Angled Tenons

[Mike Schmalzer]

Hi everybody, I am pretty new to the site but I was wondering if anyone could help me out. Up until now I have worked with simple straight tenons, cutting them with either a band saw or table saw. I am now wanting to make some chairs for our dining room with trapezoid type seats. I know how to make the tenons angled however I just cant seem to figure out how to get a clean shoulder on them to make them four faced. Is there a way to create accurate four faced angled tenons without the use of and expensive jig like the Leigh FMT. I don't own a tenoning jig for my table saw but would that be able to cut a tenon of this type? Thanks in advance!

Mike

[Mike Henderson]

I use a tenon jig on the table saw to make my angled tenons, such as for a chair. The face should come out "square" to the tenon but sometimes you need to trim the shoulders up a bit with a chisel to make them even.

Making angled tenons is always an interesting proposition. Make sure you use some scrap the first time (maybe first several times) you try and make sure you remember what you did when you get it right. If it's your first time, write down each step so you can do it again on your good wood. It's easy to get confused since the two ends angle differently and you often have a left and right piece to make (one for each side of a chair, for example).

Also, getting the angle right is sometimes a challenge that requires fitting. If you're just a small amount off on the angle, trim the tenon (and shoulders) and use epoxy glue - it will gap fill.

Mike

[Jamie Buxton]

One useful trick is to use a loose tenon. You establish all the shoulders with one crosscut on the table saw. Then you bore the mortise where the loose tenon will fit. Me, I almost always use a plunge router to make the mortise.

[John Fry]

I agree with Jamie, sometimes loose tenon joinery is the best approach to angled M & T's.

You go ahead and cut accurate miters, then cut mortises in both faces. You can use one of many methods to cut the mortises. You won't need to trim any shoulders with this method.

[Mike Schmalzer]

Thanks for the suggestions everybody. Now I have a couple more questions;

Mike, are you able to cut the 3rd and 4th faces with the tenoning jig as well (I have done research I just can't get this answered for me). If it can't, there is no point in buying one.

Jamie, What do you use along with the router to produce angled mortises. I normally use a mortising machine and don't have much experience with using a router to make my mortises.

Thanks

Mike

[Jamie Buxton]

Jamie, What do you use along with the router to produce angled mortises. I normally use a mortising machine and don't have much experience with using a router to make my mortises.


To use a plunge router to make mortises, the router gets fitted with an edge guide. On the workpiece, find an edge which is parallel to the walls of the mortise. Run the edge guide against it. Move the router in the direction that will suck the edge guide tight to the workpiece. There can be an issue of the router tipping on a narrow piece of wood. I often clamp another piece to the workpiece to give the router a wider platform to rest on.

[Lonnie Cook]

Build a simple tenoning jig. Mine strattles the rip fence and has vertical surfaces parallel and perpendicular to the fence.

Cut wedges at the angles needed for the angled tenons.

Place a wedge between the verticle surface of the tenoning jig and the workpiece to create the needed angle.

If compound angle, tilt the blade for one direction and use a wedge for the other. You could use two wedges, but it's more difficult.

A plus to using wedges is that it makes all cuts uniform. Make wedges to set the tilt of the blade. Use a wedge on the 0-deg miter gauge to make shoulder cuts, etc.

If you are using straight tenons and angled mortises on some of the pieces, wedges can be used to position the workpiece on the mortiser table.

- Lonnie

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

If the leg material is thick enough try angled mortises. It's inherently stronger cause the tenon remains straight grained.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I use sacrificial wedges, but instead of putting them on the tool I hot glue them to the surface of the wood that is to be tenoned so it presents a square edge to the tool. Then there is no chance that they will move around, they tend to prevent tearout to the piece, and you don't have to try to adjust your tools out of square (except to make the wedges).