: I've talked with Tom about the spline joints he did, and his spline material
: was 1/16" ply from a hobby store. You would still want to orient the
: ply so that the outside plies were perpendicular to the joint for maximun
: strength. I haven't yet decided whether it's worth the extra time and
: effort, but plan to pick up some scraps from Pygmy to experiment with when
: we visit there next week.

I was curious about the Spline Joint.. sooo I made a test panel with 1/4" ply.
To cut the slot I put a hack saw blade with washers for spacers between two paint stir sticks then slid it back and forth to start a groove. Once the groove was started I switched to a pull saw and easily cut a slot about 3/4 deep. It was quite easy to make the slot .
To make a spline I cut a slice of hard wood . on the table saw by eye.
The dry fit was great so I glued it together and let it set over night .

The next day it looked great However, when flexed it didn't look fair.
there was a significant angle at the joint and then it broke.

It would be strong enough to hold while the panel was stitched but I guess each builder would have to decide if it was worth the effort.

I love the creative ideas this Forum spawns. Regards Terry