This nasty looking thing is a finger joint cutter. To say that I didn't feel a little anxeity while I was making these joints would be a fabrication. Pun intended.
Here you can see that I had to clamp the sides of the car to a spacer board that is cut to the exact interior size. The ribs of the top are sitting on top of the side rails to line them up with the door, and rear quarter panel stiles. The reason they have to line up is that this car has curtains instead of glass for the windows, and there are brass tracks that the curtains ride in. Opening the windows of the car entail sliding the curtains up the tracks on the doors into the tracks that are attached to the ribs of the top, so it is important that they line up. Note the dados on the stiles. The brass tracks are inserted into those dados.
Here the interior top side rails are clamped down to the mortising machine. The mortises will receive the tenons of the top ribs.
Here the ribs have been inserted into the mortises, and have a set screw from the top of the rail to hold them in place. Then the spacer templates are removed.
This nasty looking thing is a finger joint cutter. To say that I didn't feel a little anxeity while I was making these joints would be a fabrication. Pun intended.
Here you can see that I had to clamp the sides of the car to a spacer board that is cut to the exact interior size. The ribs of the top are sitting on top of the side rails to line them up with the door, and rear quarter panel stiles. The reason they have to line up is that this car has curtains instead of glass for the windows, and there are brass tracks that the curtains ride in. Opening the windows of the car entail sliding the curtains up the tracks on the doors into the tracks that are attached to the ribs of the top, so it is important that they line up. Note the dados on the stiles. The brass tracks are inserted into those dados.
Here the interior top side rails are clamped down to the mortising machine. The mortises will receive the tenons of the top ribs.
Here the ribs have been inserted into the mortises, and have a set screw from the top of the rail to hold them in place. Then the spacer templates are removed.
James, beautiful woody!! I am remaking some of the wood in my 32 chevy 5 window coupe and some of the joints are finger joints. I would like to know where did you buy your finger joint shaper set? I have been looking all over the net and haven't been able to find a set like that. Most are for small 1/2" fingers or a very expensive and large commercial blade set. I would appreciate it if you could steer me in the right direction, Thanks Marshall Stevens----suemar215@juno.com or phone me at 503-583-8848
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