Best way to cut tenons on foot/headboards and rails?

JC,
What about cutting the shoulders on the tablesaw with the sled to keep them clean and true, then using a router to work down the cheeks of the tennon?

Tom

-- Anybody can become a woodworker, but only a Craftsman can hide his mistakes.

I could do that, however, I worry about the shoulder to shoulder length not being perfect. Maybe its just me….

I could just stay off the line by a 32nd or so then shoulder plane it to to fit, I was just looking for something to try and ensure perfection :)

With 4 tenons going into the posts, any mismatch will be glaring as a gap somewhere…..

This is my first bed, so maybe I’m being too picky…..I could just crush the gap away with some big azz clamps :)

JC

-- Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -Carl Sagan

You could just rent a tenonmaster. Just input the measurements into the digital spectradome then insert rail into the infeed and in about 15 seconds you have perfectly formed tenons without doing anything. If the rails come out to short you can use the board stretcher to bring them back to correct length.
Ever try to put a dadoe blade on a radial arm saw?

Hey JC. Not sure if you saw Al’s recent project over at Sandalwoods. Your post made me think of it:
http://sandal-woodsblog.com/2008/12/30/more-on-the-long-legs-for-the-fmt/

Now obviously that’s meant for an FMT, and unless you have one of those laying around, it might not be very helpful, lol. Just thought it was cool how he tackled the problem: GO HIGHER! :)

Here’s a quick idea. Might be crap but its a thought. How about making a collar as a routing edge guide? Just use some scrap ply to make a perfect-fitting 4-sided box that would slide right over the ends of your surfaced rails. Slide it back to your pencil line, clamp it down, then use either a router and a pattern bit or a straight bit with a guide busing to establish the shoulder. If the plywood collar is built nice and square and the fit is good, it should require nothing but a little clamping pressure to keep it in place while you route away.

Think that might give you the shoulder accuracy you are looking for? Never tried this myself but it might be how I would approach a big honkin’ tenon.

Good luck.

-- For free video tutorials and other cool woodworking stuff, check out http://www.TheWoodWhisperer.com

Can you register a router edge guide off the end of the legs? This seems like a situation where you want to be moving the tool, not the work piece, and a router jig that clamps on and registers off the end would be my first thing to try.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

Topside. I made a jig once to do this sort of thing…. a couple
of boards with bolts through the ends to keep the shoulders
parallel when I flipped the piece to rout the other side. Worked
pretty good. Don’t leave anything to chance with your setup.
Clamp everything.

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Maybe a tenon saw, the hand variety? Seems I did these with a router and a lot of guides and clamps.

-- Thos. Angle

Good thought Marc, but unfortunately, I have 2 of them that are curved :)

It looks like everyone is favoring the router, and it seems like the idea of a pattern bit with a guide is the front runner, that would probably be more accurate than doing this on the table saw….

I have to cut them today, so I’m going to have to bite the bullet here and just do it…..what have I got to lose? Well, some expensive wood, time and (for once) a flawless glueup :)

Thanks for all the suggestions…

JC

-- Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -Carl Sagan

Oh and a special thanks for being so helpful with your comments bently….Your woodworking abilities far exceed your joke writing…..too bad we couldn’t take advantage of that skill instead….

JC

-- Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -Carl Sagan

Sorry about the “lame ass” comment, I was only trying to be funny, as far as using the radial arm saw, I have done that before. I’ll practice up on the jokes. No harm intended.

PS why did you delete “lame ass” out of your comment after my reply???

if your still looking for ideas you could always use a loose tenon or floating tenon, they are easy to use and there is less issues with your shoulder not sitting flat.plus i always find that trying to fit a tenon in to a mortise harder the making the mortise after the tenon. just my 2 cents. good luck.

-- Roper - Master of sawdust-

Used a straight edge made from some MDF and baltic birch ply with a pattern bit like Marc mentioned. Used a marking knife to lay everything out along with a story stick to establish critical points and it looks like everything came out to within 1/64th or so…..I should be able to crush that away when I glue up…..

Thanks for all the input!

JC

-- Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -Carl Sagan

Glad everything worked out for you. Sorry you had to resort to sarcasm because you didn’t see the obvious humor in my response. Next time I will be straight forward with you.

Great, maybe next time you can impart some wisdom as well as humor…...

Speaking of sarcasm, maybe you should reread your own post…...ironic…..

JC

-- Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -Carl Sagan

I cut my tenons on the TS with counterweights on the sled. Including California King bed rails…

The counterweights can be full gallon paint cans, bricks , or yard sale workout weights.

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Hmm, that’s interesting…..My first instinct was to cut them on the TS with my sled, (Marc and everyone talking about routers changed my mind) but I didn’t want to ruin my sled with a dado blade, nor did I want to cut 20 passes for each tenon…..Good idea though…..

JC

-- Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -Carl Sagan

I have several sleds…

One has a 3/4” dado slot which is great for tenons.

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