Decorative corner splines sure make an ordinary box look great. But
they can be a bit dicey to cut on a tablesaw. Let your plate joiner
come to the rescue. A simple jig holds the box and the joiner so you
can cut slots quickly with minimal setup hassles. The jig is nothing
more than a piece of scrap plywood with two wood strips set at 90
degrees to each other. A cradle fits around the plate joiner base and
keeps it from rocking on the box corner. The cradle is indexed to the
jig with a couple dowels. Use spacer blocks to adjust the spline
spacing. Plunge the joiner into the wood slowly to prevent tear-out
where the blade exits the wood. With this box, you only need one spacer
block; just flip the box over to cut the upper slot.
