Cutting tenons on a TS - how do you do it?

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

I was pretty suprised to read the Delta tenon jig manual on how to cut tenons. 2 items stood out - (1) they say you should cut the cheeks before shoulders. I almost always have seen the shoulders cut first, and then use the to set the height for the cheeks. Seemed sorta odd. (2) they showed using a thin "base" clamped to the front of the saw, and the board resting on the base before being clamped to the jig; the bade basically is being supported a short distance off the table by the jig's clamp, and run through the blade like that. I'm not quite sure what this is supposed to solve, but it seems dangerous to me.

[Stephen Edwards]

(2) they showed using a thin "base" clamped to the front of the saw, and the board resting on the base before being clamped to the jig; the bade basically is being supported a short distance off the table by the jig's clamp, and run through the blade like that. I'm not quite sure what this is supposed to solve, but it seems dangerous to me.

If I'm understanding you correctly, that's how I do the above procedure. I use that "base" board when doing the set up. Then, with the stock in the jig in a vertical position the stock is actually above the table by however thick your "base" is. Seems to me that it's bound to be more accurate and safer. Less chance of the stock binding. My two cents worth.

[Peter Quinn]

Shoulders first for me, then cheeks to fit the mortises. No weird piece in front of the saw to lift the work piece, my table is flat, never had a problem. Maybe their lawyers wrote the instruction manual?

[Dewey Torres]

+1 for Shoulders first here!

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

If I'm understanding you correctly, that's how I do the above procedure. I use that "base" board when doing the set up. Then, with the stock in the jig in a vertical position the stock is actually above the table by however thick your "base" is. Seems to me that it's bound to be more accurate and safer. Less chance of the stock binding. My two cents worth.

That's pretty much what I meant. I reread my post and saw all my spelling and typos, I'm impressed you got it. I like the idea because my ZCI isn't perfectly flush with the top (it's lower by a smidge), and that approach would definitely prevent any issues with that.....

[Paul Demetropoulos]

I like the idea because my ZCI isn't perfectly flush with the top (it's lower by a smidge), and that approach would definitely prevent any issues with that.....

It should be for safety reasons and there's an easy solution. Four small screws on the underside placed where the insert rests on the flanges, to get it perfectly level with the top.

Oh, and I cut my shoulders first as well, and trim the tenon sides on the band saw.

[Rod Sheridan]

I also cut the shoulders first, cheeks second when using a tenon jig on a TS.

Since the jig holds the piece of wood at a fixed height, the only issue you would have with the throat plate is if it is higher than the table. If it's level or lower, it wouldn't affect the cut.

Regards, Rod.

[Chip Lindley]

Well, I use a small sled in the miter slot, in conjunction with a dado set. An aux fence (wood block) is clamped to the fence and adjusted to reference the depth of the tenon. The dado is raised to reference the depth of cut. Faces (cheeks) are cut by moving the stock to the left each pass, until full faces are cut. Then flip the stock on edge to cut the shoulders. Easily done on a RAS also. I don't mess with the tenon jigs....I just don't see the NEED! Why try to clamp a piece vertically (and square) in mid-air when it can lay flat, referenced on a cast iron table???

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

It should be for safety reasons and there's an easy solution. Four small screws on the underside placed where the insert rests on the flanges, to get it perfectly level with the top.

I looked at that once, but the problem is that my TS doesn't exactly have a lot of 'room' around the mounting flanges and fingers for adjustment screws. I suppose some small hex set screws might work.....does UHMW hold set screws well?

[Lee Schierer]

I use a Delta tenon cutting jig on my TS and cut the shoulders first and then the cheeks. I suspect that if you had a saw without a ZCI then you would want to cut the cheeks first and the shoulder cuts second to keet the cut off from falling into the throat plate opening. I also use the kerf for the shoulder to set my blade heigth for the cheek cut. I also use a ripping blade for cuting the cheeks and get faster cuts with less effort because this cut is essentially a rip cut.

I see nothing to be gained from raising the piece off the table before making the cut unless you have alignment problems with your throat plate or portions of your table.

[Frank Drew]

Like Chip, I like running the work flat and using dado blades, which make fast work of the job.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

I do it like Chip also. Usually I just creep up on the tenon thickness for the perfect fit. Or save all the creeping up and just leave the tenon a little fat and use a shoulder plane to adjust. I feel like more of a real woodworker when I do it like that. :rolleyes:

[Myk Rian]

Dado jig and blades. I get a nice square cut that way.
No ridges left by the blades.

[Cody Colston]

I have a Grizzly tenoning jig and it also instructed the use of a base board to raise the stock off the saw table. I don't use it.

Shoulders first, cheeks second. I use a ZCI.

[Larry Edgerton]

Sliding carriage and a dado blade.

[Larry Fox]

Shoulders first for me as well. I use the spacer below method as well. I really don't see a downside to it it prevents any binding that may occur - however unlikely. I cut them a bit oversized and trim to fit with a shoulder plane.

[Paul Atkins]

I'm on the wagon with Chip too. (On the sled)