Favorite way to cut mortise and tenons

[Van Huskey]

Actually, Terry's method of using the "new" CMT bits was the genesis of this question. I looked at them again for the first time since they appeared at IWF in '08 and it looks like a very slick way to make tenons up to 3/8" which would cover the vast majority of my needs.

[Richard McComas]

I like using the shaper. In the first picture you see two stacked 8'' rebate cutters with a spacer between them.

[Stephen Cherry]

I like using the shaper. In the first picture you see two stacked 8'' rebate cutters with a spacer between them.

Nice! THis is the kind of setup I am working towards. Also, I may need to borrow those clamps (joke)!


I've tried a bunch of the others. Bandsaw, table saw using jig and dado, etc. They can all be made to work well. With the saws, I use a block of wood as a spacer matched to the mortise chisel to get the thickness right. I like the face down on the shaper tenoning idea because it can very precisely set the tenon position on the wood. This goes for the sliding tables on the mortiser as well.

[Van Huskey]

Richard, I think you should save your pennies and buy you a REAL shaper....

[Van Huskey]

Now cutting tenons on a shaper has me intrigued. I know those big 8" rebate heads are HUGE money. Are their any cutters that are smaller and less expensive? Links?

[George Neill]

I prefer using a mortice chisel for the mortices, but I'd like a morticer again purely to save my joints. I've never had a table saw, but I use the bandsaw or handsaws for cutting the tennons.

[Steve Griffin]

Tetons: Can't think of the last time I didn't use a dado blade and table saw. I hate teton jigs though. The shoulder cut is the only thing that shows, and tenon jigs are the worst at making a clean cut on the shoulder.

Mortiser: Makes a sloppy hole, but that's why I always have shoulders on the tenons.

-Steve

[Van Huskey]

Tetons:

Given your avatar and location would these been Grand Tetons?

[Rod Sheridan]

At the most basic level a pair of 10 inch rip blades with a spacer will cut both cheeks at once, with a precise tenon thickness, then you can cut the shoulders on the saw.

You can also use a single rebate head, or a single tenon cutter and flip the piece over to cut the other side.

A shaper makes great tenons.

Regards, Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

Now cutting tenons on a shaper has me intrigued. I know those big 8" rebate heads are HUGE money. Are their any cutters that are smaller and less expensive? Links?

I believe the Christmas Felder catalogue has a rebate head for $223 http://mirrorfelder.cnh.at/Teaser-pd...USA_02_enc.pdf

You have to flip the board over to do both sides.

Or you could buy 2 and do both sides.

I've also used 2 X 10 inch rip blades with a spacer to make 2 cheek cuts at once, then cut the shoulders on the table saw when I needed tenons longer than my cutter could produce........Rod.

P.S. That's a 150mm head I was mentioning with a max tenon length of 39mm.

[Steve Griffin]

Given your avatar and location would these been Grand Tetons?

HAH!--as a matter a fact I can see them from my shop.



-Steve

[Peter Quinn]

I've tried a few methods to make the mortises, I like the slot mortiser. Most other methods are painful to me by comparison. And once I get going, I often just make two slots and...ooops, loose tenons were excluded. Why exactly? You can glue the rail side in and let it set up if that makes it feel more traditional! For small tenons I like the TS with a dado or a tenon jig. For larger tenons the BS is quick, the dado works but gets a bit messy. I'm pretty close to having the sliding table on my shaper working, I have a 7" head from a single end tenoner that will do up to 2 3/8" depth and I'm anxious to try that. It will take two passes with a flip. The coolest shaper tenon setup for a small shop I have seen is a Leitz cutter that can be an adjustable groover, or the plates can be inverted and used for tenons with a spacer in between. Not sure the cost new as the set I saw was used. That is the direction I am heading. Stock flat on the table, stock controlled with clamps for safety, and the precision typical of a shaper. Something about pulling the handle on a chisel mortiser that makes me feel like a caveman.

[Stephen Cherry]

The coolest shaper tenon setup for a small shop I have seen is a Leitz cutter that can be an adjustable groover, or the plates can be inverted and used for tenons with a spacer in between. Not sure the cost new as the set I saw was used. That is the direction I am heading. Stock flat on the table, stock controlled with clamps for safety, and the precision typical of a shaper. Something about pulling the handle on a chisel mortiser that makes me feel like a caveman.

Laguna has these also:
http://www.lagunatools.com/accessori...rooving-Cutter

I don't know if the page is not working, but they all look like they are 495 spacebucks, even the big ones.

[Doug Mason]

Hey Peter & Stephan,

I have a pair of Felder cutters (exactly what Peter is talking about above) that is comprised of two plates inbetween which you place a spacer to cut tenons and brridle /slip joints. They are almost 9 1/2 inches wide. I'll post a pic this weekend.

[Stephen Cherry]

Hey Peter & Stephan,

I have a pair of Felder cutters (exactly what Peter is talking about above) that is comprised of two plates inbetween which you place a spacer to cut tenons and brridle /slip joints. They are almost 9 1/2 inches wide. I'll post a pic this weekend.

Hi Doug

I've seen a bunch of these cutters at the Felder open house this past summer. They look very well put together, plus they may still be on sale. The only problem is that I think that they are 30 mm, which is not as common as 1.25 inch.