It is currently 28 Mar 2024, 12:12

Tenon cheeks on the band saw

This forum is for any general questions, queries or plain old chinwaggery on Woody stuff in general.

Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby chataigner » 07 Feb 2017, 19:54

For the table and chairs project (currently a WIP in the projects folder) I had loads of tenons to cut and thought I would share my method. Everyone has a favourite method and this is mine.

I start by cutting the shoulders on the TS using a cross-cut sled and a stop block. Provided the end of the stock is clean and square, all four shoulder cuts must align perfectly.

Some people go on to cut the whole tenon cheek by multiple passes over the TS (quicker if you have a dado stack) but although it's accurate, it needs a flat top grind blade and, anyway, I find all those passes tedious.

My method is to slightly undercut the shoulders, then move to the bandsaw. Using a spare piece of stock with the same shoulder cuts, I creep up on a fit testing often in the actual mortices. Once I've got the cut dialed in, I put a clamp on the back edge of the BS parallel guide (mine only clamps at the front) to be extra sure and clamp a stop block to the parallel guide behind the blade so that the work cant overshoot and leave a graze cut in the shoulder. Notice the cut is to the outside, othewise you leave the offcut between the blade and the guide and have to fiddle about getting it out.

Image

Image

The BS blade cuts into the space left by the slight undercut for the shoulder and so leaves a very clean corner between the shoulder and the cheek.

Notice also that in this case (quite small work piece and so small tenon) the stop block has a slot cut in it for the back of the blade as the tenon is shorter than the 20mm wide blade.

Image

The set up photographed is for a small work piece, but the real gain in time and effort is on larger pieces such as below where the cheek is quite long. These would require dozens of passes using the shoulder cut set up. Using the bandsaw is quick and very repeatable and tenon length is more or less unlimited, unlike a vertical tenon jig which is limited to the max depth of cut on the TS (around 45mm on mine). .

Image

Another reason I prefer the BS to a vertical tenon jig on the TS is that I have overhead dust collection on the TS and it all has to be removed to accomodate the vertical workpieces.
Cheers !
Chataigner in Périgord-Limousin National park
http://www.rue-darnet.fr
User avatar
chataigner
Old Oak
 
Posts: 1063
Joined: 23 Jul 2014, 08:02
Location: Périgord-Limousin National Park, SW France
Name: David

Re: Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby Mike G » 07 Feb 2017, 20:58

That's the way I do it (albeit using a radial arm CS for the shoulders). Buying a bandsaw a few years ago was a revelation for jobs like this.
User avatar
Mike G
Sequoia
 
Posts: 9833
Joined: 30 Jul 2014, 22:36
Location: Suffolk
Name:

Re: Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby 9fingers » 07 Feb 2017, 23:15

Tenons on the table saw for me every time and a Delta (or clone) tenon jig makes for perfect repeatability every time and no need for multiple passes, dado head or FTG blades either.

https://goo.gl/images/ftEvXF
Information on induction motors here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dBTVXx ... sp=sharing
Email:motors@minchin.org.uk
User avatar
9fingers
Petrified Pine
 
Posts: 10037
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 20:22
Location: Romsey Hampshire between Southampton and the New Forest
Name: Bob

Re: Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby chataigner » 07 Feb 2017, 23:24

9fingers wrote:Tenons on the table saw for me every time and a Delta (or clone) tenon jig makes for perfect repeatability every time and no need for multiple passes, dado head or FTG blades either.

https://goo.gl/images/ftEvXF


Provided the tenon is shorter than the max cut height of the TS....
Cheers !
Chataigner in Périgord-Limousin National park
http://www.rue-darnet.fr
User avatar
chataigner
Old Oak
 
Posts: 1063
Joined: 23 Jul 2014, 08:02
Location: Périgord-Limousin National Park, SW France
Name: David

Re: Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby 9fingers » 07 Feb 2017, 23:46

chataigner wrote:
9fingers wrote:Tenons on the table saw for me every time and a Delta (or clone) tenon jig makes for perfect repeatability every time and no need for multiple passes, dado head or FTG blades either.

https://goo.gl/images/ftEvXF


Provided the tenon is shorter than the max cut height of the TS....


Agreed, which is about 65mm for my TS. I'm surprised your TS depth of cut is only 45mm David. It is a 10" blade isn't it? same as mine.

The main limitation to my method is my ceiling height or more correctly the height of the air filter which hangs over the TS area.

Bob
Information on induction motors here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dBTVXx ... sp=sharing
Email:motors@minchin.org.uk
User avatar
9fingers
Petrified Pine
 
Posts: 10037
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 20:22
Location: Romsey Hampshire between Southampton and the New Forest
Name: Bob

Re: Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby kirkpoore1 » 08 Feb 2017, 04:41

Nicely done. I'm surprised you're using such a wide blade, but heck, it cuts straight and doesn't deflect, so why not?:)

There are a bunch of ways to do tenons. I think the bandsaw is about the third best way (even if you use a RAS to do the shoulders). Still behind using a tenon jig on a table saw, and of course a tenoner, but for general use it is more versatile than a tenon jig and of course far cheaper than a tenoner.:) (1)

Kirk
(1) Now that I have my tenoner, though, I'm never going back. And since Bob did a throw down, I will too:
http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=14560
:)
User avatar
kirkpoore1
Old Oak
 
Posts: 1043
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 22:12
Location: O'Fallon, Illinois
Name: Kirk

Re: Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby Mike G » 08 Feb 2017, 08:28

Wow, that's an amazing looking machine, Kirk. I can't work out how it works, though. What does the actual cutting ? Those unprotected belts would make me a little nervous.......
User avatar
Mike G
Sequoia
 
Posts: 9833
Joined: 30 Jul 2014, 22:36
Location: Suffolk
Name:

Re: Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby chataigner » 08 Feb 2017, 09:39

kirkpoore1 wrote:Nicely done. I'm surprised you're using such a wide blade, but heck, it cuts straight and doesn't deflect, so why not?:)


I use the big blade mainly for re-sawing - low TPI clears sawdust better and cuts straighter. Since that blade happened to be in the BS and cuts straight, as you say, why not ?
Cheers !
Chataigner in Périgord-Limousin National park
http://www.rue-darnet.fr
User avatar
chataigner
Old Oak
 
Posts: 1063
Joined: 23 Jul 2014, 08:02
Location: Périgord-Limousin National Park, SW France
Name: David

Re: Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby chataigner » 08 Feb 2017, 09:53

9fingers wrote:Agreed, which is about 65mm for my TS. I'm surprised your TS depth of cut is only 45mm David. It is a 10" blade isn't it? same as mine.
Bob


No, mine is a 200mm blade, but I just checked the max height and it's actually a bit more than I thought, more like 52mm. I guess the 45mm I had in my head relates to the max thickness of stock I can reasonably cut.
Cheers !
Chataigner in Périgord-Limousin National park
http://www.rue-darnet.fr
User avatar
chataigner
Old Oak
 
Posts: 1063
Joined: 23 Jul 2014, 08:02
Location: Périgord-Limousin National Park, SW France
Name: David

Re: Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby 9fingers » 08 Feb 2017, 12:31

chataigner wrote:
9fingers wrote:Agreed, which is about 65mm for my TS. I'm surprised your TS depth of cut is only 45mm David. It is a 10" blade isn't it? same as mine.
Bob


No, mine is a 200mm blade, but I just checked the max height and it's actually a bit more than I thought, more like 52mm. I guess the 45mm I had in my head relates to the max thickness of stock I can reasonably cut.


Ah that is bit more like it. I think my Kity was a 250mm blade. I gave all my blades to the purchaser as they were 15mm bore - a perverse size unique to Kity - I think they have rationalised to 30mm these days.

Bob
Information on induction motors here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dBTVXx ... sp=sharing
Email:motors@minchin.org.uk
User avatar
9fingers
Petrified Pine
 
Posts: 10037
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 20:22
Location: Romsey Hampshire between Southampton and the New Forest
Name: Bob

Re: Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby 9fingers » 08 Feb 2017, 12:33

kirkpoore1 wrote:Nicely done. I'm surprised you're using such a wide blade, but heck, it cuts straight and doesn't deflect, so why not?:)

There are a bunch of ways to do tenons. I think the bandsaw is about the third best way (even if you use a RAS to do the shoulders). Still behind using a tenon jig on a table saw, and of course a tenoner, but for general use it is more versatile than a tenon jig and of course far cheaper than a tenoner.:) (1)

Kirk
(1) Now that I have my tenoner, though, I'm never going back. And since Bob did a throw down, I will too:
http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=14560
:)



I'm totally outclassed there Kirk!! Wonderful looking machine.

Bob
Information on induction motors here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dBTVXx ... sp=sharing
Email:motors@minchin.org.uk
User avatar
9fingers
Petrified Pine
 
Posts: 10037
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 20:22
Location: Romsey Hampshire between Southampton and the New Forest
Name: Bob

Re: Tenon cheeks on the band saw

Postby kirkpoore1 » 08 Feb 2017, 18:55

Mike G wrote:Wow, that's an amazing looking machine, Kirk. I can't work out how it works, though. What does the actual cutting ? Those unprotected belts would make me a little nervous.......


19th century machinery was built on the principles of "Don't be stupid" and "no horseplay in the shop." But people being what they are, that wasn't enough. :)

There are two horIzontal shafts that each have a cutter head. The tenon passes between them. Each head has knives to cut the cheeks and sort of burrs to cut the shoulder. It also can use cope heads to undercut the shoulder and a cutoff say to make sure all your parts are exactly the same length. All 5 heads make cuts on the same pass. A triumph of Victorian era engineering.

It does make a hell of a mess, though.

Kirk
User avatar
kirkpoore1
Old Oak
 
Posts: 1043
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 22:12
Location: O'Fallon, Illinois
Name: Kirk


Return to General Woodworking

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests