Machinery for Cutting Box Joints

It's called a "hauncher." Here's a picture of one. November 28, 2006

Question
Is there a production machine specifically designed for making box joints? I need a machine that will do 1/4 box joints in material 3/4" thick and up to 16" wide in a single pass. I'd like to find alternatives to converting a multi-spindle dovetailer for this purpose.

Forum Responses
(Solid Wood Machining Forum)
From contributor B:
I have been collecting parts to build one. Don't know if anyone makes them. I really don't like making them on a table saw for two reasons: 1) too slow and 2) not happy with leaning over a spinning blade.

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From contributor K:
The machine you need is called a hauncher. It has a horizontal arbor that allows you to stack blades and spacers. It’s used to cut finger joints, box joints, and any other shaper type cut primarily to the end of boards. Mine has a 12” arbor, but you can put an index pin in the table and shift the board to allow an endless cut. I too originally was going to build my own machine and spent time and money on the arbor and bearings and steel, but realized in the long run it would be easier to buy the machine. There aren’t a lot of haunchers out there for sale, but they’re not in big demand, so if you look around or catch one at auction, you can get a good deal. If you look at the picture, the boards are held flat with pneumatic hold downs and the whole arbor assembly moves down through the material.

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