Bespoke Wiltshire joinery company Fairoak Timber Products Ltd has taken on a Hoffman PU2 (pneumatic foot-controlled) keyway router for work involving complex architectural plans and specifications.
Fairoak, which started in 1992, uses the Hoffman system of dovetail jointing for making products such as bay windows. The machine cuts the joints of the window frames where they meet the sub sill at the base of the bay.
The Hoffman system involves drawing together the two angle-cut faces of the components on the pre-set fence of the router. The components are subsequently joined by the insertion of a serrated Hoffman dovetail key which secures them into a tight and secure joint.
In the case of joints at Fairoak, the Hoffman key is inserted from below and out of sight – giving the impression of a seamless joint.
