I’m working on a project that calls for 1/8″plywood to be used as a spline in a corner joint. I don’t have any, don’t know of any source, and I wouldn’t buy it anyway because if I did I’d have enough to make a jillion of these things.
I do have some 1/8″ hardboard. What is the thinking about substituting hardboard for plywood in a spline setting?
If that’s unacceptable, I guess I’ll cut some out of some hardwood I have. They only need to be ~ 13″ long and I have a piece of WO that is that wide.
Thanks in advance for the education.
Dave
Replies
Use the hardboard, should be fine, certainly as strong as the plywood.
I respectfully disagree with Nigel. A miter itself isn't a strong joint, so you need to beef it up. The hardboard has no long, strong fibers and won't do anything for your joint other than locate it when you clamp it up; it will be easy to snap this joint apart since the hardboard has no bending strength.
Using hardwood is just fine, but the grain in the spline should then span the miter; in other words, the long grain of the hardwood spline will be across the spline, not the length of it.
Door skins are pretty close to 1/8" and a 3' x 7' sheet of mahogany or birch isn't very expensive. You can also get "blows" (rejects or seconds) for next to nothing.
Edited 10/1/2002 9:16:43 PM ET by SPLINTIE
Don't slavishly follow the directions. If 1/4" stock will fit, use that. If you have to use 1/8" stuff (I can't imagine why, usless you are making miniatures) use something that has more strength than hardboard. Align the strength of the spline as Splintie suggests.
Home Depot has plenty, even half sheets.
Dave,
FWIW, I'd recommend that you follow the above advice that recommends the use of hardwood splines. Another alternative would be to use a locked mitre joint. This joint can be executed on the table saw or with a locked mitre router bit....
Dano
I just made some bed corner posts using a lock miter edge detail. The router bit cost me $45 and since it was too big for my router table and fence, I ended up making a table and top out of apple ply, plus special fence, just for this one bit. I know what Stickley used for lock miter geometry, and it is different from the T&G aspect of my new bit, but how does one do a lock miter on a table saw?
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