Fishtail Splice Template

[John Cooper]

I didn't have any graph paper to draw out a template to make a fishtail splice, so I decided to make one on the computer.  There's an allowance for band saw kerf at the point of each splice.  Just print it out and use some spray adhesive to stick it to your billet.  Make sure that you butt the top of the pattern to one billet and the bottom of the next to the end of the other billet.  My pattern has an extra 1/4" at each end that I used to get the kerf allowance.  Cut that off before affixing it to your billet.

  Click here  and select "download original" from the File menu.  That'll get you the high-quality file.

Let me know what you think!

~John

[ranger 3]

Thanks John, I have always made my own but this was much nicer.

[John Cooper]

You're welcome.  Much nicer than I've ever had, too!  It'll save time in the long run.  Now all I have to do is print them off instead of going for the t-square.  

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Thanks for taking the time to do this. I've wondered a few times about trying this, but I never could understand how you would get the lines clean and straight enough to get a good glue joint? Especially on a stave.
I could understand how it's completely doable on a board, but staves are so irregular and a pain in the *** to even try to trim on a band saw, much less trying to get perfect lines to glue up evenly with no seam gaps.

[ranger 3]

Here is one I did not to long ago and it was a stave.

[John Cooper]

I've done this multiple times with graph paper and a pencil.  Seems to work fine.  I anticipate this will be even better due to the crispness of the lines of the template.  One of the big tricks is flattening the bottom of the stave on the belt sander.  Get both billets flattened to the same degree.  That way, you aren't trying to play "guess the angle of the cut."  Also, it doesn't have to be perfectly seamless if you use a gap-filling glue like resorcinol.  If it's still too wide a gap, I might boil the ends and leave them to harden and dry for a week.  I've heard that works, too.  I'll let you know after I test it out tomorrow!

John

[Eric Krewson]

You can use a heat gun to close the gaps on a poorly cut splice. Heat the prongs, put them together and clamp the glueless splice. You can glue up as soon as the wood cools.

[John Cooper]

That makes MUCH more sense, Eric.  Thanks.

[Roy from Pa]

I lay Z-splices out like this, real simple.


 

[John Cooper]

Nice clean cut!  Sure works better on boards.  I have the glue curing now.  The billets were pretty small so it was hard to get that flat bottom without sanding too thin.  However, it worked a TON better than drawing the lines on the stave and worked better than the graph paper and pencil line.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

That's what is so great about asking questions here, your likely to get a real smart answer fairly quick.

That's a cool remedy Eric, I don't know if I would have thought of that on my own?
It makes perfect sense to do it that way.

I've got some billets that I've been saving for this very purpose, I think I'll have to give it a try.

Thanks for the ideas guys!