OK - Tennoning Jigs. Any recommendations?
Considering
$79 Shopfox Woodstock -
OK - Tennoning Jigs. Any recommendations?
Considering
$79 Shopfox Woodstock -
Since buying the jig I've added a dado blade. I use the dado blade more than the tenoning jig now. Depends on what you are doing I guess.
Ed - Do you work in Chicago?
I bought the delta and had some issue moving it over to accomodate the different slot position for a left tilt saw. I stripped the head on one of the hex bolts, all the fasteners seemed to be exceedingly soft (read cheap). Just thought the fasteners could have been much better quality. Otherwise works well, I'm not terribly partial to it since I often cut one and two offs quicker with hand tools.
David
I recently received a Woodcraft sale bill that shows a jig under their brand that looks almost identical to my Delta. Main difference is $60 vs the 90+ I paid for my Delta (Amazon) and a green paint job.
Live in CT, work in MA
I have the Delta. When a received it, the bar for the slot was slightly warped and required some filing to make it fit, but from what I have seen and heard this does not sound typical. It works well enough, although I have some quibbles; for example, the clamp position range doesn't always work out so well.
I have found that it is less useful *to me* the I might have thought originally. Unless you are making an awful lot of tenons which are destined for highly-repeatable machine-made mortises, the effort to set it up, etc. is more then I have found worth the effort, when a band saw (or handsaw for that matter) and an plane/chisel can make perfect fitting tenons with relative ease, at least in smallish quantities.
PK
I prefer a shop made version a la Tage Frid. From what others have reported on the Delta tenoning jig, you can make your own jig and be cutting tenons in less time than you will spend cleaning up a Delta jig to be usable.
Jay
I came to that conclusion too. I was all ready and set to buy one: if it's good 'nuff for Norm or David, then it's gotta make my stuff better too. Unless I did my first M&T project. Now, I'm not sure there's a place for one in my kit.
As an owner of the Delta, I find that hard to believe.
It takes about a minute or two set up for a cut.
I do not have a microadjust on my cabinet saw fence. For most work, that is fine but it IMHO it is necessary for tennon cheeck cuts. Being able to literally dial that in (+/- .005") using the microadjust on the delta jig is worth the price of admission.
YMMV.
I recently made a table top with (an admittledly over-the-top complicated series of ribs) with 50 tennons. I'm glad I had the jig.
Is it better than the competition? I've no idea.
-Steve
i got the 60$ one at woodcraft. set it up and made a couple test cuts. seems to be servicable. when i get a chance to realy USE it i will post some more thoughts.
skeez
I bought the delta a few years ago. The set screws to adjust the slop in the miter slot bar were stripped when I got it. Was pretty disappointed at first, but it's fixed and works fine now. The micro adjustment is real nice. Admittedly, the jig is used only to mass produce, otherwise, I hand cut or bandsaw. -dave
I believe they're called bandsaws
Someone wrote an extensive review of the Delta jig in this newsgroup a few weeks ago. Among other things, I recall that he had to flatten the base to make it usable. Perhaps yours is an older model.
Jay
I have the Woodcraft, and it works just fine.
I disassembled the whole thing, degreased it, and reassembled. Also had to move the base over (per instructions, which were good) to adjust to track to blade spacing for my 1023SL.
When I had the thing disassembled, I took the opportunity to lap the base of the jig, and clean up the rough spots from casting. I'd strongly recommend this tuneup step to anyone using one of these jigs. It now glides on the saw top without leaving any marks or scratches whatsoever.
This jig goes on sale from time to time, and is a good value.
Have a look at the General - I don't own either, but at the last woodshow I looked at both General and Delta and fit/finish seemed better on the General. - It felt more 'solid.'
...r
Yes. It is about a decade old. I may be wrong but the new ones are basically the same design.
I was commenting on cast iron Jig vs. build your own, rather than old vs new vs jet vs WC etc.
Get a Leigh FMT. Solves the tennon and mortice problem in one setup. Works like a dream.
I've got the Delta. Does the job -- no flattening necessary. Perfect out of the box. I've never compared it to anything else, since it was a gift from the wife. I did manage to strip out the set screw in the silver crank.
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