Tag Archives: Jigs

The Making of Tenons

I’ve been working in the shop over the last few days to create mortise-and-tenon joints for a workbench. I usually make the mortise portion of the joint with the dedicated mortise machine. I make my tenons at the table saw using a regular blade with a miter gauge to make the shoulder cut, and a … Read more »

Start low and move up. Set the height of the saw blade to the shoulder line by sighting from the edge of the table. Make sure that one tooth is at top dead center, and make your initial setting slightly lower than you think you should. It will be easier to move up after a test cut than it would be to move down.

Table Saw Tenon Jig

This jig enables you to safely make a cut on the table saw with the workpiece held vertically as it moves over the blade. Read more »

Routing the Plate Opening: A good way to get a parallel and square opening is to use the saw fence as a guide for two of the cuts. Measure the offset from the edge of the router base to the side of the spiral bit and use this in setting the fence for each cut, parallel to the fence. Clamp a square piece of wood in place as a guide for the sides of the opening, perpendicular to the saw fence. Next form the rabbet that holds the insert in place by using the same procedure and bit you used to cut the opening

Router Fence for a Table Saw

Your table saw is a router table and jointer just waiting to happen. Replace one of the saw’s wings (or adapt your existing table board) to hold a router table insert, and you’re in business. Read more »

Start With a Sandwich Begin by sandwiching three pieces of wood. This part is made from two pieces of 3/4" x 6" x 36" plywood with a piece of 1" x 1" x 36" solid wood centered between. Use a spacer to index the center precisely in the middle of the larger panels. Glue and nail the sandwich together.

Dovetail Jig

Years ago when I first learned to cut dovetails, my first joints weren’t things of beauty. Sometimes there were more shims than pins. Over time, my work got better and faster. But despite the improvement in my skills, I still had trouble cutting tails or pins consistently, especially if I got out of practice.

Read more »