Posted by Bill Epstein [ 12.75.71.201 ] on April 18, 2004 at 21:07:23:

In Reply to: New Addition to Family posted by GarMan on April 18, 2004 at 20:31:49:

Insanely jealous that you Northerners get the good ply at your HD, eh, hoser?
You might try one of these jointsa to keep things from moving around:1) rabbet joint 2) housing joint
For the rabbet you make a few test cuts in the cheap stuff to find the fence position that gives you an exactly equal rabbet on both workpieces when you run each piece horizontal and then vertical against your fence. Then they fit together w/o slip and you have doubled the gluing area.
The housing joint is even better but you need a Dado set for your saw. You cut a groove or dado in one workpiece exactly half the width of the material in from the edge. You cut a rabbet on the adjoining piece that fits into the dado. This is stronger than the rabbet because the tongue on the rabbet's piece is captured inside the dado.
In both cases it's very important to wind up with the edge of one panel slightly proud of the plane of the other. It really is worth the time to make the test cuts to accomplish either of these joints. Make an extra set of pieces to set aside to index the blade for the next time you need to make this joint. Then all you have to do is fine adjustment to that projects thickness of material.
One more really neat thing you can do involving 4" wide high quality (3M) masking tape for a box the size of the 1Pi or even bigger.. When you stretch masking tape it resists with about 60 lbs of pull. That happens to be the minimum desired pressure for PVA (carpenters) glue. Cut all four panels of the box sides with 45 degree mitered edges. Cover the edges with plenty of white, not yellow PVA glue(you'll need the extra open time). Now lay them out in order with the glued miter sides down and the edges just touching. Beginning at one end tape one piece to the next pulling and stretching the tape as you do. Use 3 pieces of tape for a box the size of the 1Pi. Tape all four pieces together. Now you and a friend flip them over on the other side. Bring them up into the box shape, make sure the ends are touching without overlap and tape the last sides.
You got yourself a box. Wait 24 hours before working on it.
The 1 and 2Pi's really are great and moreso at the price. The Alpha 8 and 10 get little respect on the boards but they really do sound good. Way to go.

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