I built the tenon jig designed by Jim Frye a few days ago. I was careful to precisely trim pieces to go into the rip fence, so that they were a snug fit. I have an Incra LS positioner, so that came in really handy for shaving pieces down a few thousand for a precise fit. The positioner was also used to precisely cut the rabbits for a snug fit.
I think the uprights using this design really help to keep the whole thing at a true 90 degree angle to the table. Anyway, within a couple of hours it was complete. I used some paraffin wax to make it slide a bit easier.
Anyway, I was cutting some very small 4" x 5" raised panel tops for a small box. On something this small, it's really hard to do any sanding after the fact and not destroy crisp look of the corners. With this said, it's very important that the cuts are precise. I was also using a 60 tooth blade to insure smooth as possible cuts.
The problem I'm having is there's a bit of slop in the jig itself. I would think the little pieces of wood that go into the slots of the rip fence would prevent that, but if they're too tight the jig will not slide along the fence.
So, I'm rather disappointed in the amount of play. For now, I'm just careful to put pressure downwards on the jig along the fence, and move the jig forward only to prevent any lateral motion. If I pause or shift the pressure, the jig will rock. The saw blade will then leave marks on the finished piece. Even 1/16th is too much in this case.
I thought about adding a piece of wood to the jig that would lay flat on the table surface, and perhaps that would keep the whole jig more rigid. The only issue there is the fence is to the left of the blade, and I have to remove the SMT, so there really is no support there. I have an Incra LS positioner attached to my router table extension, so I prefer not to move this every time I want to use the jig, but I may have to or build another small extension table.
So, that got me thinking to whether or not buying the sliding miter slot extension would be a good idea. Having a 3 or 4 inch bearing surface I would think would help to keep the jig flat and true. I can also then buy a commercially made tenon jig, although I think there's hope for a homemade type.
Just wanted to get feedback from others on what they found works well. This is one jig that needs to track precisely, and so far I don't seem to be able to get that kind of precision I need.
Troy
I think the uprights using this design really help to keep the whole thing at a true 90 degree angle to the table. Anyway, within a couple of hours it was complete. I used some paraffin wax to make it slide a bit easier.
Anyway, I was cutting some very small 4" x 5" raised panel tops for a small box. On something this small, it's really hard to do any sanding after the fact and not destroy crisp look of the corners. With this said, it's very important that the cuts are precise. I was also using a 60 tooth blade to insure smooth as possible cuts.
The problem I'm having is there's a bit of slop in the jig itself. I would think the little pieces of wood that go into the slots of the rip fence would prevent that, but if they're too tight the jig will not slide along the fence.
So, I'm rather disappointed in the amount of play. For now, I'm just careful to put pressure downwards on the jig along the fence, and move the jig forward only to prevent any lateral motion. If I pause or shift the pressure, the jig will rock. The saw blade will then leave marks on the finished piece. Even 1/16th is too much in this case.
I thought about adding a piece of wood to the jig that would lay flat on the table surface, and perhaps that would keep the whole jig more rigid. The only issue there is the fence is to the left of the blade, and I have to remove the SMT, so there really is no support there. I have an Incra LS positioner attached to my router table extension, so I prefer not to move this every time I want to use the jig, but I may have to or build another small extension table.
So, that got me thinking to whether or not buying the sliding miter slot extension would be a good idea. Having a 3 or 4 inch bearing surface I would think would help to keep the jig flat and true. I can also then buy a commercially made tenon jig, although I think there's hope for a homemade type.
Just wanted to get feedback from others on what they found works well. This is one jig that needs to track precisely, and so far I don't seem to be able to get that kind of precision I need.
Troy
Comment