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Hardwood Flooring Splines

Porsche998 | Posted in Construction Techniques on March 6, 2006 10:46am

I am preparing to install a prefinished 3/4 inch oak flooring.  The literature all talks about using splines to fit in the groove to change direction.  In other words in you want to put in flooring from a certain base line and move to the walls, the first piece needs a spline so one can use the tongue and groove process to keep the floor tight.

My question is where do you find the splines – I have looked at the local lumberyard – and on the web and can not identify a source.  I don;t think the hardwood floor installers make their own?  Any help would be appreciated.

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  1. paperhanger | Mar 07, 2006 12:28am | #1

    where did you get the hardwood? they must have some splines. Lumber Liquidators has them. Try any good lumber yard, not the big boxes. You can make your own.

    1. Porsche998 | Mar 07, 2006 01:18am | #2

      Thanks-

      Our local yard didn't understand what I was talking about and the big boxes didn't have them.  Will try Lumber Liquidators.  Thanks again

      1. ronbudgell | Mar 07, 2006 01:42am | #3

        I've always made my own, often out of plywood if I can find any just the right thickness. There's nothing to it, just one rip on a saw,  two if you can't find the right plywood.

        Ron

      2. FastEddie | Mar 07, 2006 01:43am | #4

        I got a bunch from LL, and I also got some for a floor store.  They are called several names, like slip tongues, floating splines, loose splines, etc. 

          

        "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

      3. MikeSmith | Mar 07, 2006 01:48am | #5

        porsche

        do you have a table saw on the job ?

         we rip our own splines from scrap pieces of flooring

        'course, today , i'd use my EZ-Guide and leave the table saw home

        Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

        Edited 3/6/2006 6:26 pm ET by MikeSmith

        1. stinger | Mar 07, 2006 03:13am | #6

          Finishing up the staircase landings a couple days ago, and needing splines, I found the tablesaw an easier tool to use, versus my EZ Smart guide, when making them from scrap flooring.

          My splines needed to be a scant 1/4 x 7/16 in width, and working with 3/4" redbirch flooring, my light-quarter rips were either 3/4 wide or something under 3/4 if the rips fell over the milled bottom grooves.  I then needed to re-rip the rips to get the 7/16 width.

          For fast repetitive ripping, a tablesaw excels when compared to the EZ, and I cannot imagine how I could have taken the 1/4 x 3/4 rips and reripped them with the EZ.

          Next time I do some flooring work, I am going to see that I buy a stock of splines when I order the flooring.

           

          1. Burts | Mar 07, 2006 05:11pm | #7

            Using a combination of the repeaters and the smart clamping system would have made cutting these 1/4 x 7/16 pieces very easy and your fingers would stay well away from the blade.

            The EZ excels at repetative rips.  Once the repeaters are set, you just slide the board.  The repeaters function like a fence. 

            Yesterday afternoon, I cut out the parts for 7 bookcases.  I used the EZ Cabinet maker (Sliding Square and Repeaters).   I did not use a tape, ruler or pencil.  I did not make any marks on the wood - none!  It couldn't have been easier and talk about repetative cuts - I made 35 rips of the same width.

            If you need more detail on exactly how to make those cuts, just ask and I'll do my best to help.

             

            Burt

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