Tendon making question

velomark | Posted in General Discussion on November 27, 2007 12:58pm

I am completing a table which utilizes through tendons on the sides. Normally when I cut tendons I use a tendoning jig with my table saw which positions the work piece perpendicular to the table saw and parallel to the saw blade and which cuts the “cheeks” of the tendon. For this project, however, I need to cut tendons which are longer than my saw blade is tall. Can anyone sugest an alternative method ?

Thanks

Cheers,

Velo

Replies

Samson | Nov 27, 2007 12:59am | #1
band saw

hand saw

router

dado stack in the TS

Edited 11/26/2007 5:06 pm ET by Samson

BrianDerr | Nov 27, 2007 07:13am | #6
I think Samson said it all, I couldn't add another word.

THintz | Nov 27, 2007 01:06am | #2
You can make long tenons on the table saw with the piece laying flat and nibbling the material away. It goes lots faster with a stacked dado set installed but can be done with a plain single blade, it just takes longer. (Lots longer if the tenons are really long)

Tom Hintz

Because there is always more to learn!
JohnWW | Nov 27, 2007 01:12am | #3
If you make the tenons as long as is practical with your saw they will have plenty of strength. Then cut a short filler tenon for the exposed end and install it last. This is a cheat but it is simple, it works, it usually looks better, and nobody will ever know.

The spelling is tenon by the way, tendons are the things that attach your muscles to your bones.

John White, Yestermorrow School

Edited 11/26/2007 5:13 pm ET by JohnWW
saschafer | Nov 27, 2007 01:13am | #4
That's "tenon," not "tendon." We hope that you don't cut any tendons on your table saw, as that usually requires a trip to the emergency room afterwards....

Do you have a bandsaw? That's an easy way to cut long tenons.

If you have a dado blade on your table saw, you can cut tenon cheeks with it by laying the board flat and "eating away" at the board: Set the rip fence so that the distance from the left side of the dado blade to the fence is the desired length of the tenon. Set the blade depth to the amount of material to be removed from the cheeks of the tenon. Using the miter gauge, and with the board pushed all the way to the right against the rip fence, slide the board over the dado blade to cut a dado-wide "swath" of the cheek. Now slide the board over to the left a bit less than the dado width, and cut another swath. And so on until you've cut the entire cheek.

-Steve