Replies

1. 
   JohnWW | Apr 24, 2004 12:17am | #1

   Todd,

   Finger joints are used for end grain to end grain joints because they create a lot of side grain glue surface.  A tongue and groove joint has very little side grain and will make a very weak joint. 

   Using a tablesaw, I'd cut a 3/8 inch wide, 1 1/4 inch deep open mortise on the end of each arch segment and glue in a spline of 3/8 inch thick PT wood.  Run the grain in the spline in the same direction as the grain in the segments.

   John W.

   
   

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   Edited 4/23/2004 5:18 pm ET by JohnW

2. 
   Dave45 | Apr 24, 2004 02:24am | #2

   I did something similar a couple of yrs ago making redwood arches for an arbor and a deck.

   I used biscuits (4 per joint) and polyurethane glue (Gorilla Glue).  After the glue up, I cut the arches on a bandsaw. (SWMBO agreed that I needed the bandsaw because she really wanted the arches).

1. 
   sbanbury | Apr 24, 2004 03:50am | #3

   I'm with John W.

   I just did 1 1/2" deep 5/8" wide open mortises with splines on this arbor--it's a very strong joint. 

   
1. 
   JoeWood | Apr 24, 2004 06:34am | #4

   Hey Eddie, what type of wood is that ? Very beautiful.

2. 
   JoeWood | Apr 24, 2004 06:37am | #5

   Hey Eddie, what type of wood is that ? Very beautiful.

1. 
   sbanbury | Apr 25, 2004 06:04pm | #6

   Hi Joe,

   I'm Scott ;-) Eddie is the fella I built the arbor for.

   It's 150 year-old Eastern Redcedar (ERC). I got the logs from a pre-civil war cemetary where they blew down in a storm last summer. It was unlike any ERC I've evr sawn before--most of the boards were 12"+ wide (10' long) and had very few knots or crumbling rot typical of the species.

   Scott Banbury

   http://www.scottbanbury.com     

1. 
   JoeWood | Apr 25, 2004 06:16pm | #7

   No wonder the stock looks so nice, and it's nice seeing urban trees going into projects instead of the landfill !

2. 
   toddhunter | Apr 26, 2004 09:41pm | #8

   Well, upon your advice, I cut mortises for splines, now I'm ready to make splines. I assume using pressure treated wood is the way to go (though they shouldn't end up exposed). The mortises are 3/8" wide, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to make the splines. I suppose I could run the one inch board through a planer, but that's alot of planing. I don't have a band saw to resaw with. What do you recommend? Todd