or do I need to buy a name brand? I noticed one for 59.99 (I think) from woodcraft (wife threw away the ad). Thanks, Shane
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Replies
Build your own, it is very easy, (and basically free), and spend the savings on lumber!
As Napie says, build your own and take the little girl out for supper.
I make all my tenons using a sled on my table saw, a secondary backstop screwed to the sled and a stop to set the length of the tenon. The stop has a screw so the tenon length can be adjusted.
FYI, The Delta and most of the off brand jigs come out of the same factory. Looking at them side by side you will find the same castings and name tag holes. About the only difference is the paint jobs and crank wheels. Save $10-$20 and learn to enjoy another colour than Delta Gray unless you insist on having one with the Delta name on it ;-)
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Thank you Bruce, that was the info I was looking for. I know (or think I know) some people have a problem with Norms advice from time to time, but still remember watching one of his shows. He said a tenoning Jig is such a value for what it is and what it does that there is no use making your own.
When you do get one. Look for the ones that have a slider bar that can be moved to one of two positions on the bottom of the jig. Not all miter slots are the same distance from the blade so that feature will be important. Some have a slider bar that attaches directly to the flat cast bottom and some have a machined out slots for the slider bar, Mine is the latter.Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
When I bought my Delta some years ago it wasn't reversible for right and left-tilt blades, whereas the General, for instance, was. It's not a huge problem , and they've probably changed it by now. Just don't expect a perfect fit every time, especially on long sticks. I cut mine fat, and trim them. Gave me an excuse to buy a shoulder plane and a router plane ;>)
Jim
That is not even close to being true.
IMHO, the last mass-marketed tenoning jig worth owning was the Delta that was discontinued several years ago. About 50 lb of well machined iron and steel. I have seen Norm using that one.
Until I can find an old Delta at a decent price, I'll stick with the shop-made jig that bolts to the base of my Unifence. Homemade jigs and fixtures are always the way to go when they accomplish the job in a safe, timely, and accurate manner. And, they are fun to build!
Best!
-Nazard
I just purchased one of the old Delta tenoning jigs. I jumped on it as soon as I saw it at an estate sale recently. Got it for a good price. Haven't used it yet. Seems to me that it might be more difficult to use than the Taiwanese (?) tenon jig I bought some years ago (Delta).I figure I might reach for the Taiwanese jig before the old one since it is much lighter.What do others say about this?
"I figure I might reach for the Taiwanese jig before the old one since it is much lighter."
Weight is your friend -- at least for a tenoning jig.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
I am just the opposite on the weight. I can keep my home-made on the table without concern. Something about cast iron bottom of the store bought grinding against cast iron table top bothers me. I suppose I could out a couple of self adhesive "slick strips" on the bottom.
I have Woodcraft BTW.. I found most of the jigs appear to come off the same line as I did compare. It sits on a shelf un-used pretty much at this point, as I went back to my home-made. I suppose I have cut so many tenons on the H-made it just seems like an old friend.
If anyone lives in the metro Atlanta area that wants to drop by.. you can have the Wood-craft for $20. I won't ship it as the shipping would kill off that price with it's weight.
Sarge..
I usually cut both cheeks at once, using dual, spaced blades -- and sometimes pretty deep. When doing that, especially if the workpiece is very long, I don't want ANY vibration in the jig. It's just too scary to even think about what that piece would do if it got caught between those blades!
Therefore, for me, the jig should be heavy so it's as stable on the table as possible and is beefy enough to rock-solidly clamp the workpiece.
On my jig, the cast iron base never touches the table -- it rides on the runners.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
Edited 1/22/2008 11:42 am ET by MikeHennessy
Just curious Mike, how much trouble is it to set up for a double cut for say cheeks and then have to adjust widths for shoulders? I have never done it, but would consider it if the change-over time is limited.
I can flip the pieces with the turn of the hold-down clamp in a second or so. I suppose after so many.. I would almost compare it to dis-engaging a clutch on a car with no pre-meditated thought. It just becomes a natural movement.
There is no vibration with my home-made as it is not necessarily light being made from MDF. The way it is designed, plenty of downward force is applied just to slide it as my hands really can't get anywhere near the blade.
But.. if doing say slats, a double set-up could (?) be somewhat of a time saver if the change-over doesn't eat up the time saved. BTW.. what type jig do you have with the runners mentioned?
Thanks...
Sarge..
"how much trouble is it to set up for a double cut for say cheeks and then have to adjust widths for shoulders?"
Dunno. In my shop, the table saw is ripping. The radial arm saw is for crosscutting. (And the drill is for making holes, and the impact driver is for sinking screws, but I digress.) I usually set the TS up for the cheek cuts, set a stop on the the RAS for the shoulders and just move from one to the other. I guess you could just set a stop on the TS fence and do the same thing on the TS, just ignoring the blade closest to the fence which, at worst, would score the tennon cheek a bit.
That would involve fussing with the cut depth tho', and I hate to mess with a setting once it's dialed in.
The reason I prefer the dual-blade method is that it eliminates what, for me, is the most time consuming and tedious part of the process -- getting a tenon of the desired width that matches up properly with the mortices. For some reason, I can cut about 3 sneak-up test cuts, and be just "this" close, then on the next test, I've overcut by a mile. ;-( Repeat.
I have a stack of spacers of various thicknesses and I keep a chart of which ones to mix & match to arrive at the exact tennon thickness to match my standard mortice widths. So now, sizing the tennons is a no brainer and takes no time at all. And it doesn't matter what the thickness of the stock is. If I need a 3/8" tennon, I can cut one in any thickness of stock without resetting. I don't even worry about getting things exactly centered -- I just cut all my mortices from a marked reference face, dial in that measurement on the first tennon, and then just make sure to put the reference mark against the jig face for each successive cut.
My jig is an old Delta. The runners that came with it didn't fit my TS slots, so I had to machine them down. I guess I'm just assuming they support the jig -- I'll have to check to be sure. I do know that it doesn't grind across the table tho' -- it just glides along.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
Thanks for the information, Mike. I suppose I could just add some adhesive slick strips as mentioned. But.. for some reason, I just go to the "homey" without giving the metal jig much thought. I suppose I am sub-conciously thinking.. "if it ain't broke.. don't replace it". ha.. ha...
Again thanks for the info as to the set-up which includes a RAS. I also strickly rip on the TS and do all my cross-cuts on a SCMS, so your set up is not within my limits.
Regards...
Sarge..
The photo of the Steel City jig looks like it is more substantial than the cookie cutter models. I plan on looking at one tomorrow to confirm. Costs a little more as well. But, if it is more like the old Delta and Powermatics, it might be money well spent.
Very nice. Anywhere one can find plans for these?
I got the idea from an article in FWW about 5 years ago or so. I have no clue which issue as I don't keep up with that sort of thing. You might do some type Google on their web-site to under tenon jigs or similar as it was a full article and not just a tip.
I modified the height as I felt the original gentlemen's was taller than I would have designed. Other than that.. it's pretty much his idea. In essence, you can basically look at it and see what is done. I would be happy to post a few angles if necessary to give you a closer look if you think you might build it.
When I did this one.. I had just looked at his plan to see how he fitted the nuts. Other than that, I just "winged" it from the original drawings. So.. it's basically the same as his with a few spec mods to suit me.
Hope that helps...
Sarge..
I suppose I can wing it, as it seems the way I do half my stuff anyway. I have a General saw now (previously Delta) and the Delta jig doesn't match up quite right. I cut a lot of m/t and use a General hcmortiser and, with stops and jigs, cut most of my tenon cheeks with a bandsaw, then fine tune them with a tenon plane. Not the fastest method but it gets me there.
I will sometimes cut a tenon on a BS it I have a very long piece. It's about 52" from the top of my TS to the ceiling and if longer than that, another method has to be used. Even as quick as a TS is.. I will leave the tenons just a hair proud and come back with a medium shoulder plane or chisel. The mortise is already cut, so just a matter of mating them at that point. Easier to take a hair off than add..
Again. if you want my measurements, etc.. just ask. But you should consider what you want as I did after seeing the original and custom it from there. Good luck and post a pic when you get around to it as I'm always looking for a better way.
Sarge..
I will judge for myself based off the photo. Thanks again.
Hi there,
If you decide you don't want the old Delta, let me know! I've been looking for one at a decent price for quite a while.
Thanks,
Mack"WISH IN ONE HAND, S--T IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"
My home made one uses an Incra jig (the original) to govern the lateral adjustment. Very simple and accurate to adjust.
I have the one from Woodcraft and like it alot. It is very similar to all the rest of them on the market. I would not be surprised if they are all made at the same place. Once you adjust it to the tenon size you need; whether you are doing 4 tenons or 40 they are very consistent.
You could probably make one as suggested, but $60.00 is not terribly expensive as compared to some of the other tools most of us woodworkers spend money on. It will probably last a lifetime as long as it is not dropped. You may not need it very often, but it is great to have when you do.
Have fun and make your own, and learn something in the process.
I survived on a home-made version for years that slid over my table saw fence. It was a little fussy to get dialed in, but once you had it set it was pretty repeatable. I broke down and purchased one, like I believe you are considering, since I was starting a chair project that required several angled tenons (some compound).The new jig was well worth the money. Still a little fussy to dial-in but very repeatable. In addition, I found many other "creative" uses for the jig. IMO it's well worth the $60.Good luck.Dean
Hi,
Delta used to make a heavy, serious tenoning jig that was made of cast iron and weighed about 30 lb. Really a very nice tool! Heavy duty, professional grade stuff! I used one once at the wood hobby shop at a Navy base. Those are around if you are willing to search and spend a couple hundred $.
Regards,
Mack
"WISH IN ONE HAND, S--T IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"
I paid about $130 for one 15 years ago and lost it in a move. Someone on this forum mentioned seeing one recently on Ebay going for $180. That was a well built (and hefty) tool.
-Nazard
You're right there! I only used one once but it left an impression! Definately not something you would casually toss around the shop. I bid on one on E-bay a couple years ago and when the price plus shipping went over $225.00 I quit.
Regards,
Mack"WISH IN ONE HAND, S--T IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"
Here's a link to the one that I've built and use on pretty much a daily basis and find it to be much better than any other I've used, store bought or built. Besides, it's designed by Frank Klausz, so you know it's got to be good. Cheers.
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=2379
Russ.
http://www.jensenfinefurniture.com
Edited 1/22/2008 11:24 pm ET by Russell
FWW Article on Tenoning Jigs ( link )
I cut mine on the router table or Woodrat with a spiral bit.
See FWW 135 for router jig to cut tenons, PW
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