I have quite a few walnut boards I’ve acquired from someone who was salvaging an old barn. I would like to try and use as many of the boards as possible, but some of them are split in various places. I am not using the boards for any large projects where supporting structure would be an issue (they’re only 3/4 of an inch thick, and I haven’t squared them yet, so I’m not making anything huge, like an entertainment center), but I want to try and stabilize some of the splits with butterfly patches.
Even as adept at web-searching as I am, I can’t seem to find any information (or very little, anyway) on butterfly patch techniques. I imagine the patch wouldn’t work very well if you run the grain in the patch itself the wrong way, correct? Should the parallel ends of the patch run perpendicular to the grain in the patch? Should the patch go all the way through the wood or half-way or a third of the way? Since the boards are not yet squared, should I patch the splits first so the patches get cleaned up with the rest of the board? Or would it be easier to make the patches after jointing and planing?
Does anyone know of any websites or books that would offer some useful information or instruction?
Replies
It's not that diffficult a process. You can do it with a chisel and hand tools or using a router and template.
I thinks it's best to square up and plane the stock first.This way poor material is eliminated and edges to join are straight and aligned. Run the butterfly grain perpendicular to walnut grain. If you run the butterfly grain parallel, you'll have weak, short grain.
I've made them 1/4" in depth, you can go further if you like.Butterfly keys are meant to stop checking or splitting; to join board to board you'll need a different joint.
Try searching for the term 'dutchman'. You should have better luck.
Depending on your patience and skill, they are easy enough to do by hand. Rockler, Woodcraft and other supply houses sell the proper router kits. The hardest part is getting the proportions of the dutchman to look good. Woodcraft's latest catalog has it on Page 33. It is called a 'Brass Router Inlay set' and sells for $39.99.
SawdustSteve
thank you for posting, steve. I didn't want to be the only one.
Thank you both for your posts and advice. I appreciate it.
Hiker133
The butterfly joints are just an inlay of a specific shape. I cut such things free hand with a 3/16' 0r 1/4" straight bit in a trim router. Mark the shapes on your inlay stock and cut them out with a scroll saw or coping saw. I then used an oscillating vertical spindle sander to get my edges smoothed up to the lines and near perfect verticals. I then used the inlay pieces as marking templates (drawing around them with a sharp pencil). I routed out the centers and then eased up to the edges with a very light touch ... taking very tiny bites. I had to clean up the corners a bit with carving tools on these leaf patterns because of the sharp tips. With a little practice you will get the hang of it and your artistic options are vastly wider freehanding them this way.
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