Making Tongues Fit Dadoes

[Jim Dwight]

By far the nicest way to trim a tenon I have found is with a shoulder plane. Mine is a Stanley and I'm sure there are better ones. I had to do a lot of sharpening/polishing of the blade when I got it but it holds an edge very well and is the easiest/nicest way to fit a tenon I have found. I think I gave about $100 for it and I should have bought it sooner. I'm cheap but that was one time it cost me. Sanding and paring with a chisel and using a rasp will all take material off a tenon but they tend to not leave it flat and can thus affect the joint strength. Shoulder plane is faster and leaves a flat surface. If I had a little tenon like you describe sticking, I would make a pass or two and I bet it wouldn't stick any more. You can use it on the end grain of the ends too if that is where it's sticking.

[Steve H Graham]

I was feeding it from right to left. I was doing it that way because it's a conventional cut (as contrasted with climb cut) when only part of the bit is exposed. When I did it the other way, the router tried to inhale the wood and me.

I got most of this done, although when I used the handheld router for part of it, I did what I always do, biting into the piece of wood I used as a guide. Oh, well. Learning to make repairs is important.

[Pat Barry]

Sorry to correct you. my friend.............

What I said is that I NEVER do either of those, because it ain't worth the effort.....you are adding nothing to the integrity of the joint.

I leave the dado alone. Period.

Then I do one of two things:
1. Use a chisel to whack the corners of the tenon - make it fit inside the routed half-circle. OR - even better:
2. Cut back the tenon an extra 1/2" - whatever it takes so that it does not interfere with the rounded end.

By definition - you have to grab your saw to trim the tenon for a stopped/blind dado. So - just cut it short by a little bit more.

Either 1 or 2 means you have a gap between the tenon and the top/end dead center of the rounded end of the dado.

So. Freakin'. What. ?.

That will not cause joint failure. Making a perfect fit for that last tiny bit will not be the deciding factor in joint success. Ergo - FIDO: [Forget] It. Drive On.

Listen dude. All I was asking was what he meant by round over. Cool your jets a bit. As far as what yo do - keep doing it - there are alternatives and some of them make better joints.

[Pat Barry]

I was feeding it from right to left. I was doing it that way because it's a conventional cut (as contrasted with climb cut) when only part of the bit is exposed. When I did it the other way, the router tried to inhale the wood and me.

I got most of this done, although when I used the handheld router for part of it, I did what I always do, biting into the piece of wood I used as a guide. Oh, well. Learning to make repairs is important.

Kinda deep Steve. Maybe consider making multple, shallower cuts. Less material removed will make routing the dado much easier to control

[Steve H Graham]

Thanks.

The dadoes are 1/2" deep, and I took 1/4" at a time. I thought that was shallow, but maybe I should have taken three passes.

My dilemma is always choosing between the ease of shallow cuts and the fact that making more cuts gives me more chances to do something stupid.

[Steve H Graham]

I am wondering if the bit is dull. Seems like the flush-cut bit I used in the handheld router cut better. I am also wondering if it's necessary to clean router bits. Maybe there is dried pitch or something affecting the cut.

[Kent A Bathurst]

My dilemma is always choosing between the ease of shallow cuts and the fact that making more cuts gives me more chances to do something stupid.

Ya pays yer money, and ya takes yer chances.

Keeping the work piece tight against the fence is do-able, right? So - do what you are doing, while you are doing it. AKA - Focus.

[Alan Hick]

Poop.

"Making tongues fit dadoes" sounded like a promising treatise that would teach me something new to do with the wife. Alas, no. It's router bits and chisels and planes. Go figure. Who knew a woodworking forum would stick so tenaciously to woodworking?

[John Donofrio]

I am wondering if the bit is dull. Seems like the flush-cut bit I used in the handheld router cut better. I am also wondering if it's necessary to clean router bits. Maybe there is dried pitch or something affecting the cut.

Yes, definitely keep your router bits clean and pitch free. They'll cut better and stay sharp longer.

Thanks.

The dadoes are 1/2" deep, and I took 1/4" at a time. I thought that was shallow, but maybe I should have taken three passes.

My dilemma is always choosing between the ease of shallow cuts and the fact that making more cuts gives me more chances to do something stupid.

This is true for all of us. Maybe confidence is part of the issue..? Going into something expecting to fail will almost surely guarantee failure. Hold the head high, beat the chest a little and move forward with CONFIDENCE! You'll be fine, just always remember to stay safe!