Rock solid Rockler tenoning jig

I have a Delta one. They work great.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

I have one, too. Accurate set-up is the key.

-- Maplewood, MN

I’m new to woodworking so all the jigs that everyone makes/buys/uses are blowing my mind. I hadn’t seen a tenoning jig yet. It looks to be very stable and quite safe!

-- - mark

Hi Mark. Welcome to the WWW (wonderful world of woodworking). Yes, it certainly is and that is extremely important when working with machines like table saws that can sometimes grab and throw pieces of wood at high enough speeds to cause serious injury. I started out as a teenager and I’m now 60 but like most others, I’ve had my share of learning experiences in the school of hard knocks. It’s easy to get impatient and make mistakes but you can always replace a piece of wood so your focus must always be on safety.

-- Nothing says "I love you" like a saw blade.

Good review Gus, I’ve been toying with ordering a tenon jig – might have to give this one a good look see.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

I have a Grizzly and love it. Best I can remember it was about $55. I think most of the tenoning jigs are pretty similar, even the adjustments. I know that having one when you need it sure makes woodworking easier. Not too long ago, I asked if anyone knew of a plan to build a jig to make slots for inserts in the corners of boxes and frames. I had forgotten all about my tenoning jig. It works great for this, as well as many other things. It’s more than just a tenoning jig for sure.

-- Make things with wood.

Thanks, JJ. I ordered a Grizzly and it’s supposed to be here tomorrow. Shop made jigs are good, but why not just buy one and use it for the rest of my life?

-- Jason, AL

that looks like a good deal. i was thinking of getting one but the delta is too expensive and i don’t want to take my chance with harbor freight. i think that I’ll get this one.

I hear what you’re saying coolbreeze….... I’ve had the “curse of the box joint jig” going on…...... I’ve been trying to make one that works properly for the past year and a half. I’ve tried and tried and can’t get it to work. Once I thought I had it….... made some cuts on some scraps and they looked good… the next day…. tried the same jig and nothing was right. I know they’re a simple jig for most to build, but not me for sure. I even bought the plans and ordered the hardware kit to make one….. well, that one was doing ok, until today. At some point you have to consider how much time your wasting trying to make something that you can’t get right. I ordered one from Woodcraft today.

-- Make things with wood.

I purchased the Rockler tenoning jig today, after having read all of the five star reviews. I haven’t tried it yet, but I have some tenons to do, so I’m looking forward to giving it a workout.

As far as box joints go, I have an Incra LS17 on the router table I designed, and it has given me perfect box joints from the first time I tried it.

Hi,

I have a non standard, Mitre gauge slot (10 mill, not 3/4”).

Can you remove the runner and insert your own?

Many Thanks

-- Keep your tools sharp, your mind sharper and the coffee hot

Hi yettiman,

It has two cap screws on the bottom in counterbored holes, so I suppose you could remove the existing runner and install your own, if the hole placement on yours allows it. Otherwise you would have to drill out your runner or make one from scratch. The good news is that it CAN be done, from what I can see. I did not remove the runner on mine but it is the standard 3/4 X 3/8 inch.

-- Nothing says "I love you" like a saw blade.

Hi GusRod,

Many Many thanks for getting back – really appreciate it

-- Keep your tools sharp, your mind sharper and the coffee hot

No problem! That’s what we’re here for. I see from your home page that you’re a beginner and I have to say I envy you. When I started out, there was no one to ask and tools were not so readily available. In fact, my first table saw was a home made saw my father built on a wooden table. It had two pillow blocks, a shaft and a blade. No guard, no miter slots and the only fence was a 2×4 nailed to whatever spot it was needed. LOL. My first and only power tool for several years was a Craftsman 1/4 inch drill that was used as a sander, a drill and I built two jigs to use it as a drill press and a small lathe! Yes, that’s REALLY TRUE!

I learned a LONG TIME AGO that the tools don’t do the work … the craftsman does. It takes knowledge, patience, perseverance and the desire to do good work. Have fun and welcome.

Gus

-- Nothing says "I love you" like a saw blade.

JJ,

Ah, yes, the box joint jig. I made one..you should see it :) It worked perfect on the first try, but I didn’t have so much luck the next time around. I guess it happens to all of us. I may try it again and then get a jig if I need to. Let me know how you like yours. I’ll keep the Incra in mind, Sandy. I’ve been eyeballing the 1000 series mitre guage. 109 bucks is pretty good for what it does. Got to get that to where I don’t have to check it every time I start a run of cuts.

-- Jason, AL

Jason,
I received the Woodsmith Box Joint Jig Friday via FedEx. I ordered it from Woodcraft. I was right in the middle of a project and couldn’t stop to try it out. It looks great and has the ability to make micro-adjustments. I plan to try it out sometime Saturday and I’ll let you know.

-- Make things with wood.

I found that there’s a possible “gotcha” with the initial setup of the Rockler jig. As noted by GusRod, there are two locations in which you can mount the runner for the miter guide. The way it comes out of the box is not, necessarily, the way you need it, and the setup instructions do not mention that, and, in fact, they show it wrong. In my case (Delta Unisaw with left tilt blade), I needed to move the runner. Otherwise, the jig would not work (properly) when in the left side miter slot, which means that the jig would fit only into the right hand miter slot with the handles “ahead” of the jig and the support for the workpiece ahead of the workpiece. This means that if you follow their safety instruction to keep your hands on the handles you actually have to reach your left hand over the blade.

To make matters worse, the cover page and Figures 5-11 and 13-14 (there is no Figure 12) of the manual (See, http://images.rockler.com/tech/RTD10000421AA.pdf ) actually show the jig being set up and used that (wrong) way, i.e., to the right of the blade. Note the location of the handles, the orientation of the blade teeth, and (on the left side) the mount for the (removed) splitter and blade guard.

I think Rockler should change their setup guide photos and point out that the jig must be mounted to the left of the blade (rather than to the right, as shown in their setup guide), and they should highlight that the runner can be relocated.

Otherwise, all is great.

Thanks for the info Sandy! I had not run into that same situation and had not even thought of it but I’m glad you came up with a solution. I sent an email to customer service pointing out the issue you brought up.

Gus

-- Nothing says "I love you" like a saw blade.