Tenoning Jig.

[keith micinski]

Does anyone have any experience with this tenoning jig from woodcraft? I have never used one before but I see them on tv being used all of the time and it does look better then my current way of making tenon's with a dado blade.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2004847/7500/Tenoning-Jig.aspx

[Phil Rose]

That's the same jig I use. I''ve never used any other commercial made jigs for this work, so can't comment to how it stands up from that perspective. However, it's clearly a step above other methods (dado blades) IMHO.

[Will Overton]

Except for one of the Delta's that has the handles in line, one behind the other, all tenoning jigs are about the same. The only problems I've ever heard with any of them, wasn't the jig, but the saws. I believe it is Jet saws and some right tilt saws that have the miter slots too far from the blade. Looking at your link, that's a nice price. :cool:

[Dick Bringhurst]

The latest Delta jig can be adjusted for the miter slot distance to the blade. Dick B.

[Andy Sowers]

I just bought one when Woodcraft was doing their garage sale last week... I think I got it for $36 w/ free shipping.

It just arrived yesterday, and I spent about an hour removing the packing grease from it. This seems consistent with other reviews I've seen on the woodcraft jig.

I haven't actually cut anything with it, but I have something planned for the weekend.

It comes setup for right tilt saws... it was a pretty easy configuration to convert to left-tilt... but at least when you do that for my saw (Sawstop PCS) it significantly reduces the thickness capacity of the jig. For me, this isn't a big deal, I don't think. I may actually convert it back to the right tilt configuration to see if that will work better without compromising the capacity.

Hope that helps.
andy

[Thomas L. Miller]

Keith,
I have this tenoning jig from Woodcraft and have used it for about a year. I have no complaints and am able to dial tenons in very, very accurately. I use it with my Sawstop iCS and haven't had any tenons yet it can't cut. I just finished a Harvey Ellis/Gustav Stickley bookcase with a bunch of mortise/tenon joints and each one came out perfectly. I was even able to dial in the through tenons for a "just so" fit. Hope this helps.

[glenn bradley]

I have the Rockler version (Jet/Powermatic painted blue). It has done all I could ask. I have seen ones costing twice as much that appear to be the same quality. I've used mine several times over the last few months. I still use other methods as well. It is my go-to for bridal joints and sliding dovetails.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Keith,

I have the Rockler version and bought it while on a business trip to Dallas/Ft. Worth. They shipped it to my home.

When I first tried to see how it fit, I was shocked. As stated, the guide for the miter slot wouldn't allow it to line up properly with the blade.

Then I noticed the 2nd set of holes on the bottom. By moving the bar that rides in the miter slot to the 2nd set of holes, it aligned and worked perfectly.

Basically, they are all the same and work well.

[Dave Cav]

I have the Grizzly version (different color is the only difference) and it works great. I have a Delta at school and it's identical and works fine, too, but it cost twice as much as the Grizzly. The Woodcraft should work fine once you get it set up, and that's a good price.

[Myk Rian]

I use the Delta version quite frequently.

[keith micinski]

I am assuming there is an adjustment for the width of the mitre bar to fit snugly inside of the slot on my table. Is that case?

[Carl Beckett]

and have used one other version.

In the one you are looking at, the work is held to the right of the Jig. I prefer this.

The other one I used was flipped and the work held on the left of the jig - I didnt like this as much.

I DO run into limits on thickness of stock from time to time - where I have to clamp a board in between the jig and the workpiece, to space it so I dont run into the jig itself. This is in part due to my sequence of cuts, prefering NOT to rely on a constant thickness of the workpiece, and always referencing off the same side of the workpiece for both sides of the tenon cut. (this just seems to me to yield more uniform thickness of the tenon)

I have tried other methods, but use this fixture for most all tenon cuts now... very easy, accurate, and quick.

[John Thompson]

I've used one for two years and it if very accurate once you dial it in. There is a small amount of slop in the miter bar-miter slot mate but I stand a tad more left and keep the bar tight to the miter slot which is part of the dial-in I referred too. I cut 28 tenons last night and have cut over 1000 with it in the last tw3o years since I got it. I just finished a Mission Twin bed which accounted for almost 100 alone..

Good jig for the money.. I've used home-made jigs.. the band-saw.. hand cut over the years and I prefer the one you are thinking about...

Good luck...

[keith micinski]

So it sounds like the mitre bar doesn't have any adjustment built into it. I guess. I wasn't aware it was setup for use on the left side of the blade though. I do all of my work on the right side of the blade. Does anyone know if you can turn this around to work out of the right slot? I wish the Woodcraft store had one of these in stock so I could see it in person but they don't so that's why I am asking all of the questions.

[Peter Luch]

Just used my Delta one two days ago, the first time in over a year.
Was happy at how easy it made it and how I could dial it in, sneak up on the cut till it was perfect.

Aloha, Pete

[Kirk Poore]

So it sounds like the mitre bar doesn't have any adjustment built into it. I guess. I wasn't aware it was setup for use on the left side of the blade though. I do all of my work on the right side of the blade. Does anyone know if you can turn this around to work out of the right slot? I wish the Woodcraft store had one of these in stock so I could see it in person but they don't so that's why I am asking all of the questions.

There is a little allen screw that allows you to adjust the miter bar width slightly so it doesn't twist and it doesn't jam. You do have to keep the slot clean, though. I've never tried to use the right slot.

I've had mine for several years, and other than a limited tenon width on my left tilt Powermatic, it has been just fine. I have used it quite a bit. I did manage to break both handles off by running into them with boards (two separate incidents). I replaced them with wooden handles.

Kirk

[Andy Sowers]

Keith

The miter bar DOES have two adjustable set screws to adjust for slop in the miter slot. On mine, the fit is just about right without any adjustments, if not a tad bit snug. I plan on waxing both the jig and the tablesaw and hopefully that will help slide things a bit better.

In principle you could flip the whole thing around and use it in the right slot. But if you do, then you will not be able to rely upon the built in stop to keep the stock from moving towards you because that piece would be on the leading edge vs. trailing edge where it can support the workpiece being cut. There was a good discussion of this same issue (but on a different, albeit similar jig) in this link (http://woodgears.ca/tenon/review.html).

I also do most of my cutting on the right hand side, but I think I'll learn to cut the tenons on the left with this jig.

Andy

[Rod Sheridan]

I had a Delta jig on a General 650 saw.

I had to drill new holes to mount the mitre bar to fit my saw properly.

It worked just fine, however I stopped cutting tenons with it for safety reasons.

Regards, Rod.

[John Thompson]

As stated there is an adjuster but.. on my industrial saw the bar still has a tad.. maybe a tad and a half of slop so I keep it tight to the miter slot edge toward the blade by diagonal movement toward the blade while moving forward. That bar on it just ain't no Incra which I wish it was but no big deal for me. As far as using on the right side.. I have a box jointer jig that is oriented to the right side but I built everything else for the left.

Both a box joint jig and a tenoning jig have a short throw meaning you won't move it forward for the actual cut for more than 4"-5". So... with that distance it frankly doesn't matter to me if my jig is right or left. I'm right handed and prefer jigs left but frankly it isn't a big deal due to short travel as once the stock is locked in all you have to do is turn the saw on and push 4"-5". If you were ripping 12' lenghts as I do I want my action left of blade so my dominant right hand is the natural control hand. On these jigs just isn't a major deal at all IMO>

Back to my shop.. I love being retiredd! :)

[glenn bradley]

So it sounds like the mitre bar doesn't have any adjustment built into it.

I had to add foil tape to the edge of my bar but that is not really a big deal.

[Dave Cav]

I had a Delta jig on a General 650 saw.

I had to drill new holes to mount the mitre bar to fit my saw properly.

It worked just fine, however I stopped cutting tenons with it for safety reasons.

Regards, Rod.

Do you cut your tennons on a shaper now, or did you get a tennoner? (Or something else?)

[Peter Quinn]

I have the woodcraft jig you mentioned, it works pretty decent, its accurate enough for its purpose. A guy I work with told me a long time ago don't worry about micro adjusting miter bar slots with peens, screws and such. Just push to the same side of the miter slot every time and boom, you are accurate! Sure enough it works. You only have maybe 4-6" of travel MAXIMUM for your widest tenon, maybe 9"-10" if you did a large bottom rail with a split tenon, so you really can't get too far off the mark in any event. A tenon jig is not like a large cross cut sled with a 30" travel that must square up panels.

Anyway the jig is decent. I paid $49.95 for it a while back on a sale, for that price I'm happy with it.

[Lee Schierer]

As others have stated that jig is very similar to the Delta version and others. I use mine all the time for tenons and half lap joints I use in interior frames. I find that a ripping blade makes a better cut than a regular cross cut blade does. The tenon cheek cuts are actually rip cuts any way.

[Rod Sheridan]

Do you cut your tennons on a shaper now, or did you get a tennoner? (Or something else?)


Hi Dave I went with the shaper.............Regards, Rod.