Heavy-Duty Tenoning Jig
by Rockler
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Our Price: $109.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Tools See more product details |
Product Details
Manufacturer: RocklerModel: TA2801
Product features:
- Fits any table saw with a 3/4'' X 3/8'' miter groove.
- Adjustable back stop range of 0 - 45 degrees.
- Cast iron and steel construction.
- Rockler Taper / Straight Line Jig
- Rockler Double Featherboard Kit
- Rockler Bench Cookie Work Grippers, 4-Pack
- Rockler Universal Fence Clamps
- Rockler Thin Rip Tablesaw Jig
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Heavy-Duty Tenoning Jig
Customer Review: Almost good, here's how to adjust it...
Summary: 3 Stars
I do not own this. My klutzy-woodworking friend does. As always, he has trouble getting things like this to work well, so he called me for help. Here's what you want to know before you buy...
The jig is heavy and solid, but like ALL jigs of this type it requires some fiddling to dial it in. Although this is no better or worse than most other jigs like it, you can adjust it in a few ways to overcome its shortcomings. The only reason I took the trouble to review this thing is: ONE my friend bought it under my recommendation because I claimed that the expensive jigs were no better, and TWO he asked me to adjust it and show him how to use it.
First problem: your miter slots.
This is fitted with that slightly-undersized "universal" miter-rail that makes for a little "slop" or "play" as the rail glides in the slot.
Sometimes this "slop" is OK; even desirable. A tiny, but consistent amount of "play" allows a conscientious user to marginally adjust certain cuts; making them a few thousandths thicker or thinner. That's easy to do. You just hold the jig securely against one side ( or the other ) of the slot as you cut. The trick is to measure accurately with the jig in that position before you start; THEN MAKE SURE you ALWAYS hold it against that side as you cut. When ever you find you need to "trim" a tenon, you go back through the cut with the jig referenced to the other side of the slot.
You may not want that kind of technical challenge and the amount of "slop" this has is FAR TOO BIG for accurate joinery. If you are reading this, I assume you are looking for a inexpensive manufactured jig to deliver reliable "klutz-proof" accuracy. If you prefer a "perfect" fit in your miter slot, that's easy to accomplish. Read on.
Some of these jigs have set-screws on the miter rail. The idea is: adjust those screws to fill the gap in the slot. That does not work well, and never works for long. The set screws tend to move with all the sliding, so even if you could get them 'perfect' they would not stay that way. Using Loctite to hold them in place is a poor solution because it won't last and it makes later adjustment a nuisance. Even if these little set screws could magically adjust themselves and stay put, it's still a bad idea because they "gall" the sides of the slot and bind. The screws make it difficult to place the jig in position too.
Set screws are a poor afterthought solution to cheap "universal" rails.
The old-school solution involves "peening" the miter-rail. Use a peening-hammer or cold-chisel to expand the metal so that it fits the slot tightly. That process works but takes some skill and judgement. It also requires over-peening then abrading down to final dimension. You also must lubricate the slot and rail for smooth operation and to prevent galling. Even for wood-shop veterans, that is a noisy, tedious hassle. Luckily, modern materials make this job much easier.
Get some UHMW anti-friction tape. It's available in different thicknesses from one-half to three thousandths thick. After carefully cleaning the metal rail (to remove all machining oil so the tape will adhere) apply whatever thickness of tape you need to get the rail to fit in the slot. Apply the tape to ONE SIDE of the rail. That only takes a few minutes, requires no special tools or skill and it is easy to fix if you mess up. (unlike peening)
When you place the jig's rail into the miter-slot, you'll see why you want tape on only one side of the rail. You can tilt the jig so that the taped-side goes in ahead of the raw metal side without a problem. If you put tape on both sides, eventually one side or the other will "catch" on the tape causing the jig to "stick" and blood pressure to rise. This might inspire an inattentive reader to utter expletives toward your humble helpful reviewer. Therefore, tape only one side.
Another solution that works: make your own rails from UHMW plastic. Some companies now sell strips of the stuff pre-sized just for this purpose. Of course you will have to order it, pay for it, drill it accurately or rout it with slots for adjustment, abrade it to exact dimension perfectly four-square.... eh, yeah. Maybe not. If you wanted to do all that, you'd build your own jig anyway.
Adjusting for square:
You COULD "eyeball" to square by simply raising the blade as high as possible, then slide the vertical face against the teeth of the blade. (assuming your blade is perfectly squared to the top AND the miter-slot.) The problem with that is saw-teeth do not have enough surface area to register to the face for a good visual reference, and most saw-blades have miniscule variations in the tooth-geometry so that visual readings are ambiguous. You also have make numerous test cuts to see if you finally have the set-up right. That process is slow and wasteful.
MUCH better is to align the elevated blade to the jig-face with a dial indicator and an accurately machined reference-block. The ideal tool for this alignment, (and many others) is the TS aligner.
In lieu of the TS aligner, a magnetic base for your dial indicator can be used, although care is necessary to prevent poor readings. If you have a Starrett or other superb square, AND you have good vision and lighting, you can tweak it pretty darn close, but only test-cuts will prove highest accuracy. Visual acuity is a poor substitute for reliable methods, especially in an old-fart's shop.
The Clamp: (<< Sounds like a name for a punk band huh?)
The clamp on this unit is solid. It will provide MUCH more force than you need though. It HAS TO if you use it as is, because smooth wood does not "grip" the metal surface of the vertical plate well. There are also some machining marks on the face of the jig. That's a problem because, when you apply enough clamping pressure for security, it's too easy to dent your wooden members. You definitely DO NOT want your work piece slipping around during operation! That's a good way to ruin work and it's DANGEROUS.
Solution: Use light adhesive spray to mount fine sandpaper to the face. 3M spray-mount is a moveable fixative that's great for this purpose; It's easy to use and easy to clean with rubbing alcohol.
Good sandpaper has very even thickness, and even if it didn't, that wouldn't matter much because microscopic variances in paper-thickness will 'average out' over the surface. The sandpaper will gently "grab" wood without damaging it at all. Use "closed-coat" sandpaper for this because it is less likely to surrender microscopic chunks of abrasive that could later show up in your finish. Of course, YOU probably never forget to vacuum and wipe your work before finishing, do you? For us less-than-perfect craftsmen, closed-coat paper is an insurance policy against amnesia. That's true for any clamping jig that holds wood. "Closed Coat Paper." ... say it three times.
Other clamping tricks: Adjust the clamp so it is near the center of the vertical board, NOT off-center as in the product-photo. Also, using a wood block in between the metal clamp and your workpiece allows you to apply more clamping force without denting your woodwork as it "spreads" the force over a larger area. With FINE CLOSED COAT sandpaper on the face, a wood block on the clamp, and the clamp CENTERED on the workpiece, your boards will stay put.
Finally; lubrication:
ANY HEAVY METAL JIG MUST be lubricated so that it slides smoothly. Otherwise, the jig can stick, hiccup and skew during a cut. That's bad.
You need jig-lubrication to prevent catawampus catastrophes. You do not want to use wax or any products with silicone because those can migrate to the wood surface, which will repel finish later on. That causes those troublesome finish-splotches that plague unwary woodworkers. You can buy "dry-lube," a spray product made specifically for lubing these kinds of woodworking jigs. It works well, protects iron against rust and is great for all metal machines. OR...
You can just grab a big handful of plane-shavings from any decent hardwood, crumple them together and "polish" the surfaces of your table, the rail and the miter-slot. Dry hardwoods attract oil (or any other moisture) and leave the tiniest film of natural lubrication behind. Because this lubricant comes from good dry wood, it will not transfer any oil-resistant waxes or silicone that cause finish-blotching. I have used that trick for decades. It's free, fast and easy. It works.
AVOID SOFT WOOD shavings for that lubrication / cleaning method. (especially pine) Softwoods are resinous and do not lubricate like hardwoods. You will understand this if you ever saw "pitch-buildup" on your blades after cutting pine.
With some UHMW tape, a TS aligner junior and an inexpensive dial-indicator, we got my friend's Imported tenon jig "dialed" in less than thirty minutes. Now, even a confirmed Klutz can cut crisp clean tenons to within a few thousandths of an inch.
BOTTOM LINE:
This jig works fine if you know how to deal with its shortcomings. Those little design flaws are not peculiar to this particular model. Tenon jigs that cost three or four times as much have the same idiosyncrasies. (even the "big" name-brand models)
So, this is a bargain IF you know these tricks. My friend is happy with his new toy now. If you get one, I hope these "old-school" tips help you get the most from it.
Description of Heavy-Duty Tenoning Jig
Straight, angled or mitered tenons - this jig cuts them all!Safety, accuracy and repeatability are the hallmarks of this heavy-duty tenoning jig. Designed to fit any table saw with a 3/4' X 3/8' miter groove, this jig will hold your stock in a precise position. The adjustable back stop will support stock from 0 degrees to 45 degrees. The width of the cut is controlled with a fine-threaded adjustment knob. Constructed of cast iron and steel.
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