# Box spline jig for the table saw.



## manxnorton (13 Feb 2019)

As I mentioned early on in my project thread, I spied the making of possible spline jig.
As this was initialy for picture frames, and never gets used.
So easy to dismantle things and rip for measures as its was screwed not glued.





With a bit of fwd thinking (me thinking!!! :lol: :lol: ) it started to look like this.




So with the spare plywood got to fashion a guide for the rip fence.




a great fit, and I put some wax to help aswell.




Apart from securing the box and final sanding and sealing it, works really well.




Got some hard wood stips left over.




Pull saw to flush it.




All I need to do today (if I have time, as our lass is off today :shock:  )
Thank for viewing.Bri


----------



## Hornbeam (18 Feb 2019)

Hi Brian. Have a look at the direction of the grain in your splines. It should run at 90 degrees to the mitre otherwise it will add virtually no strength
Ian


----------



## manxnorton (19 Feb 2019)

Hornbeam":3px302h4 said:


> Hi Brian. Have a look at the direction of the grain in your splines. It should run at 90 degrees to the mitre otherwise it will add virtually no strength
> Ian



Hello Ian,
sorry ive got a 'bad brain' today.
Could you elaborate more to help me, its not sinking in.#  thank buddy
Bri


----------



## woodbloke66 (19 Feb 2019)

I used to do them that way but you've got an unguarded table saw blade there. Much easier and safer to make splines with a slotting cutter on the router table with the added advantage of being able to make different thickness splines. 

Turn each spline through 90deg- Rob


----------



## Phil Pascoe (19 Feb 2019)

manxnorton":3d50ufys said:


> Hornbeam":3d50ufys said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Brian. Have a look at the direction of the grain in your splines. It should run at 90 degrees to the mitre otherwise it will add virtually no strength
> ...


You splines could crack along the same line as the mitred corner - the grain in the spline needs to run across the joint. Think how much weaker a piece of plywood would be if the grain in every layer ran the same way.


----------



## transatlantic (19 Feb 2019)

manxnorton":3s43qqkr said:


> Hornbeam":3s43qqkr said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Brian. Have a look at the direction of the grain in your splines. It should run at 90 degrees to the mitre otherwise it will add virtually no strength
> ...



The way you have it, the grain is inline with the mitre. ie it's weakest orientation. (it's easy to snap along the grain)

You want the grain running in the opposite direction.


----------



## Phil Pascoe (19 Feb 2019)

:lol: Our posts crossed - you explained it better.


----------



## powertools (19 Feb 2019)

Quote Woodbloke66 wrote.
I used to do them that way but you've got an unguarded table saw blade there. Much easier and safer to make splines with a slotting cutter on the router table with the added advantage of being able to make different thickness splines. 

Turn each spline through 90deg- Rob
End of quote.

I would be interested to have you explain how a cutter in a router table in this application would be better gauarded than the blade of a table saw used for this application.


----------



## Hornbeam (19 Feb 2019)

Using the router table has 2 benefits. You can easily change the thickness of the splines and you only have a relatively small amount of cutter exposed. The downside is that for narrow splines. the cutter is quite fragile and you have to do each spline in a couple of passes.
On the table saw you can cut 3.2mm splines in 1 pass but the area of exposed cutter is much greater and potentially less safe.
I do mine on the saw with a jig on the sliding table, which covers the blade 
ian


----------



## woodbloke66 (20 Feb 2019)

powertools":2mbxilq0 said:


> Quote Woodbloke66 wrote.
> I used to do them that way but you've got an unguarded table saw blade there. Much easier and safer to make splines with a slotting cutter on the router table with the added advantage of being able to make different thickness splines.
> 
> Turn each spline through 90deg- Rob
> ...


An naked, unguarded table saw blade gives me the screaming willies  but it's possible to have a reasonably safe slotting cutter in...






...a router table, shown with the picture frame jig. It's not perfect, but you'd have to try very hard to get a bit of leakage from the digits - Rob


----------



## manxnorton (20 Feb 2019)

Thank you all,
Think I understand =D> =D> =D> =D> 
Really appreciate it.
Bri


----------



## transatlantic (20 Feb 2019)

Do you have a link to that router guard? Pricey?

Else I think I'll try to make one.


----------



## woodbloke66 (20 Feb 2019)

transatlantic":2jjkfre0 said:


> Do you have a link to that router guard? Pricey?
> 
> Else I think I'll try to make one.



Nope, sorry; the guard came with the UJK fence from Ax, but as you say, it shouldn't be too difficult make - Rob


----------



## powertools (20 Feb 2019)

Thanks for the reply.
I can see that your set up is good for something the size of a picture frame but how would it work for a box of say 6 inches high with 4 equally spaced splines?


----------



## woodbloke66 (21 Feb 2019)

powertools":c8tv6kmp said:


> Thanks for the reply.
> I can see that your set up is good for something the size of a picture frame but how would it work for a box of say 6 inches high with 4 equally spaced splines?


I wouldn't make a box like that using splines. If I do something like that, then it's secret mitred (if I can be bothered and it's a 'special'  ) or through dovetails _ordinaires._ That's the jig I use just for picture frames - Rob


----------



## custard (21 Feb 2019)

powertools":1hvc3ftk said:


> Thanks for the reply.
> I can see that your set up is good for something the size of a picture frame but how would it work for a box of say 6 inches high with 4 equally spaced splines?



I do something similar with a slotting blade in a spindle moulder.





Here's the box in a simple jig being run past the cutter,





Here's the result,





Cutting the Ebony keys, just as quick using a back saw





Keys glued in place,





You could do something similar with an arbor and a slot cutter in a router table, it would work fine but you wouldn't get quite as much elevation and you'd need to redesign the jig so that the workpiece reaches right to the very front edge.


----------



## custard (21 Feb 2019)

I didn't show the end result, here's the final box. I can batch these out in next to no time,


----------



## scooby (27 Feb 2019)

custard":m9c2p20r said:


> powertools":m9c2p20r said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the reply.
> ...



Great information and the finished box is really nice. But the spindle moulder, is the thing that piqued my main interest. Love the way that fence works. I think the last time I used and saw a spindle moulder was back in 97, it was a standard looking wadkin. No guards :shock: , no extraction, brake lever removed, etc. Yours looks like a work of art (in a good way)..yes, I'm a bit of a sad person/nerd.


----------



## Hornbeam (5 Mar 2019)

As an alternative to visible splines, Mitres can be strengthened with an internal spline which runs across the mitre.
I have made this jig for use on the router table for cutting splines 


,
The mitre is first cut and then the piece is clamped to the cross cut sledge. The cross cut sledge angled portion is adjustable so the exact position of teh spline cane be varied.
Through cut splines are straightforward as the piece is run straight through.
For stopped splines the router bit has to be raised once the mitre has been positioned. I have teh jessem table and with the sledge in position it covers the raise/lower adjuster. Fortunately the mechanism is light enough that it can be turned by hand from underneath to raise the bit as required. Alternatively the piece can be turned over and a slotting cutter used instead
The picture shows a previously cut trial piece as a protective packer under the clamp foot. In this case the slot is 4mm X 4.5mm for a 4 X 8 spline in 9mm birch ply


----------



## Paul200 (6 Mar 2019)

I used to cut key slots on my table saw with a jig and (sorry!) an unguarded blade but noticed that the tooth configuration of the blade left it's pattern in the base of the slot, entailing a little bit of fettling afterwards. I now use the same jig on my router table and get nice clean, square slots.

I only mention this because I found it incredibly frustrating until I resolved it but I have since noticed that hardly any of the box building books I have mention this fact. Hopefully I can save a beginner that frustration! Either ensure your saw blade is a flat toothed (ripping) blade or use the router table.


----------

