center finding trick
Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 6:03 pm
Cutting an accurate tenon on a dowel requires a really good center finding. My first try - see photo - for a 3/4 tenon on a 1 inch dowel was to mark the center of the dowel with a center finder and then manipulate the table and support frame using a Forstner bit to hit right on the center, then change over to the tenon cutter. It worked since the test tenon was very, very accurate.
When I went to put the tenon cutter (Lee Valley set) back in the box I saw the 1 inch tenon cutter and it hit me: since it fits the 1 inch dowel very closely why not use it in the drill chuck and manipulate the table and frame until the dowel slides into the cutter. Worked like a champ and really saves wear and tear on these 'seasoned' eyeballs.
Forrest
When I went to put the tenon cutter (Lee Valley set) back in the box I saw the 1 inch tenon cutter and it hit me: since it fits the 1 inch dowel very closely why not use it in the drill chuck and manipulate the table and frame until the dowel slides into the cutter. Worked like a champ and really saves wear and tear on these 'seasoned' eyeballs.
Forrest