Don't buy this finger joint router bit

I've waited a long time to see someone with more woodworking knowledge and experience show that this router bit is useless. I bought this exact same item some years ago and spent a lot of time trying to get it to work. I had all the same issues with it as Mathias did. I just gave up in the end and used scarf joints instead.

In my previous job we had this old machine with 250mm tall blade packs that cut a finger joint on a 45 degree angle, very tight fit and with wood glue, made for a really strong 90 degree joint. the fingers were maybe 5mm long but they were dense, it pretty much tripled the surface area of the joint compared to just a 45 degree straight surface. You inserted 2 matching pieces at once and the blade packs were offset so that the joint matched perfectly.

i guess there's a good reason that high quality router bits are expensive. i've learned that lesson buying cheap ones on amazon before, but my results weren't as dramatically bad as the one you got

Make a Shaper! The problem of purchasing is solved. Thanks for the great video.

Definitely a joint that is best done on a shaper but I have had success with the Freud bit and a high horsepower router. Main problem is blowing the breaker as I don't have 20A supply to my garage shop. The advantage with the Freud bit is that it is one piece and the carbide is superior to many others on the market.

You need to make multiple passes with each one going deeper by moving your fence. Yes it’s a pain and incredibly time consuming but that’s the only way to get smoother cuts and feed at the right speed. Trying to take that big of a bite out at one pass is asking a lot from a router.

I saw a lot of these router bits like you demoed for $20 on Amazon. I guess you have to spend more than $20.

Many thanks for sharing that, I know a lot of people, myself included, tend to jump on bits like that so even $20-$30 saved is money better spent for materials :) I rarely do box joints but when I do I am still using a sled with a key. Thanks again !!!

That's a scary looking bit.

Thanks Matthias, you buy the rubbish so we don't have to. Great video.

Thanks. That kind of bit was on my "I'd like to have" list.

I love your channel, the videos are so compact and full of great information!

I guess I don't understand why you didn't just back the wood off the bit with the guide... like if the fingers are too narrow, you're cutting too deep on the bit, no?

Love how you do not just throw it away immediately like I would XD

Thank you for this test and showing it here on YouTube At 6.08min. you see the Stark finger joint shaper. In the description on the screen you can see 10-11. This means the fingers of the shaper are 11 mm long and the wood has to cut whereby the finger length becomes approximately 10mm. By varying the 10 mm slightly, the fit of the finger can be corrected, so that the fit is always correct, even with increasingly blunt cutters. The type of wood also influences the fit. The fitting accuracy with a good finger width is 0.05 mm. This makes it clear that making a correct finger joint is almost impossible on a router table. Due to the large surface to be worked on and the slightly sloping shape of the finger, it also requires an extremely high amount of power. This means that a correct throughput speed is not possible, causing burn marks to occur quickly. When using only 1 finger, the operation is of course much lighter and usually possible.

3:11 neeoooeeeoooeeeooo xD dunno why I find that noise so funny, but I do find it funny, it's like it's suffering

I bought one maybe 15 years ago and it worked Superbly. I'll see if I can figure out who made it.

"Taking it apart..." In fairness, it sort of took itself apart. When doing router joinery, skimping on bits has always left me disappointed. A winning combination: a powerful router and a high-quality bit - look for brands sold in woodworking stores rather than the "jungle site bargain".

If you aren’t careful, you’ll invent the elusive board stretcher.

man, I've almost bought one of these on many occasions. Glad I've avoided it!