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MAKE FIRST CUT AT END

WORK BACK ■ FROM END * OFTENON i

WASTE

between each pass to knock down the ridges. The opposite cheek can be cut exactly the same.

Completing the Tenon. Once all the tenon cheeks have been cut and smoothed, you complete the tenons by cutting the top and bottom shoulders. A look at Figure 4 above will give you the idea.

First, you may have to readjust the blade height to properly size the width of the tenon. You do this the same as for the cheeks, testing the fit directly to the mortise. But don't move the rip fence.

Here the order is a little different. To remove the waste, I start with a cut at the end of the tenon and work back toward the shoulder. This has two benefits. You'll be much less likely to chip the comers of the tenon by cutting away waste that's still supported on the "shoulder" side. Second, you can ensure that all four shoulders will be perfectly aligned by making the shoulder cuts with a final light pass. Then if necessary, smooth the face with a "sideways" pass or two.

After cutting the top and bottom shoulders, the tenon is ready to meet its mortise. It's a gcxid feeling when the tenon slides home snugly. And you can be sure ifs a joint that will last a lifetime. &

>€.«in

ir jf passes

ware first

CUT AT SHOULDER UNE

should be perfectly • the blade. And second, the miter gauge is square ~r -ersce and the blade.

■AXING THE CUTS

y - re set up, cutting the rxs quickly. The process is rr the drawings above, the Cheeks. The tenon rre cut first (Figure 2). I : ry using a test piece to adjust • , height and establish the > of the tenons. (This can be ~r -A one of your workpieces.) . _ want to have a mortised close at hand to check "lour "stub" tenon should be t rretTv snug fit at this point.

Getting a Grip

remove waste in a series of passes

You'll also need to adjust the position of the rip fence to gauge the length of the tenon. But this can be done when cutting the first tenon cheek. Set the fence to cut just shy of the shoulder line and make a pass. Then tweak the fence position until the cut falls right on your line. Now, work back toward the end of the tenon with multiple passes to remove the remaining waste on the cheek (Figure 2a).

Side To Side. The dado blade often leaves small ridges on the tenon cheek. A quick way to remove these is to slide the workpiece side-to-side across the "high point" of the blade (Figures 3 and 3a). Move the workpiece forward slightly

A Finger Tip Control. If you have trouble maintaining a good grip on the workpiece. a set of nubby, rubber finger tips is the answer. *ou can buy them in several sizes at an office supply store.

move workpiece i forward beteen passes

END VIEW

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