WWinCCFL

My verdict: Doesn't really belong in the pages of Fine Woodworking.

Or, perhaps you should consider classifying your tricks of the trade as safe for all, get a few projects under your belt before you use this tip, and definitely for pros and those who have done at least 50 projects in the last five years.

I would put this "speed tenon" tip in the "definitely for pros and those who have done at least 50 projects in the last 5 years".

I have used similar nibbling techniques on my bandsaw. Since I have a stash of MDF in my garage/shop, I'm likely to devise two jigs, one for the bandsaw where I can cut shoulders and the other for the router table where I can use my 1 3/4 hp router with a 3/4" straight bit as well as the table slot to finish the tenons.

As for the table saw, I would really rather see some kind of jig where the slide part moves the stock over the blade, but you have grips on the slide to keep your hands from sliding too far into the blade.

Bob Lang of Popular Woodworking Magazine shows a technique involving cross-cuts every 1/8 to 1/4 inch and then finishing the job with a sharp chisel.

I also enjoyed Norm's show. FWIW, to respond to a prior comment, several projects in FWW had made use of biscuits. I happen to think of biscuits as a variation of the loose tenon joint, used several times in FWW projects. So I have no trouble with Norm's use of biscuits in his projects. A serious hobbyist for only the last five years, I'm not sure if Norm had ever used card or cabinet scrapers in lieu of the RO sanders I have so often seen him use. In any case, I have used both power sanders and scrapers and found I really like the looks of scraped over sanded wood, especially when I use my Sealcoat and varnish finish. I find with sanders you really do have to know when to clean or replace the paper (and it's not after you beat the bejeepers out of the grain). Thus, I think I'm becoming a bit more of a blended woodworker than Norm, who I think was quite heavy on using power tools. As for the use of nails and brads, several birds in the air told me that nails were used in 18th Century joinery as well as in attaching mouldings to the basic forms of the work at hand. I myself don't use a nail / brad gun simply because I inherited most of my power tools and a nail gun was not part of Dad's inventory of tools. My father used a hammer; I use a hammer, albeit a tack hammer for brads and fine nails. A piece of shop wisdom passed on to me: there's more than one way to skin a cat. So I don't begrudge Norm for his use of power tools the way he did.

Nor do I begrudge Tommy Mac his training at North Street School in Boston. I will say I live in Florida and because of my wife visited the Philippines, and there are many, many influences from Michigan (my native state), Florida, and the Philippines - just as the Greene brothers brought a lot of California and Asian flavors to their Arts and Crafts body of work. I do hope no one begrudges me my self-instruction - indeed as a self-trained tax pro and former company accountant out of business school, once you get that diploma, you're on your own in your vocational development.

I learned from Norm; I know I'll learn from Tommy.

How do you make your screws for your design? Or for that matter, how do you build screws in Sketchup?