Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: How I cut Speed Tenons

  1. #1

    How I cut Speed Tenons

    Hello,

    The other day a post came up speaking about tenons and methods. I was cutting some the other night and decided to document my process with speed tenons.

    I am going to describe how I use my table saw to cut stock centered Speed Tenons. For several years I used the Delta tenoning jig, often seen featured years ago with Norm Abrams on the New Yankee Workshop. This was my preferred method until I was shown a technique by Chris Becksvoort at a woodworking course I attended that he was teaching.

    I will describe the method here, but first I will say that at first I was not at all confident with the approach he used until he demonstrated it to the class. Since then I have used this method exclusively to cut tenons, with out any reservations. I am not sure where my Delta jig is in my shop anymore.

    The whole process involves a few keys, a simple set up, a table saw mitre gauge, a table saw blade and square cut stock.

    I first cut my work pieces to length, I like to mill my parts longer that required by several inches, the cut offs become set up pieces for me when building a project. I use one of the set up parts to get the height of the blade right to get a properly shouldered and sized tenon. I seldom have the blade set higher than ¼” and most commonly about 1/8”.
    <IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid78/p8c2a7cf33d8b5751b397d4e046d63b24/fb2a280e.jpg">
    <BR>



    I first square my mitre gauge to the table saw blade, easy enough to do, this ensures that the shoulder cut will be parallel on both the faces and shoulders of the tenons.

    <IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid78/pa585978cce124c869e0b453bab06c15f/fb2a27e3.jpg">
    <BR>


    I then place the stock against the mitre gauge and set to the face of the fence, and then pass both sides over the blade, establishing the shoulder and tenon length.


    <IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid78/p89f588dcff68dd0647a09844feda4d58/fb2a27cc.jpg">
    <BR>
    I then pull the mitre gauge back and progress slowly with the stock moving it across the face of the table saw blade, wasting away the material while slowly advancing the stock firmly held against the face of the mitre gauge.

    I do this to both sides of the tenon.
    <IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid78/p8d589453a448a587cd028a9d7792ed49/fb2a27b1.jpg">
    <BR>
    <IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid78/p9f91ffa086f2c91b7871cc26c59fa65b/fb2a2794.jpg">
    <BR>
    <IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid78/p85bfeead66d23dc36b4670fb871991cc/fb2a2765.jpg">
    <BR>

    If the shoulders of the tenons are to be different then I raise the blade and machine the shoulders in the same fashion.
    <IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid78/p8592e72de253d732c33565ebde17f723/fb2a274b.jpg">
    <BR>
    <IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid78/p576fd20e90dd9232019436ec6659247b/fb2a2737.jpg">
    <BR>

    <IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid78/pf9962d567fbbe718960d03ba9351ad54/fb2a271b.jpg">
    <BR>

    I like to leave my tenon thickness a hair too wide, then clean it up to a final fit with a shoulder plane.
    In the end, I like this process, it’s quick and the simple set up takes very little time. I am able to quickly mill tenons to size this way, and it’s easy.
    <IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid78/p7cc6d3af55c9541e9afa5512d3aaab42/fb2a26ff.jpg">
    <BR>


    In the end, what really matters isn't how you cut tenons; it's how they fit.


    Take care,
    Jim

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Sarasota, Fl
    Posts
    1,916

    Great tutorial on tenon making

    Hi Jim, Thanks a lot for the great tutorial; I'm going to try this for my tenons. I was going to build a horizontal router jig for this but I'll definitely try this first. I really don't like my Delta tenoning jig; it's too finicky to adjust. But maybe I just never got it tweaked just right from the beginning. I have spent a lot of time with it though. Your pics and instructions were just perfect and if I can't do this then it's my fault. Alan in Md.
    Alan T. Thank God for every pain free day you live.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,675
    Jim, thanks for the pictures. They are a good illustration of this technique--one I also use occasionally. However, I'm not comfortable with the fence being in contact with the wood at the same time as the miter guage as it is shown. I use a short stub of an axuiliary fence to square things for the shoulder cuts, but as soon as I move the material towards the blade, the workpiece is no longer in contact with that fence. Yes, the blade isn't raised high, but I'm more comfortable with only one guide in contact at a time. The results are the same.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4

    I'm not sure the results are the same Jim

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker
    Jim, thanks for the pictures. They are a good illustration of this technique--one I also use occasionally. However, I'm not comfortable with the fence being in contact with the wood at the same time as the miter gage as it is shown. I use a short stub of an auxiliary fence to square things for the shoulder cuts, but as soon as I move the material towards the blade, the workpiece is no longer in contact with that fence. Yes, the blade isn't raised high, but I'm more comfortable with only one guide in contact at a time. The results are the same.
    Mr Becker,

    (Formal salutation used only to distinguish one Jim from the other in this post )

    If you look closely at the description that Mr. Schaver has documented, I'm not sure it's the same one we have used - or even watched the Great Norm use.

    Jim's method requires the use of the full face of the rip fence to be in contact with the end of the board being machined, the short rip fence won't work because this method requires you to move the piece left to right while it is in contact with the blade to mill away the waste material. The rip fence in this case serves as a lateral stop during this operation.

    If I see things correctly, Jim is cutting the shoulder of the tenon in the traditional method, but then sliding the workpiece back and forth left to right across the face of the miter gage while holding the miter gage in one spot. If the piece is wide enough to require it, you would advance the miter gage slightly and repeat the side to side motion, etc.

    I think this would work OK with a small amount of material to machine away and a full kerf blade. I've used this method before with a hand held circular saw to remove the waste in open mortises in log home construction - please don't ask me to describe that exact method - it's very scary to envision.

    I think Jim is describing a unique method for removing the waste and as mentioned earlier - as long as the amount of material to be removed is reasonable - it may be an attractive alternative to other methods.

    Thanks for sharing the technique Mr. Shaver.

    Dan
    Last edited by Dan Barber; 09-06-2003 at 9:37 PM.
    "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for dinner.
    Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the decision." Ben Franklin

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,675
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Barber
    Mr Becker,

    If you look closely at the description that Mr. Schaver has documented, I'm not sure it's the same one we have used - or even watched the Great Norm use.
    Ok, I've re-read the description and see what you are saying. I'll have to try it, but there is still something a little "scary" to me...I guess I'll just have to chalk it up to always hearing that "no miter guage and fence at the same time" thing for so long!

  6. #6

    Thanks Dan

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Barber
    Mr Becker,

    (Formal salutation used only to distinguish one Jim from the other in this post )

    If you look closely at the description that Mr. Schaver has documented, I'm not sure it's the same one we have used - or even watched the Great Norm use.

    Jim's method requires the use of the full face of the rip fence to be in contact with the end of the board being machined, the short rip fence won't work because this method requires you to move the piece left to right while it is in contact with the blade to mill away the waste material. The rip fence in this case serves as a lateral stop during this operation.

    If I see things correctly, Jim is cutting the shoulder of the tenon in the traditional method, but then sliding the workpiece back and forth left to right across the face of the miter gage while holding the miter gage in one spot. If the piece is wide enough to require it, you would advance the miter gage slightly and repeat the side to side motion, etc.

    I think this would work OK with a small amount of material to machine away and a full kerf blade. I've used this method before with a hand held circular saw to remove the waste in open mortises in log home construction - please don't ask me to describe that exact method - it's very scary to envision.

    I think Jim is describing a unique method for removing the waste and as mentioned earlier - as long as the amount of material to be removed is reasonable - it may be an attractive alternative to other methods.

    Thanks for sharing the technique Mr. Shaver.

    Dan

    Hi Dan,

    YES, that is what i was trying to say....Thanks!!

    Take care,
    Jim

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •