Cutting corner splines for a small box....???

[Ryan Sparreboom]

What is the best way to cut the scrap off once the corner splines have been glued in place and are dry.
I've been using a flush cut hand saw and tape the box around the spline to not damage it. But I always seem to get scrape marks in the box. Am I using the wrong technique? The wrong tape? is there an easier way?

Ryan

[Stephen Edwards]

I'm not sure where your splines are located in the corners. I use a random orbital sander to sand my corner splines flush with the box.

Hope this helps.

[Lee Koepke]

chisel
or tape the blade of the saw too ??

( just thinking outloud , dont have much experience in this arena )

[Roy Harding]

I use my disc sander to take away most of the spline (don't go so far that you touch the box), then finish with a belt sander.

[Mike Golka]

What type of flush trim saw are you using? I use a Japanese style that only cuts on the pul stroke and rarely have problems even without tape. Search LeeValley Tools for "kugiki saw",

[Ryan Sparreboom]

I'm using a Japanese style saw that cuts on the pull stroke only also. But it's just a cheap Stanley model. Maybe that's the problem?
I would think that sanding that much material away would take forever. Do you guys that just sand pre-cut the splines before glueing them in? I just use a straight piece of wood, say 1" long by 3/16" wide. It's maple so it takes forever to sand down too.
If I used a chisel I would be afraid that the blow would knock the spline right out of the box, or break apart the box, especially trying to chisel thru maple?

The box is made of wenge (1/4" thick) and there will be 3 splines per corner, 3/4" from the top (in the lid), 3/4" from the bottom, and one in the middle. The splines are 3/16" B.E. maple and the box dimensions are 9 1/2" long, 5" wide, 4" tall.
Maybe I just need a better saw? I'll check out that Lee Valley one. I love their stuff!

[Michael Faurot]

What is the best way to cut the scrap off once the corner splines have been glued in place and are dry.
I've been using a flush cut hand saw and tape the box around the spline to not damage it. But I always seem to get scrape marks in the box. Am I using the wrong technique? The wrong tape? is there an easier way?


I do exactly the same thing when I trim splines. I also use an inexpensive flush cut saw. I've also had the same thing occur, where the set of the teeth can scratch the surrounding area.

I have several ways of dealing with this:

1) Start the cut in the spline a little above the surface. In effect, you're not flush cutting anymore, but the set of the teeth won't be able to scratch anything. This will leave a small raised area, since it wasn't cut flush, which you can then do away with via a block plane or sanding.

2) When actually flush cutting, use one hand on the handle of the saw, and several fingers on the other hand to hold the saw blade to the work. Now when sawing, try twisting the wrist on the hand holding the handle, so that the teeth are being directed up off of the surface. To better visualize this, hold the saw in your dominate hand and then lay the blade on a flat surface like a work bench. Now using two or three fingers on your other hand, push the blade down onto the work bench. You want your fingers pushing down on the blade, above the teeth--not on the teeth. At this point the blade and the teeth are being held against work bench with your fingers. Now twist the handle a little until you can get the teeth to raise up off the bench. This is what you're trying to do when using the saw to cut, and thus keep the teeth from marring the surface. Work slowly and maintain control of the saw. Try and go too fast, and you'll lose control and mar the surface.

3) Expect that the flush cut saw is going to mar the surface and then plane, scrap or sand afterwards.

[Ryan Sparreboom]

Thanks Michael. That makes sence and I'll try that. Do you still tape the surrounding area or no? If so, what kind of tape do you use? Would "duct" tape work? It comes off fairly cleanly I've found.

[Sean Kinn]

I use a bandsaw to get within a 1/16th or so, then switch to a tuned block plane. The block plane gets me down to about 1/32 or so, then I switch to a smoother for the final 5 strokes or so. Works like a charm. I'm just not good with handsaws, and always seem to mark up the work in one way or another. Planes and chisels have been the answer to many of my challenges.

[Brian Kent]

I think a good sharp chisel would work well, minding the grain direction. Final touch - sandpaper on a flat surface, like lapping the sole of a plane. Or using a plane that you love because it works on anything.

[Peter Quinn]

Even a pull blade with zero set is capable of gauging the wood in a way that can be annoying at least to correct, so I stay away from truly flush trimming with a saw on visible work. I use a $5 marples flush trim saw (pull cut) with a thin shim of card flashing just behind the teeth to keep the saw a bit off the work. One hand keeps the back of the blade on the card flashing, the other pulls the saw.

I work with real careful light pressure as that flexible little blade seems drawn toward the wood like a magnet. Same thing works well for my dozuki with minimal set, though the back stiffener limits the places it can reach.

Then I clean up with some combination of sanding block/ low angle block plane, scraper, ROS, and or chisel depending on the size of the box and location of the splines and type of wood. Sort of play that part by ear to suit the work.

[Doug Shepard]

Bandsaw as close as I dare then usualy 150 grit on my belt sander.

[Michael Faurot]

Thanks Michael. That makes sence and I'll try that. Do you still tape the surrounding area or no?

No, I've not tried tape. Peter Quinn's idea of using a thin card of some type sounds very interesting though. I'll probably give that a try the next time I need to flush cut something.

[David DeCristoforo]

Cut them close. Then shave the last bit flush with a SHARP paring chisel.

[Rick Thom]

I use the same method as David. You need SHARP chisels to do this well. I've used pocket planes and sanders too but I like to see the progress of the cut, and prefer the crispness of card scrapers to that of sanding. I guess I just like the control one has with hand tools when it comes to fine detail.

[Steve Flavin001]

Japanese saw because it does not press so hard around the cut, as well as the pull have the answer.

Also, one asks how to remove the extra material because the saw comes close but has to be sanded, use a light belt sander like the P-C new one hand sander.

Saw available at Rockler, L-V and other such suppliers.

[Jim Becker]

Cut off the spline proud of the surface and then use a very, very sharp chisel or plane to finish the job...or just sand it flush.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Cut it off proud and resign yourself to using a chisel and a sander hand or otherwise to get it just so.

[Ryan Sparreboom]

Thanks for all your replies and experience guys. I'm so new to WW that I don't have alot of the tools mentioned; like a card scraper, paring chisels, disc sander, belt sander, a band saw big enough to get the box under, or hand planes.

I do have a regular block plane but NO experience using it. And I have a set of regular chisels that are pretty sharp. So I think I'll use the japanese saw with card stock to get close, then take my time sanding with my 1/4 sheet sander (that's all I got except hand sanding or a drum on my drill press).
I will let you know how it goes. Today I will be glueing in the splines, so I'll get to cutting them off tonight or tommorrow.

Man, I need some more tools....

[Michael McCoy]

I think it was mentioned earlier but the Kugihiki saws teeth does not have a set so it doesn't leave marks. It's sold specifically for flush cuts.

[J. Z. Guest]

I use a good old fashioned (and cheap!) coping saw. Don't try to cut flush right away; leave about 1/8" protruding and hand-sand down from there.

Another method that works well is to flush trim them off with a router. I built a special jig to do this for splines, dovetails, and box joints to get them flush.

That method they always show in the magazines where you chisel them off doesn't work for me. They always break off below the surface of the box and look like crap.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...I don't have alot of the tools mentioned; like a card scraper, paring chisels, disc sander, belt sander, a band saw big enough to get the box under, or hand planes...."

Get some. These are basic tools that you will need for many tasks. You don't need to spend a lot of dough. Just get even just one decent paring chisel and a good block plane. Card scrapers are cheap. Then get some sharpening stones (also not expensive) and spend some time learning to sharpen your blades. A belt sander is (IMMHO) absolutely the wrong tool for something like this and can easily cause more harm than it does good. Although it is a very useful tool, it's major "overkill" in this situation as is a bandsaw. In lieu of a chisel, some medium grit sandpaper wrapped around a wood block will work as long as you take care not to "over sand".

[Joe Scharle]

Cut a slit in a worn out sanding disc, slip it over the spline (soft side up) and saw away. Wrap sand paper around a wood block and sand flush. Then get yourself a dovetail saw and learn/practice sawing very close. This'll help you when you start hand cutting dovetails. It happens to us all sooner or later!
Joe

[Ryan Sparreboom]

Hey guys. Thanks again for all the input.
I bought myself a new flush cut saw and tryed it out. Worked like a charm! Very, very little marring. Nothing that won't sand out.
Thanks again and stay tuned to the "projects" page for pics of my finished Wenge and B.E. Maple box in the next week or so!