How accurate is your tenoning jig?

[Tom Jones III]

I've never used one before and I just bought the Rockler tenoning jig. I'm measuring it at about .017" out of alignment with the TS blade and there is no adjustment on the jig to get it more accurate. My measurement for out of alignment is just on the fence of the jig so across the 4" or so it is out by 0.17".

So first question, is that too far out? Do the "nicer" jigs have adjustment screws to align the jig properly?

Second question, maybe I'm expecting too much? I'm trying to put very accurate tenons on an 11" wide board. Is a tenoning jig ever going to be accurate enough for that or should I use another method to make the 2 tenons on that board?

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Tom, when I had a tenon jig the screws that connected it to the mitre bar had some limited play that would allow the jig to run parallel to the blade.

I would say that on an 11" board I would use a dado blade to cut the tenon, then a shoulder plane............Regards, Rod.

[Stephen Cherry]

Is it this jig?
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...FQJx4AodUmEAyA

If so, they give alignment instructions in the manual.

[glenn bradley]

I have an old version of that jig. It is Rockler blue but came packed with Jet/Powermatic instructions. I had no trouble aligning it. Their current instructions are different but, should include alignment. I am off to work so did not look closely. If they fall short I can look for mine.

[Tom Jones III]

That is indeed the correct tenoning jig and the instructions do show you how to adjust the jig ... except the adjustment screws do not exist. I went back to Rockler yesterday to find out what was going on and we found a supplemental document explaining the the adjustment screws were no longer necessary so they have been removed from current versions of the product!

[Phil Thien]

That is indeed the correct tenoning jig and the instructions do show you how to adjust the jig ... except the adjustment screws do not exist. I went back to Rockler yesterday to find out what was going on and we found a supplemental document explaining the the adjustment screws were no longer necessary so they have been removed from current versions of the product!

The supplemental document seems to offer some other alignment instructions. Do those work?

http://www.rockler.com/tech/RTD10000559AA.pdf

[Tom Jones III]

At first glance of the supplement document I was hopeful, but this is the first paragraph:

As previously reported, the instructions for the jig include an erroneous reference to a method for
adjusting the vertical work support plate (C) to make it parallel to the saw blade. Per the manufacturer
this step is no longer necessary due to a redesign of the jig; the set screws referred to no longer exist

[pat warner]

Cut with routers: Close to + or - .00n".

[Hovey Moore]

11" is really bigger than these jigs are designed for and the board may be deflecting slightly while under the stress of cutting. Regardless, I would use a dado blade, router, or plane for something that wide. Should be easier and faster at that width.

[Tom Hargrove]

I made both of my tenoning jigs out of scrap plywood. One rides on the fence, the other rides next to the fence, so they are as accurate as the fence.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose..............

That looks for all the world to be identical to the Delta tenoning jig I bought when I got my Uni 13+ years ago, except the "Rockler Blue" paint job, and the handle style on the long work-hold screw.

Mine has always worked ducky.........wait for it............BUT - I have never used it for anything over, oh, I dunno, mebbe 5" - 6". Art the far outside of the range.

On the [very rare] longer stuff, I use the TS, a miter gauge, and a dado setup, with a shop-made accessory fence clamped to the TS fence - slight curved relief so the dado stack can sit under the accessory fence without the blades hitting the TS fence.

I think Hovey got it right - you are trying to get more out of the tool than it can reliably deliver.

[Sam Murdoch]

I too bought the Rockler jig you are asking about. Too bad . First thing I needed to do was modify the slide bar guide with UHMW strips to eliminate the wobble in my TS slot. As you discovered the manual is useless and the supplemental may just as well have been written in Chinese. The reference to parts numbers don't match the parts. Don't know why Rockler has not been motivated to replace this jig with a better version or at the least to rewrite the manual.

Anyway - I have used it on quite a few projects with lots of parts and once it is set up I get consistent results, but it takes at least a 1/2 hour (on a good day) and many, many test pieces to get it right. Better not forget a part - you'll waste another hour tweaking the jig to its original position. Some tools make me smile every time I use them - this one make me grimace. But, yes, it does the job. If I had no scruples I would put this in the classifieds and foist it off some other poor unsuspecting soul and go out and buy myself a better version. No idea what that might be.

Having said all that - I agree that 11" is too wide for this jig. You might get to 6" or 7" but 11" is too far beyond the support of the tool to get consistent results without some modifications.

[Tom Jones III]

That is what I suspected, 11" is just more than the jig was intended for. The best news is that the Rockler guys are extremely nice and as helpful as can be. For this project I'll either go the router route (sorry, I couldn't help myself) or go the dado/shoulder plane route.

[Dave Lehnert]

That jig is now $115.00? I have the Rockler jig and like it a lot but know I did not pay that much for it.

[Carl Beckett]

I'm in the middle of a batch of chairs. Maybe just under 100 joints. I quit cutting them with power tools and just knock them out with a hand plane. Very surprised at how smoothly they went.

My personal favorite is the LV skewed block for this.

Think will hold onto the tenoning jig for a while and see if it gets used