# New Dovetail Spline Jig



## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

The new Infinity Tools Catalog just arrived, and on the front cover is a new Dovetail Spline Jig with more details of it on the back side of the front cover. To me, it looks a lot like the Kehoe jig that suddenly became unobtanium a couple of years ago. It seems like maybe a redesigned and improved version, but at $299.90, I think I'll be waiting for a review. I tend to like real dovetails better anyway. Here is a link to it on their website, in case your catalog didn't show up in your mailbox yet. 

Complete Tapered Dovetail Spline Systems - Recently Arrived Woodworking Tools!

Any comments? Who is going to get one first?

Charley


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I was at Rockler last night for our monthly Woodworkers meeting and Rockler has one too. I didn't look at the price,because rockler stuff is expensive, but next time I go I will look. It seemed a little sturdier than the Infinity. Just my first look opinion.
Too pricey for me @ Infinity.
Herb


----------



## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

Comparing the Infinity to the Rockler dovetail spline jig just might be 'sorta' comparing apples to oranges. 

The advertised price (on sale??) US$299.00 Infinity jig set includes the 12" and 18" anodized aluminum jigs, 6 dovetail bits, 2 brass guides, and the spline cutting sled. 

The 12" and 18" jigs, each include the spline cutting sled, router bit and collar, can be purchased separately. The 12" jig is on sale(??) for US$169.00; the 18" US$189.00. Replacement parts are available. 

Below link also has a video. 

Complete Tapered Dovetail Spline Systems - Recently Arrived Woodworking Tools!

I 'wuz' at a Rockler store a few days ago and the spline jigs there are plastic and nothing else is included. A few months ago, the large jig was on sale at US$25.00 or $30.00.

Rockler Router Table Spline Jig | Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
Rockler Large Box Spline Jig | Rockler Woodworking & Hardware


----------



## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Does anyone have an original Kehoe jig? I'm wondering what the differences are when comparing it to the Rockler and the Infinity jigs? From what I can remember of the Kehoe jig, the spline cutting jig seems to be a much better design in the Infinity version. over what I can remember of the Kehoe jig. I like the idea of the Infinity metal dovetail guides better too, but $300 to make false dovetails? I think I'll keep making the real ones with my Leigh D4R Pro.

I'll be waiting for the user reviews on this one.

Charley


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Some time ago I made my own spline jig. Here is a picture. Movable, adjustable, very carefully squared. Use a stacked blade and you get any size spline you want. Or make it fit your router table and you can make butterfly splines. Cost about $20, not including the 1/4 inch thick Rockler draftsman's triangle. Took about 4 hours to make, being extremely careful to keep 45 and 90 degree angles exactly right.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

There are no Rockler or Infinity stores here but it looks to me that it is just a matter of passing a dovetail bit through or past the work at an angle, something you could make your own jig to do.


----------



## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

Desert Rat Tom: that jig will work, and work well! Built something similar a few years ago. 

Video showing how-to construct a smaller version for the table saw -





 -


----------



## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

The problem with all of these jigs is they assume that the corner is 90 degrees. I'm working on a table now that has 45 degree sides. I've built two jigs and so far neither of them work. You would thing that if you cut two 22.5 sides and glued them together you would get what you want. Nope. I finally got what seems to work but now the bit isn't long enough to reach the table.


----------



## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

With the Kehoe jig and the one from Infinity, what sets them apart from many of these jigs is that both the slot and spline are slightly tapered, so the fit is always very tight. After assembly with glue you trim off the excess splines and there are no gaps in the joint. Doing this by building a shop built jig is difficult. I think the taper angle needed is 1.8 degrees (something I remember of the Kehoe jig design - not positive I even remember the exact angle correctly). I didn't include the Rockler jig in this post because I haven't seen it yet.

Doing this on a corner of less than 90 deg would be impossible with these jigs, but the taper and jig slot dimensions might help in designing a jig for less of an angle in a box or table corner.

Charley


----------



## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

I like the taper of the slots and splines to help make a tight fit. A template could be made in the shop to do these so your only cost would be a good set of dovetail bits.


----------



## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

After studying the Rockler jig web pages I can't find any reference to their ability to make "tapered dovetail slots and splines", so I don't think they are the same as the Kehoe and Infinity spline jigs. If someone knows otherwise, please correct me. Whenever I need to make jigs with very precise small angles like in these jigs I'm usually not very good at that either, unless I somehow succeed by accident. If I end up deciding that I want to make "false dovetails" I don't think I'll even try to make the jigs. I made a jig like "DesertRatTom's jig many years ago and I must have made 40 splines before I got enough to fit well enough for me to use. I think it was then that I decided that I really didn't like the look of false dovetails and would rather make real dovetails for my boxes. If I ever do any again, I'm going with tapered spline jigs so they fit tightly without all the fussing.

Charley


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I really like splines, often of contrasting color. I found some 1/8th material in exotic woods at Rockler and keep them on hand for basic splines. Occasionally have to sand them to fit just right, but that's fairly easy. I can easily make splines from 1/8 to 3/8 ths using either a full kerf blade or the special 1/4-3/8th reversible stacked blade I bought last year. Splines are particularly workable to strengthen picture frame corners, or boxes. I particularly like purplewood for splines.


----------



## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

CharleyL said:


> After studying the Rockler jig web pages I can't find any reference to their ability to make "tapered dovetail slots and splines", so I don't think they are the same as the Kehoe and Infinity spline jigs. If someone knows otherwise, please correct me. Whenever I need to make jigs with very precise small angles like in these jigs I'm usually not very good at that either, unless I somehow succeed by accident. If I end up deciding that I want to make "false dovetails" I don't think I'll even try to make the jigs. I made a jig like "DesertRatTom's jig many years ago and I must have made 40 splines before I got enough to fit well enough for me to use. I think it was then that I decided that I really didn't like the look of false dovetails and would rather make real dovetails for my boxes. If I ever do any again, I'm going with tapered spline jigs so they fit tightly without all the fussing.
> 
> Charley


Charley I feel your pain guy. You verbalize well the frustrations we all feel climbing the steep learning curves. I am a construction carpenter by trade. And oh boy the learning curves and unlearning curves I went thru. So I feel your pain for sure


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

The spline jig I posted could just as easily be made a little smaller, then the miter bar could be fit to a router table. Then with a dovetail bit, you could rout out a dovetail spline. Use the same bit to make your spline, sand a bit to fit and you have your dovetail spline jig that will cost you just a few bucks and give you some experience on jig making that will pay off as you make other projects. And if you screw it up, who cares, try again. 

A simple jig with a riser on one edge would give you an angled spline (using a somewhat longer bit), although I would think an angled dovetail spline would look like someone made a mistake, at least it does to me. There is something I read once about not painting the lilly. Splines look fine kept simple, just be careful of the material you select for the spline.


----------



## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

Shop-fabricated dovetail spline jig--for what it is worth:

In my experience, the most time consuming aspects was using a router table mounted dovetail bit to cut the dovetail splines to the achieve the correct fit in the key slot. Trail and error all the way. Kept a few good fits for set up blocks -- much easier and faster to cut straight or non-dovetail shaped splines. On some projects contrasting wood is eye catching. 

Now 'bout the 1 degree tape: a non-issue??

Once fabricated a box-- approx. 18” w X 12” d X 12” h --from 3/4" plywood. Mitered corners, 3-4 dovetail keys for each corner. The box served its purpose and when time to recycle it, utilized a 5 lbs. hammer to it to test the corners. Long story short: clamped the box to the workbench with one end hanging over the edge, swung the hammer from the inside along the longest plane, striking the over hanging end. Required great effort to break it apart. Just glue and dovetail keys held it together. Doubt a 1 degree taper would have held any better or longer.... .


----------



## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

You guys might be interested in this place to buy spline material and not have to make it your self. I have bought from them and they are good people but I don't know if this would work for splines or not.

Scroll Saw Wood - Thin Craft Wood Sheets for Scroll Sawing, Laser cutting and more


----------

