This results in the grain running the length of the spline, which makes it stronger. I like to make splines out of a piece of material between 2" and 3" long and 8" or so wide with the grain running in the shorter direction (photo below). With the blade set to the proper angle, make a cut in the sled to create a zero clearance slot for the blade. An iGaging digital angle guide or Wixey digital angle gauge also comes in handy for this task. You can use the dovetail bit as a guide to set the blade angle.
In other words, if you used a 14° router bit with the router jig, be sure to tilt your saw blade to 14° as well. The table saw blade needs to be tilted to the same angle as the dovetail bit used to make the grooves in the box.
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The tapered splines lock tightly into the groove and make a gap free joint that is easy to assemble and exceptionally strong. The sled is designed and manufactured for cutting the correct taper on the dovetail splines. The splines are made at the table saw using the tapered dovetail spline table saw sled. Step 4: Make the Tapered Dovetail Splines In fact, if a full-depth cut is made with a bit with a 3/4" cutter height, the spline will appear to be almost a 1" tall. This also means that the spline will appear to be taller than the cutting depth of the dovetail bit. This means a spline made with a 14° bit will appear to be roughly 11° on the face of the box when finished. Because the dovetail bit cuts at 45° to the corner of the box, the effective angle of the bit is reduced by roughly 22%. Just make sure that the diameter of the straight bit is no larger than the smallest diameter of the dovetail bit to be used.Īny angle of dovetail bit will work with the system but I prefer 14° and 18° bits. Remember the splines are tapered.Ī third tip is that when using large dovetail bits, you can always use a straight bit to hog out some of the waste before routing the dovetails. This ensures that the larger end of the splines are on one face and the small end of the splines on the adjacent faces. The jig is positioned so that the "Infinity" logo is always on these marked faces. The tape helps support the wood fibers as the cutter exits the cut, reducing tearout.Īnother tip is that I like to mark the front and back of the box to help locate the router jig in the same orientation. Larger projects are better suited for using the handheld router with the box clamped securely to your bench.Ī quick tip for working with splinter-prone material like plywood is to tape the corner being routed with blue painter's masking tape. Small projects are easily routed at the router table. Don't be afraid to make a second pass if you need to. The key when cutting the spline groove is to make sure you follow the entire length of the tapered slot in the spline router jig and make a complete cut. For larger projects like blanket chests, I use a handheld router. For smaller projects like jewelry boxes or humidors, I like to use the router table. The bushing can be used in any router or router table that accepts a Porter-Cable-style guide bushing. The included brass guide bushing is used to guide the dovetail router bit through the cut. I like to use double-sided tape to hold the jig in place but a couple of clamps can also be used. With the locations of the splines marked the spline jig can be positioned. The default spacing for the spline grooves is 1" from center-to-center on the 12" jig and 1-1/2" on the 18" jig. Plus, the jig can be indexed for extra-long projects. The spline router jig has V-notches at the center of each opening allowing for custom spline spacing, if desired. Mark the centerline of the spline locations that you want to add to your box. PRO-Grip Straight Edge Clamps & Accessoriesĭouble-sided tape is a perfect solution for securing the jig when clamping is difficult.
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