Never have figured out how you use a jig for tenons on a table apron that can be as long as 6 feet.
Bill
Never have figured out how you use a jig for tenons on a table apron that can be as long as 6 feet.
Bill
On the other hand, I still have five fingers.
Woodcraft has it listed for $329.99.
You can get it for $299 on Amazon. I'd just like to hear from someone who uses it.
Blood, sweat, and sawdust
That jig looks real nice! Especially if youre doing M&Ts with a mortiser! Id love to read some real user comments from anyone that owns one too!
If at first you don't succeed, redefine success!
We will see if any enter the "used" market. I have a mortising machine and an older Delta Tenoning Jig. Folks still pay a fair sum for those old ones from Delta.
Yep, about 3-bills. I played with it during a work related visit to Las Vegas. Seems fairly well made but, not phenomenal. Well though out and has smooth adjustment. the work holding portion looks like a re-purposed Harbor Freight clutch-style F clamp. Seems oddly out of place on the streamlined base.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
Jessem, Inrca or Woodpeckers needs to make one!
On a different note, I wish someone would bring back the Mortising Pal! Still kicking myself I never bought one before it was too late.
If at first you don't succeed, redefine success!
I used to use them almost all the time, sold my tenoning jig, biscuit joiner and mortising machine and bought a domino. Between it and a beadock that covers most everything I do. If need be I can make tenons on the TS or BS and mortises with chisels and the DP, then there is also the router table.
In the initial Powermatic video at the top of this thread, the cheeks are cut significantly deeper than where the shoulder meets the cheek. Is this a best practice I have missed?
See @ 3:47 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1t2_UTodQ4
Mark McFarlane
Mark, I think that was just a poor choice in test piece. I have yet to cut tenons using a jig on the table saw (usually use dado stack), but I think the best practice would be to cut the shoulders slightly short (less than the kerf of the blade) , and then dial in the height of the cheeks perfectly.
Blood, sweat, and sawdust
Thanks Patrick.
Mark McFarlane
I actually bought the Powermatic TJ through a winning Ebay bid for $180, in like new condition. I guess the previous owner didn't use it much. I would not have bought one for the $329.00 list price. I also have a vintage Delta 1172 that weighs about 5x more that the Powermatic. So I plan to dedicate my PM 66 for mortise/tenon work, hoping this jig will be a performer. It really looked like a neat setup on the Woodwhisperer's channel....or it might go back on sale at Ebay!
Give us some feedback once you use it a bit. Thanks
I got a chance to use one of these at my BIL's shop 2 months about ago. I remember seeing the video initially and thinking it looked cool but the Powermatic video made it seem over complicated to setup, maybe because they lumped the initial setup of the jig alow with the use video, in retropsect that may have been a mistake. It would be like watching a video about table saw fences and how to easily cut a repeatble 6" wide rip cut and being deluged with the tedious process of setting up the fence the first time, at least in my mind I would see it as overly complicated. In real life once the jig is dialed in (the one I used had already been setup) it is stupid easy to get "perfect" tenons. Once he showed me how to set it up it is clear you can set it up for the tenon in well under a minute and they are spot on. This is a better mousetrap. The clamps could indeed be nicer and almost feels like an afterthought but it worked just fine.
I was initially planning to order one as soon as I got home but during the trip decided to put it off. The Domino has taken over most of the small tenon work I do and I tend to only do traditional M&T work in larger pieces, ones that are too long to be cut standing upright on a TS. I would own one if I didn't have a Domino but as of now I will wait until I actually have a project that begs for it.
Of interest my BIL pointed out he transfers the width of handcut mortises using a set of calipers. While this would work I don't know how much overall time one would save since unless you cut a very even mortice the tenon will have to be adjusted to fit just like normal.
I think this is worth the premium if you do enough M&T work, it is quick, simple, accurate and precise almost to the point of being boring.
Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.
Deep thought for the day:
Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.