This is Mike Pekovich’s side of the Tenon Shootout article from FWW #210, covering how to cut dovetails on the table saw.
I’ve tried various methods of cutting tenons. I’ve cut them by hand, on the bandsaw and the tablesaw, and even routed them. Each method has advantages, but I’ve found the quickest and most accurate is using a dado blade on the tablesaw.
It takes a few minutes to get set up, a process that requires a handful of scrap pieces milled to the exact thickness and width as the frame parts. But once the setup is done, the dado blade not only removes stock quickly, it cuts the cheek and shoulder in one pass.
Also, because the stock lies flat on the saw table, the tenon is guaranteed to be parallel to the workpiece and consistent in thickness. Plus, all the tenons end up exactly the same size. Speed, accuracy, and repeatability: three good reasons to use the tablesaw and a dado blade to cut tenons.
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