# Best way to trim tenons



## dschlic1 (Jan 3, 2013)

I have recently completed a router mortising jig to cut mortises. The original intent was to make mortise and tenon joints with loose tenons. However I have discovered that there is significant difference in router width between end grain and face grain. So I am looking at rough cutting the tenons on a table saw and then finishing them by hand.

My question is what is the best way to trim the cheeks on tenons? And what tool is best? I have been looking at several options such as rabbet planes, rabbet block planes and shoulder planes.


----------



## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

Not sure there's any "best" way to do this. Personally I seem to get the most reliable and repeatable results using a dado set in the tablesaw. A tablesaw tenoning jig that either runs along the TS fence or in the miter slot works well, although I find them tricky as the piece gets longer. I enjoy cutting them by hand but find it hard to get super-crisp lines on the shoulders. I've also tried using a #78 rabbet plane, but I have not had the success I hoped for (think I still need to work on setting it up so that the blade is straight). I've also had good success combining tablesaw (for the crosscut) and bandsaw (for the cheek cut).


----------



## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

Depending on how much 'trueing needs to be done I go from a shoulder plane to a sandpaper block. I tried a rasp but I did not like the results.


----------



## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

A fine tooth dado set and miter gauge will make completed tenons, ready for assembly.

Many ways to accomplish the task, but that's my preferred method.


----------



## dschlic1 (Jan 3, 2013)

I have found that it is very difficult to achieve a good fitting tenon on multiple pieces. Most methods of cutting the cheeks reference the two cheeks off of different board sides. Thus any variation in board thickness is directly reflected in the thickness of the tenon. While a 0.010" variation in board thickness will be almost unnoticeable, a 0.010" variation in tenon thickness will.

For this reason I want to cut the tenons close to size, but a bit larger than they should be. I will need hand fit each tenon into it's respective mortise. This mainly will be reducing the thickness of the tenon by remove small amounts of wood from the tenon cheeks.


----------



## AandCstyle (Mar 21, 2012)

dschlic1, I use a MortisePal (sadly, they are no longer made) and don't have a variance between the mortises in rails and stiles. Is your jig held securely in place? Are you making a number of passes to reach the desired depth? What is the diameter and quality of your router bit?

As mentioned there are many ways to fine tune a tenon and it depends on your available tools and abilities with each. I use a belt sander and check the fit frequently. HTH


----------



## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

Regarding post #4: this to me is an argument for having all stock milled to the same thickness. Shouldn't be a problem if you have a planer (jointer helps, too).


----------



## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

A shoulder plane will do quick work of what you are asking. If the tenon is longer than the shoulder plane is wide, you can follow with a block plane to bring the rest down to size.


----------



## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

On wider stock I cut to a scored shoulder line on the TS using a dado blade. I also leave the tenons a bit oversized and fine tune with shoulder planes. I will often use a router plane on one side to establish parallel first, then fine tune.

On narrower stock like F&P doors I generally use a tenon jig.
I recently obtained a rabbet block plane which is very hand for wider tenons.

Sounds like a good approach I got away from fiddling with "off the saw" perfect cuts and since them ww'ing has become more peaceful for me ;-)


----------



## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

I'm sure lots of the options above would work, but if you want a hand tool option a rabbeting block plane is probably the easiest for tenons that are longer than a shoulder plane is wide. Otherwise, as mentioned already, a shoulder plane works



> I enjoy cutting them by hand but find it hard to get super-crisp lines on the shoulders.
> - jdh122


Yeah getting crisp lines can be a real trick. Paul Sellers talks a lot about it in his videos if you want to see it done. Basically you don't chop vertically with a chisel into your knife line until you have less than 1/16" of wood left. That way your knife line doesn't get compressed back. That and cutting a crisp knife line and lining your chisel into it properly.


----------



## jar944 (Jun 19, 2014)

> I have found that it is very difficult to achieve a good fitting tenon on multiple pieces. Most methods of cutting the cheeks reference the two cheeks off of different board sides. Thus any variation in board thickness is directly reflected in the thickness of the tenon. While a 0.010" variation in board thickness will be almost unnoticeable, a 0.010" variation in tenon thickness will.
> 
> - dschlic1


That's the reason I do it on a shaper with both cheeks cut at once. Setup takes a bit more time, but they are as accurate as is possible with wood.


----------



## ThomasChippendale (Nov 6, 2015)

Spend more time in the set-up and less hand tuning. There are no reason a tenon would have uneven shoulders if it was cut square first. When I get an uneven shoulder, I go back to the table saw and shave it back to where it should have been in the first place.























































Shoulders with the table saw, cheeks with the band saw


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

A sharp chisel works well, but an Iwasaki file is excellent
as tear-out isn't an issue. Highly recommend the files for
joinery.


----------



## dschlic1 (Jan 3, 2013)

I will "rough" cut the tenons on the table saw, I have both a ado stack and a tenon jig. I am going to go with a rabbeting plane of some sort. Doing a quick survey of what's available I have three choices: a rabbeting plane (somescalled a fillister plane), a straight rabbet block plane and finally a skew rabbet block plane. I am leaning towards the block planes as they are smaller.


----------



## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

Paul Sellers would probably tell you to use a router plane.

Go to the 23:38 mark of this video.


----------



## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

If you have a shaper and a couple of rebate cutters with a spacer between them you can cut them perfect ever time.

That how I do it if I have many to do.


----------

