# Dovetail Key Stock



## Friar's Casket (Dec 10, 2012)

I'm trying to find a source to purchase 120 feet every 6 months of 14 degree - 1" x 1" oak dovetail key stock. Is there a supplier for this type of key stock item that can ship this to my shop?


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## TylerJones (Dec 4, 2011)

Buy a moulder and have a knife made. Or have a local shop custom make knives and run the profile


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## jimmyjames (Nov 23, 2012)

For only 120' getting knives made isn't cost effective, why not just do it yourself in about 20 minutes on a table saw to cut your 1"x1" blanks and then run them through a router table.... It's only 10 board feet of lumber...... For a mill to do it with custom knives you'd have to buy like 5000 feet to make it worth it..... Making custom knives would make your keyway cost like $25 a liners foot..... Set a couple finger boards on the router table set the fence and bit height and go to town..


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## TylerJones (Dec 4, 2011)

In my experience if you are given the choice to pay for labor or a machine, go with the machine. Its a one time expense. You can buy a small moulder and have knives made for about 1000. If you know you need 120' every six months of just this one profile, that alone would be enough for me to make the investment. It brings your labor cost from the hundreds to like 20 bucks. Not to mention the fact that you could probably incorporate the machine into other operations.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*table saw?*



Friar's Casket said:


> I'm trying to find a source to purchase 120 feet every 6 months of 14 degree - 1" x 1" oak dovetail key stock. Is there a supplier for this type of key stock item that can ship this to my shop?


There are 2 possible ways for the grain on a key, vertical or long grain. If long grain is OK, why not rip the lengths from 1" thick stock? By flipping the board every pass and the saw set at a 14 degree bevel, you'll have enough length in no time at all. 
If the grains needs to be vertical for strength, crosscut the ends off a 12" or wider board and flip after each pass with a stop to control the width using the same 14 degree bevel setting.
There has been no interest by the OP in the answers thus far.
I don't think the OP will be back for some reason.... :blink: Maybe he figured it out or got his source.


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## TylerJones (Dec 4, 2011)

^ True


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