How do you join your top and back plates? A Jig I Made.
Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2017 7:57 pm
I used to join the top and back plates by an arduous ritual, where I clamped a straight board, then semi clamped another, while placing the wood to be joined, just right, so that when I pushed on the center seam, it would "snap" together.
If that explanation sounds arduous, it was even harder to perform. It had to be set up just right, which took a very long time. I had 2 seam failures as a result. Sometimes the seams came out perfect, a couple of times the glue got dirty, even when using waxed paper. I don't like leaving things to luck. So, I made this frame.
I've joined 3 tops and 3 backs. All 6 pieces were textbook perfect. I had an extremely hard time locating the joint on all 6.
I have to admit, I made errors while making this jig, but I plan a second jig, so I'll refine it a bit. It's made from Baltic birch.
I use 1/4" parachord, which I weave around each slat in a figure eight, 3 times. Each time the chord is passed under a slat, it goes behind a 1" long piece of 1/4" diameter, smooth zinc rod, which is glued into holes at the bottom of the slats. After making 3 figure eights, I go onto the next slat. The jig is 24" square, but I'm going to narrow it to 20" wide, to make it more manageable. Also, I should have made the "legs" higher, to make it easier to wrap the chord behind the 1 1/2" zinc metal rod pieces (the chord is passed behind the 1" that protrudes).
The boards are joined by using triangular slats of wood. In the video I provided, susan uses 2 triangular pieces, one from each direction, per slat. I use one. One is sufficient and does a stellar job.
I got the idea from this YouTube video. Mine is not as well executed, but it works like a charm. https://youtu.be/TR7S5vdM60w
If that explanation sounds arduous, it was even harder to perform. It had to be set up just right, which took a very long time. I had 2 seam failures as a result. Sometimes the seams came out perfect, a couple of times the glue got dirty, even when using waxed paper. I don't like leaving things to luck. So, I made this frame.
I've joined 3 tops and 3 backs. All 6 pieces were textbook perfect. I had an extremely hard time locating the joint on all 6.
I have to admit, I made errors while making this jig, but I plan a second jig, so I'll refine it a bit. It's made from Baltic birch.
I use 1/4" parachord, which I weave around each slat in a figure eight, 3 times. Each time the chord is passed under a slat, it goes behind a 1" long piece of 1/4" diameter, smooth zinc rod, which is glued into holes at the bottom of the slats. After making 3 figure eights, I go onto the next slat. The jig is 24" square, but I'm going to narrow it to 20" wide, to make it more manageable. Also, I should have made the "legs" higher, to make it easier to wrap the chord behind the 1 1/2" zinc metal rod pieces (the chord is passed behind the 1" that protrudes).
The boards are joined by using triangular slats of wood. In the video I provided, susan uses 2 triangular pieces, one from each direction, per slat. I use one. One is sufficient and does a stellar job.
I got the idea from this YouTube video. Mine is not as well executed, but it works like a charm. https://youtu.be/TR7S5vdM60w