Tapered dovetail jig

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I purchased an Infinity Tools tapered dovetail jig for about $130 dollars + shipping.


However you can make one very easily.

The sled is 14" long by 8 1/4 wide. 

The key is to set an angle approximately of the sled 2 to 3 degrees off square.   See below. Set the angle of the mitre bar under the sled.



That angle is difficult to see. The sled is not square to the blade. The fence is off 1/4" on the right pushed forward relative to the saw top.

Using the sled.

Set the angle of the blade to the angle of your dovetail bit. In my case 14 degrees.

Take some stock a little thicker than the depth of your dove tale in the corner of a box. Stock should be 2 1/2" wide by 8" long. I assume you have a mitre sled for dovetails in box corners.



Run the stock through to cut the angle on one side. The flip it over using a stop block set to a little wider that the dovetail you cut into the corner, then cutting off the first tapered spline.

Stop block




That tapered spline when tapped in sits perfectly.

The grain on the spline runs the length of the spline.

Cut off spline ends and sand.



Hope. This helps.

Petey

i may have to make one petey. i bought the woodpeckers spline sled recently just for doing that type of spline. that sled would make it easy to do those splines.

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

I wouldn't have thought of that trick to cut a wedged (tapered along its length) spline, guaranteed tight fit 👍 
So if I understand you do not need to taper the cuts in the box - right?

If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD

Way cool!

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".

Steve

You do not have to taper the "slots" in the box for the tapered spline.  There will be a tight fit.

Petey

Thanks Petey,
I might have to try this.
Thanks Petey. 

Pics clarify it very well. Using the jig, and the tapered splines pretty much takes the exactness of just routing them out to try to fit perfectly. The other way is doable, just a lot of trial and error to get there, using the tapered splines is genius. That's a nice jig to buy, or make.