I wanted to make a jig for making splines. I want to use splines to reinforce 45 degree mitered joints that are usually end grain to end grain. This technique is really useful especially in making picture frames and boxes.
I used a scrap piece of 20mm thick plywood. The jig will be fitted on my table saw’s fence. I made my measurements using a caliper and cut all my pieces to size.
For the cross cuts, I used my cross cut sled and stop blocks when needed.
I glued and screwed the pieces of my jig’s base. I predrilled and countersinked all the holes on my drill press.
I used a compass and a 90 degree square to find the center of my base. I then used the 90 degree corner of a triangle as a guide to glue and screw two stop blocks. I used a handsaw to trim the edges flush with the jig’s base.
Now, I was ready for a test. I made a wooden corner and clamped it on my jig. I adjusted the table saw’s fence and made my first cut. I then flipped the piece over and made another cut.
I used a caliper to find the width of my cut and cut a piece of spline on my bandsaw. The spline was a bit snug. So i clamped my block plane upside down on my vise and planed the thin spline down to the width that I wanted.
I applied glue to my joint and added the splines. After the glue was a bit dry, I used my flush trim saw to cut the splines flush. I then used a sanding block to finish my joint.
I hope you find this jig useful.
Off course many people have made jigs like that. Check out a few of them here:
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