Glue dowels can have spiral grooves and I really like them better, especially when using expoxy which has gap filling ability.
I am playing with some designs for exterior items and I plan to use lots of splined epoxy glue joints to create panels. I'll make and use solid wood 1/8 x 3/4 splines to sit in 1/8 x 3/8 edge dados. I am trying to think how I could groove them, perferably at 45 degrees.
One item takes 18 lin ft of splines (it surprised me when I calc'd it) so some productive method would be best.
Something like a gang ripsaw working on sheet stock fed on the bias comes to mind... :)
If there were enough volume to justify it, guess one could set up an arbor w/ several small blades like those for the 4" trim saws and do that.
Alternatively, if had a long spindle shaper could stack a few small flute cutters although less convenient a form factor.
I've not seen a set for the moulding/planer setups a la Woodmaster, et al. for multiple groove sets but would presume it would be possible.
Oh, I think they also have a gangsaw setup available for their moulder/planer; I presume it would have the ability to set depth to only cut a shallow groove; what flexibility in number/spacing of the blades are I don't know, either.
On a somewhat less exotic thought, I could envision starting w/ a sizable piece of stock cut on the bias and using dado blades on the RAS and feeding it in rip cut moving the head between passes. If the working material were large enough, one would end up w/ quite a sizable chunk of stock in the end after a set of passes from fully in to fully out along the arm travel. One could do something similar w/ the TS and the fence of course, it's just quicker w/ my setup to think of the RAS for something like this.
I've not done something of the sort; on it since it's a 16" behemoth it has a longer shaft than the typical TS or 10-12" RAS that can only barely handle a 13/16" dado set...I'm guessing could probably set up maybe twice that on it.
You didn't mention the spcing between grooves, but say every inch or so, it wouldn't take long to make 18*12=144 grooves on a table saw with your miter gauge set to 45d. (twice as long if you do both sides of course) Have you considered a biscuit joiner?
I'd be inclined to allow some clearance in the depth/spline width... even a
1/64" to 1/32" would help.
RE the grooves, maybe crush them in with a vice.... a jig (really a die), with something as simple as bent nails to make the dents, could be placed on one jaw and the vice tightened to press the nails into the wood. I'd think it would be a pretty quick process using maybe a half turn of the vice handle to loosen and tighten the vice. Index the wood to the next position using the dents as a guide. The longer the jig the less wood shifting... I'd think it wouldn't be a problem to do 8 - 10 grooves at a time on 1" centers.
I've used my vice to crush splines and biscuits to facilitate glue ups and the process outlined above shouldn't be a problem...
I have a biscuit joiner and access to a Domino but for this project I am doing a reproduction of an antique design and using the splines specifically to retain the original joinery method. I am making some minor adjustments to the design but I am sticking to the original joinery.
I am always thinking of production methods that will work if I ever want to make 100 of whatever I am designing, not that I often get the chance to make those hundred but I am working towards it constantly.
I got thinking about this some more and it might be even easier to wrap some heavy gauge wire around a board, with spaces between the winds, and use that as a die...
On 10/13/2011 2:39 PM, John Grossbohlin wrote: ...
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If I read correctly, he's talking 1/8" splines--it'll be pretty hard to compress them much at all in having any effective groove I'd think unless it's quite soft material. Cedar or white pine, maybe, but no hints on the particulars given...
It wouldn't take much of a groove to bleed off air and a bit of glue...
The 1/8" thickness is why I'd press them in... cutting them would leave next to nothing for material if they would even survive cutting.
Outdoor projects tend to be made with things like cedar, red wood, or pressure treated and they'd compress fine. If it's ipe that is a different story!
You could use one of those big honking soldering irons with a big tip that you find at garage sales for $3 (and never sell), and burn the grooves in. You won't need much of an indentation at all to relieve the hydraulic/pneumatic pressure from the glue. If the glue is too thick for that, I'd rethink the glue.
Start with a board 1/8" thick and 4", or so, wide by whatever long. Make a scratch stock with multiple blades. Perhaps finish nails protruding thru the stock and spaced at the desired intervals would be sufficient. Scratch grooves in the board, offsetting the grooves on each side to minimize splitting. Saw off the splines. Art
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