45 degree Joinery help needed

[Henry Cavanaugh]

I need to make an small screen window for an octagon window. Window height is 18" making each piece 7.5" long. Nothing fancy out of scrape wood in shop.Friction fit in place with no hinge up against window trim. My question is in using 3/4" stock maybe 1"- 1.5" wide what is the best way to join the 45 degree angles. My thoughts were biscuit joiner, end glue and then add spline cut on table saw. Or spend 1K on a Domino to make my 2 $20.00 windows because I will proably buy one down the road for furniture making

[Andrew Williams]

If you are already planning on buying a Domino then why put it off when you can use it for this job? Personally I would use the biscuit joiner, but only because I ...

1. have one and
2. don't plan on buying a Domino and
3. don't have any desire to make a 45 degree splining jig. A 90 degree splining jig seems much more useful in the long-term.

However, if I already HAD a 45 degree splining jig then that is what I would use, Domino or not, since I like the look of splined miters.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Splines - period.


Make your miter.
Cut a piece of plywood to match the geometry of the window except that it's larger. I mean larger so that you can mount the frame to be on the plywood wit the angles directly out of phase by half

Assemble the parts you cut up on that piece of plywood clamp them to the plywood with the joints tightly in place and position the assembly so that each corner of your assembly faces the dead center of a flat on the ply.
Then stand the ply on edge on your TS and make a couple splines in each miter using the kerf of the saw.

Guide it with you fence if it's tall enough to give you a square surface against which to lean or just clamp something to your saw that will provide you a nice surface to use as a guide fence.

Make some wood splines to fit the cuts glue and clamp.

It'll take you longer than getting a domino but you can afford more beer afterward.

You could also just half lap the joints and glue 'em.

[Bob Feeser]

:confused: Small biscuits was my first thought, with urethane glues. A furniture maker would consider using a high quality doweling jig like the Dowelmax, which is superb for a lot of reasons. One for it's exactness, the other for how quickly you could drill the dowel holes. Then again, the strength is very good. I bought one just for those times when I am dealing with small stock.
That is about all I can think of at the moment. I need to get back to my work, I think I need an analysts couch to get me away from this site. I could get lost in it all day long. Cudos to the web master.

[Lee Schierer]

I would get all my angles and lengths cut to fit properly then cut splines in the ends. This table http://www.home.earthlink.net/~us71na/octagonal%20table.jpg

Has splines holding each of the pieces of the frame together. They were all cut after the angles and lengths were cut to final dimensions, using my Delta tenon cutter jig.

[Nissim Avrahami]

If you don't like to spend $200 for the Dowelmax or $90 on the Delta tenoning jig that the reviewer has very bad opinion... http://www.epinions.com/content_185263427204

You can make a homemade Tenoning/Spline jig like this one

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t104/nanikami/Tenon/T030.jpg

You can see all the post here
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=59276

You can make it also without the rollers

niki

[Mike Cutler]

Very nice setup Nissim. I have a book titled the "Jigs and Fixtures Bible by RJ "Cris" DeCristoforo that has a very similar approach to yours. It's a great book for no nonsesnse shop made jigs. I think you'd like it.
I disagree with the epinion review tho' I have the '181 model Delta jig, and while it has a few quirks, it is usable. Not as nice as the one he wants to replace it with. That particular one weighs over 30lbs, and sell for hundreds on ebay.

[Nissim Avrahami]

Thank you Mike

The idea is not new, I just made it with rollers for easy push/pull and snug adjustment to the fence.

Sorry about the Delta tenoning jig...I did not know that there are a few models, I just Googled and that's what came first...

Regards
niki

[Matt Day]

Splines sound like the cheapest way to go to get the job done. But if you know you're going to buy the Domino at some point, why not buy it now and practice with it on this little project?

I have the Delta tenon jig in that review, and while it's not the best tool, it works with some adjustment and serves its purpose.

[Aaron Beaver]

I would get all my angles and lengths cut to fit properly then cut splines in the ends. This table

Has splines holding each of the pieces of the frame together. They were all cut after the angles and lengths were cut to final dimensions, using my Delta tenon cutter jig.

Are your splines on the inside where they don't show on the once assembled or on they on the ends (parts that touch) of the piece but only go part way through.

[Art Mann]

How are you going to form an octagon frame cutting 45* angles?

[Scott Vigder]

How are you going to form an octagon frame cutting 45* angles?

Thank you, Art. I was wondering myself.

[Scott Loven]

45*8=360 :)
22.5 on each end of each cut piece.
Scott

[Scott Loven]

will a domino or a biscuit cutter work on 3/4*1 or 3/4*1.5 stock?
Scott