Replies

1. 
   gdblake | May 11, 2010 09:06am | #1

   Several choices are available for tenon work

   Whisky:

   You can use a large router plane, Lie-Nielsen rabbit block plane, large shoulder plane, rasp, or Lie-Nielsen float.  I prefer the rabbit block plane for speed, but a router plane gives you the most control in terms of keeping the faces of the tenon parallel to the face of the board. 

   Both Lie-Nielsen and Lee Valley offer a large router plane for $140.  I couldn't tell you which one is better.  A Stanley # 71 router plane from the 1930s to the 1980s works well if you can find one (I have the Record clone).  The nice thing about the #71 is that it has a shoe at the front which can act as a depth gauge.  Personally I wish Lie-Nielsen would reproduce the Stanley #71 form factor with their usual improvements.  Derek Cohen has a good review of the Lee Valley version of the Stanley #71 1/2, including tips for using it, at http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/veritasrouterplane.htm.

   gdblake

2. 
   gdblake | May 11, 2010 09:11am | #2

   Great minds think alike

   Derek:

   Different wording, same thoughts.  Must be the counseling background.  For the life of me though, I don't understand why neither LN or LV copied the #71 instead of the # 71 1/2.  I realize the # 71 would take a little more tooling, but the adjustable shoe in front of the mouth is such a nice feature.

   gdblake

3. 
   Lataxe | May 11, 2010 10:50am | #3

   Derek,

   I recently found some spare farthings in the bottom of my apron pocket so at last have purxhased a router plane (the large Veritas).  As you and others have so often pointed out, it is the handtool of choice for fitting tenons, since it can be finely set to produce exact tenon thickness, exact offsets from the rail or stile face (different each side if wanted) and tenons that have cheeks exactly parallel to the faces of the parts from which they sprout.

   That Festool Domino is still my tool of choice for rapid invisible (loose) tenons of a workaday kind.  However, for large traditional tenons, especially of the through kind, the router plane has been a bee's knee.  Why didn't I get one years ago, fule that I yam!?  It is currently doing the many through tenons on that Barnsley chest I am oh-so-slowly making.

   I've tried all the other methods mentioned above - shoulder plane, rasp/file even a large chisel.  Although I am a (self-appointed) klever-richard I'm afraid most of my tenons had some degree of wonk and often needed fixing up with bits of veneer, patches and so forth.  Will I never be able to saw exactly? The router plane has at last made my handtool-made tenons competant.  I recommends one to all for the tenoning purposes.

   ***

   However, can it be made to cope with canted chair tenons?

   Lataxe, who never has all the tools he "needs".

4. 
   gofigure57 | May 11, 2010 11:41am | #4

   Whisky ,

   As the others have mentioned these  work best for me. I cut my tenons on the band saw  just a hair big , then with a couple of passes with the block plane there  done. The router planes came from E-bay, IMO they are indispensable. I like the for cleaning out half blind dovetails, mortising hardware ect...

   
5. 
   wiskytango | May 11, 2010 12:11pm | #5

   I cut my tenons on the table saw and they are pretty good. Not sure how much of a clever dick i am but i hope at least i am a little bit of one:)  Usually i  just need to take a hair off the cheeks to just fine tune the fit.   Here are some I cut for the table i am currently building,  I just hit them with a old wood rasp and but i dont like how it ruffs up the service, it almost makes them fit worse.  So i was thinking that if i could just take a couple swipes off with a plane id be good to go,   

    So sounds like your all's vote is for a 71 or 71 1/2 ?  

   
1. 
   JerryW | May 11, 2010 04:22pm | #6

   I cut my tenons with a TS dado head.  As a result they are very parallel and uniform.  On these I use a Stanley #93 - 1" wide x 6.5" long.  Fits the hand really well, adjusts easily for depth of cut, and allows one handed quick work.  Currently about $130.

   Jerry

6. 
   reeltime1 | May 12, 2010 10:35am | #7

   My Vote

   Having just put together my first bench with 16 mortise and tenon joints-- I had the opportunity to play with a variety of planes on the tenons and cheeks.  

   BY FAR, the best plane for the job was the Lie Neilsen rabbit block plane.  It's been the go-to choice for trimming, evening out, and making tight joints.  I can't recommend this plane enough.

   Michael

   
7. 
   MarkFoster | May 17, 2010 11:43am | #8

   Lie Nielsen rabbit block

   I agree with Michael, the LN Rabbit block plane works great for fine tuning tenons. I cut first on table saw then tweak with the rabbit block. Works great and the plane is about $160, well worth it if doing alot of tenons.  I just did an outside table out of catalpia with 26 mortise-tenon joints in it with the LN rabbit plane did the job!

   oh and get the nicker option, i didn't and wish i did!

   mark