I make a lot of utilitarian boxes by simply gluing the bottom panels to the undersides of the box walls. For efficiency and accuracy, I make the panels slightly oversized, and then trim their edges flush to the box walls. I find that a tablesaw fence jig works great for the job. It’s basically a template-sawing set-up that consists of a guide board that’s glued and screwed off-center to a mounting board that’s clamped to my rip fence.
To use the jig, clamp it to your table saw fence so that the guide board sits about 1/4" above the material to be trimmed. (The offset accommodates materials of different thicknesses by inverting the jig.) Raise your blade just shy of the guide board, and set your rip fence to locate the edge of the guide board just a hair past the outermost edges of the blade teeth. To make the flush-cut, feed each box wall in turn against the guide, beginning by crosscutting the ends to eliminate tearout. Alternatively, if you want an offset cut, simply locate the rip fence to suit.
—Bill Sands, Lubeck, West Virginia
