Shop made tenoning jig ideas

[Matt Calder]

All,

I am building a workbench from plans. The plans call for a tongue to be cut on the two short sides of the top. The top is 60" x 10" x 1.75" maple, and is pretty heavy. The author suggests using a tenoning jig setup to cut the tongue. I thought this was a good opportunity to make one.

My saw is a Laguna TSS and I thought it would be best to integrate the tenoning jig into the slider. Most plans I see online either ride in a mitre slot or on the fence. The TSS slider has mitres cut into it, so I imagined making a jig that was bolted onto the slider table.

I wonder if anyone out there has suggestions for how to make a tenoning jig for a table saw with a slider, a jig that can hold a substantial piece of wood to boot. I hope to make something that can be used well into the future, but will take suggestions on making this one cut too.

Thanks,

Matt

[Mike K Wenzloff]

Hi Matt,

If I was seeking powered means to cut the tenon I would use a router and a straight edge. By the time you got a jig made, you would have the ends fully assembled.

You can also use a bench rabbet plane or a moving fillister plane. Take about 5-10 minutes per side end per rabbet. 4 rabbets, less than an hour of noise-free cutting.

But the router would be faster.

Take care, Mike

[glenn bradley]

On a piece that large I would bring the tool to the work. Router and a straight edge clamped on. Nothing fancy.

[Randy Acton]

I've had my best tenon results using the band saw or table saw without a jig.

In either case, layout the tenon and cut using the band saw or a dado blade in the table saw, staying just shy of the shoulder. Clean the saw marks with a belt or disc sander and clean up the shoulder with a chisel.