free. See our shipping policies page for current thresholds and delivery time estimates.