Tenoning Jig Recommendations?

[John McClanahan]

I've been holding out on buying a tenoning jig hoping to find a used one. I just got an e-mail from Woodcraft for free shipping this month. They also have their tenoning jig on sale for $59.95. That happens to be the regular price at Grizzly. The difference is the free shipping. Is there anything about these jigs that I should be aware of? I read somewhere that the Delta model was a pain to use.

Thanks,
John

[Wayne Symons]

I just purchased the Woodcraft jig last week, based on the price and positive reviews I read. Be prepared to have to clean up plenty of cosmoline from it before assembly.

I did find that the casting is kinda rough on the bottom of mine. (scratched the top of my CI TS top on the 1st pass!) I took a sanding block wrapped in 120 grit sandpaper and made a few passes on the base then waxed all of the shiney iron. Problem fixed.

This is my first jig as well, so I can't provide any comparisons.

Wayne

[Neal Clayton]

they're all pretty similar. not alot of variation you can make on a tenon jig.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

One thing to keep in mind when buying a tenoning jig.


The bar that rides in the miter slot shoud be adjustable. I'll expound. It should have more than one position it can be mounted. The distance from the miter slot to the saw blade isn't the same among all saws. If you can't move the miter bar on the bottom of the tenoning jig, it is conceiveable the you won't be able to use the jig on your table saw.

If it appears that your tenon jig won't align with your saw blade, check what I just wrote above. I bought my tenoning jig while visiting a Rockler in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I had it shipped to my home in Idaho. When I got home it appeared I couldn't use it. Then I noticed the other set of mounting holes for the miter bar. I moved the bar and Bingo it allowed the tenoning jig to be adusted to the middle of it's adjustment range.

Warning.....Don't go shopping with Bill Huber in a Rocklers. You might get asked to leave ........after a couple of hours.......or they might tell to let them know the next time you are coming in and the store will buy coffee and donuts.:eek::rolleyes:

They actually said that BTW!

[Rod Sheridan]

Good advice from Ken on the adjust-ability of the guide bar location.

I have the newer (import clone) Delta tenon jig and had to drill the base to move the guide bar for use on my General 650 saw.

The first tenon I cut I had blood running across the saw table.

I thought I had somehow sawed a finger off, however what had happened was that the chrome was peeling off the hand-wheel and had cut about 2" across my palm.

When I flexed my hand, it bled like the dickens, it just didn't hurt.

Delta sent me a replacement hand-wheel.

I eventually stopped making tenons using the jig due to safety considerations. I never did come up with a guard design that wasn't clunky so I now make tenons on the shaper.

The shaper does that job better and safer, since the blade isn't exposed.

Regards, Rod.

[Kirk Poore]

I bought the Woodcraft jig several years ago and I've used it on hundreds of tenons. I have a Powermatic 65, and had to change the location of the miter slot bar. It was pre-drilled for this, so it wasn't an issue, though it does lose some adjustment distance with the bar in this other position. I haven't found that to be a serious impediment.

The jig is pretty solid and keeps it's adjustments well. You should mark the fine adjustment wheel with painted tic marks to let you track changes better. I find that the speed knob on the handwheel works loose frequently, and that most screws are metric Allen heads so you have to keep the Allen wrenches handy. Not a big deal since they supply them, but just one more thing to keep track of. The miter slot bar has small screws to fine tune the width.

In use, I've managed to bust off both handles by hitting them with boards as I walked past the tablesaw. I replaced them both with turned wood handles drilled through for replacement bolts. The replacements are shorter than I'd like, but I'm using the longest (metric) bolts I could find at my local Ace.

In use, I don't find the jig unsafe at all. Keep an eye on the blade, and pull the jig all the way back before changing the wood, and you should be fine. Yes, you'll have to take off the guard. Use the handles, and your fingers won't be anywhere near the blade.

Kirk

[Lee Schierer]

I have the Delta tenoning jig and it is almost identical to the others out there. The first one I purchased I had to return due to quality issues, but the second one was much better and has served me well.

Before purchasing you need to know the distance from your blade toteh miter slot and the size of the miter slot. The tenon gauge isn't much good if you cant get close enough or far enough away from the blade.

I find using a rip blade give better faster cuts than most crosscut blades when cutting tenons.