Mortise and Tenon - I am ready

[Dan Karachio]

As I get into making actual furniture, nothing is more satisfying than a good M&T joint. They are fun, but I want better results and I want bigger!

I want to buy a mortiser and a tenon jig. For the mortiser, I think the General bench top is the bench top to get. Is it? Opinions welcomed. I don't mind spending for this. What about bits? Who makes good ones please?

Tenon jigs (for the TS) are frustrating. From many posts, it seems they all are kind of junky with really spotty quality control. Does anyone make a good one that is reliable out of the box? Dumb question - what blade do you all use with a tenon jig? Rip? Combo?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dan,

I have the General International benchtop mortiser. It works great.

I also have the Rockler tenoning jig. It works well too. Almost all of the tenoning jigs are very, very similar.

One thing to watch for when you buy a tenoning jig. Check the distance from the saw blade to your miter slot on your tablesaw...get that measurement and make sure the tenoning jig will set up for that distance. The miter guide bar on the Rockler has 2 positions...in other words...there are 2 sets of screw holes so that the bar that rides in the miter slot will allow the jig to set up midway within the adjustment range of the jig....at 2 different distances. Not all miter slots are the same distance from the blade.

[Stephen Cherry]

I've got the older non-tilting powermatic 719, which I think looks just like the general. I use the el cheapo woodcraft bits, which seem to be OK. Mortise machine bits live a hard life.

For the tenons, I bandsaw cheeks, using a shim to match the desired width (one cut with shim, one without, resulting in a tenon of proper width-- the shim need to match the mortise bit). Shoulders on the table saw.

[Paul Murphy]

For the tenons, I bandsaw cheeks, using a shim to match the desired width (one cut with shim, one without, resulting in a tenon of proper width-- the shim need to match the mortise bit). Shoulders on the table saw.

Stephan has a great tip here, and it works with vertical tenon jigs on the tablesaw as well. Using a shim means you only have to setup the initial offset for your cut, and it also means you'll get the same thickness tenon even when cutting tenons in stock of a different thickness, or when you mught need an offset tenon for some of the pieces.

[David Winer]

Stephan has a great tip here, and it works with vertical tenon jigs on the tablesaw as well. Using a shim means you only have to setup the initial offset for your cut, and it also means you'll get the same thickness tenon even when cutting tenons in stock of a different thickness, or when you mught need an offset tenon for some of the pieces.

This is not so much a tip, as it is a tip-off--that a good method exists. How does one go about using a shim to make tenons? I've tried thinking it through but don't get it. Sounds nifty though.

[Neal Clayton]

This is not so much a tip, as it is a tip-off--that a good method exists. How does one go about using a shim to make tenons? I've tried thinking it through but don't get it. Sounds nifty though.

if you have a shim the precise thickness of your mortise chisel, and use it on one of the face cuts for the tenon, then don't use the shim for the other face cut (against the horizontal stop plate on your tenon jig) then logically, your tenon will wind up being the precise thickness of the shim and thus the precise thickness of the chisel.

[Tim Put]

if you have a shim the precise thickness of your mortise chisel, and use it on one of the face cuts for the tenon, then don't use the shim for the other face cut (against the horizontal stop plate on your tenon jig) then logically, your tenon will wind up being the precise thickness of the shim and thus the precise thickness of the chisel.

Definitely the way to go. But don't forget that your shim has to be the thickness of your mortise width plus one kerf!

[Neal Clayton]

Dumb question - what blade do you all use with a tenon jig? Rip? Combo?

dado. all the surfaces need to be really flat, not kinda flat.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Dan - I second the advice above. Measure your table and the tenoning jig. I have the Delta tenoning jig, and it's OK but was not good "right out of the box". plus, on my old saw, because of the distance from the miter slot to the blade, it would never actually read 'zero' on the gauge so I always had to use a tape. Also, a dado blade - or at the very least, not a Hi-ATB blade, which would likely leave a little 'notch' in the tenon if not very careful.

[Gary Herrmann]

The LV mortise bits work very well. If you get lucky, you may be able to find an old Delta 1172 tenon jig...

[Rod Sheridan]

Dan, I've owned the GI mortiser for 8 years and made thousands of mortices with it, great machine.

When I cut tenons on the tablesaw I used a rip blade for the cheek cuts since it's a ripping operation.

Regards, Rod.

[Will Overton]

Dan,

I have a Craftsman/Orion mortiser and it works fine. However, everything I've read about the General says it is an excellent machine. I don't think you will be sorry with that purchase.

My tenoning jig is a Delta "184". Out of the box, you do need to set it up. One of the pluses mentioned in reviews is the handle placement on this jig. It's the only one I ever had, so I don't know if this really makes it better, but it works great. I do use it following the directions that come with it, rather than the way Norm used it.

For a blade, I agree with what was said above ... rip blade.

[John Coloccia]

Don't forget about the Leigh Super FMT.

[Dan Karachio]

But John, I want square mortises! Seriously, I do. Want to do some craftsman style joinery.

I guess buying a tenon jig is low risk for the $ involved, but maybe I will make one of those instead.

[glenn bradley]

When I was looking at benchtop mortisers I did my usual exhaustive research. No offense to anyone who has any particular machine but, I didn't find anything worth the effort till you got to the General 75-050T. Even then, those happy owners had eventually upgraded to better chisels (add another $100+).

I decided on the Mortise Pal and have been very happy. There are many happy benchtop mortiser owners here and I would listen to them if you are set on a machine. The main complaint I found was that the mortises were NOT square overall; they were a series of square holes that sorta lined up; the General being the exception. This is a non-issue (as no one sees them) until you want through mortises (which I do).

Just my experience and worth exactly what you paid for it ;-)