Good Morning Friends,

In days gone by they used to connect glue up of boards using a blind spline. What is a blind spline and how would you cut it on a table saw?

My guess is that you cut a stopped groove (or dado)  into both pieces.   Don't go all the way to the end of the joint.   Then cut a spline to be inserted into said grooves.   Sort of the pre-cursor to a biscuit. 

 

For strength, you'd want the grain in the spline too run perpendicular to the joint.

I would agree with Keith - it is sort of like a biscuit

What Keith said. 

 

I'd do a plunge cut on the table saw.

You fellows are in the right frame of mind on this one and yes you do plunge the boards down on the blade, however you must use a form of a stop to prevent kick back. I use a sacrificial fence with a stop block secured on the end and then screw or clamp the fence to the saw fence.

By cutting a depth of 1/2" on both boards you can insert a 1" spline holding back from each end about two inches.

3 hours ago, Ralph Allen Jones said:

What is a blind spline and how would you cut it on a table saw?

plunge cut a dado/slot short of the edge/end of the material you are splining so that the end of the spline can not be seen ...

 

 

 

 

R4 SPLINES 1.pdf

1 hour ago, Ralph Allen Jones said:

You fellows are in the right frame of mind on this one and yes you do plunge the boards down on the blade, however you must use a form of a stop to prevent kick back. I use a sacrificial fence with a stop block secured on the end and then screw or clamp the fence to the saw fence.

By cutting a depth of 1/2" on both boards you can insert a 1" spline holding back from each end about two inches.

why not be safer and use your router and a slot cutter...

slot for 9/16'' and use a 1'' spline... this allows for hydrostatic pressures compliments of of the glue and excess glue bleed off.......

Edited November 3, 20169 yr by Stick486

Why not just forget the biscuits and splines. With proper prep and today's adhesives, I see little need for them, unless it's for alignment. JMO and YMMV.

7 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

I see little need for them,

splines add a lot of strength..