Replies

1. 
   UncleDunc | Dec 21, 2003 11:29pm | #1

   FWW featured it on the cover one time. The author was freehanding it with a high fence. I think I would make a tenoning jig if I thought I was ever going to do more tenons. The article drew several letters objecting to it on safety grounds, but the author's responses satisfied me that he knew what he was doing.

2. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Dec 22, 2003 12:07am | #2

   Brill,

   For the amount of time involved in setup - I wouldn't bother.

   I'd just cut them one by one - would end up being quicker at the end of the day.

   Cheers,

   eddie

3. 
   SCFrankland | Dec 22, 2003 04:41am | #3

   It may not be worth the time for just a few but if you made up the spacer and saved it it may be useful down the road and therefore worth the initial time investment. Your call but I would use a good tenon jig.

   Scott C. Frankland

   Scott's WOODWORKING Website

   "This all could have been prevented if their parents had just used birth control"

1. 
   TomMGTC | Dec 22, 2003 04:44am | #4

   I have done this with a tenoning jig and the time savings was substantial. Once you get the shi thickness you need hang on to it and you will save a bunch of time the next time around.Tom

   Douglasville, GA

4. 
   scooter1 | Dec 22, 2003 04:52am | #5

   I'd make them on a RAS and save the $200 for the jig. I saw that article and I wouldn't feel comfortable with that setup. I'd use the RAS or get the cheaper Delta Jig.

   Regards,

   Boris

   "Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

5. 
   PaulReuter | Dec 22, 2003 08:17am | #6

   I do this on a regular basis.  Bought a solid carbide 3/8" spiral router bit from Lee Valley & took the time to make up a spacer to work with two Freud thin 8" combo blades.  Router & jig gives me 3/8" mortises & TS with spaced blades & tenoning jig give me matching tenons.  With the jig (shopbuilt) I can quickly set up to do straight, angled, or compound angle tenons.  Twin blade cutting works for me. 

   RAS tenon cutting? Not for me, thanks.

   Paul

6. 
   Elcoholic | Dec 22, 2003 08:33pm | #7

   Brill, Nice screen alias.  I do this using the outside 40t blades from my CMT dado set and get gret results.   I make my shoulder cuts with a combo blade set about 1/32" deeper than needed before I make the cheek cuts.  It saves when dressing the tenons and helps lessen squeeze out.  I'm curious as to why your leaning towards a set of dedicated flat-top grind thin kerf blades?  BTW old CD ROM's make great spacers.

   John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

1. 
   yotonyb | Dec 22, 2003 10:13pm | #8

   One of the mail-order companies, can't recall which one, offers a set of spacers for EXACTLY this purpose.  1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" tenons could be cut using the spacers and a pair of blades.  I considered doing this but backed down.  At the time, I would have purchased two rip blades dedicated to this operation, my reasoning being that I wanted them to be equally sharp for the operation.  JKO, using the outside dado blades is an excellent compromise.  I was also going to invest in the heavy-duty Delta tenoning jig.  After considering the initial cost, and weighing that against what I thought I would save in time, I concluded that I actually wouldn't save any time!

   I'm a naysayer without ever having actually tried it.  And I'll be the first to admit that gives my line of reasoning less validity than those who are doing this successfully.  I'd like to be convinced that this can be done safely and reliably.

   Currently, I put a rip blade on the table saw, grab the tenoning jig, make a test cut until the tenon just fits, then start cutting.  Virtually all of my projects require tenons centered on the piece.  Cutting from both sides guarantees a perfectly centered tenon.  And I have the luxury/necessity of adjusting the width of the tenon to fit the fixed width of the mortise made on benchtop mortiser.  In the end, a few passes with some sandpaper is all that's required to fit the tenons to the mortises.  The machines did nearly all the work.

   Grabbing two blades and a set of shims probably only takes another minute or two.  I figured the test cut will take a little longer...it's got to be equidistant from each face.  Also, you're making just one pass, which means you have to be certain to register the appropriate face the appropriate direction each time (increased chance for error!).  And you have to "face" your pieces...left vs. right and front vs. back, to compensate for ANY error in the set-up.

   The tenons are now a fixed width.  There's no adjusting the machinery to cut the tenons for a near perfect fit to your mortises.  That might mean considerably more time hand fitting the tenons once they're cut.  You can overcome some of this by adjusting your shims...sanding to make them thinner, or adding something (paper?) to make the tenons thicker.

   I've convinced myself that the chance for error, and the fixed width of the tenons would take too much time AFTER the operation to justify the initial cost and adjust my methods of work.

   I also had some safety concerns about pushing two blades into a piece of hardwood as opposed to just one.

   I think it's a GREAT method of work.  I just wasn't convinced it would actually save me time over the ENTIRE operation of cutting AND fitting tenons to mortises.

   tony b.

   Edited 12/22/2003 8:19:30 PM ET by YOTONYB

1. 
   Elcoholic | Dec 23, 2003 02:39am | #9

   I don't think the premade spacers would really be worth it.  The offset from the blade disc to the edge of the teeth will vary, especially if so if unmatched rip blades are used.  You'd have to have a saw shop dial them in for you or use shims anyway.  Rumor has it that Delta once sold spacers maybe they still do?

   John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

   Edited 12/22/2003 6:41:07 PM ET by ELCOHOLIC