The tenon cutting jig straddles my Biesmeyer tablesaw fence. The design of the fence is based on several Woodsmith magazine articles.
(click on picture for a larger view)
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| The jig is cut from 3/4" MDF. The dimensions are not critical. The two horizontal members are cut a little thinner than the thickness of the fence and then shimmed with card stock for a tight(but not too tight) fit. Wax helps on contact surfaces | The vertical fence is made from hardwood and was fastened perpendicular to table top. Of course, it could be fastened at an angle if you need angled tenons. | Right rear view showing holes for access to vertical mounting screws for fence. |
A two-blade cutting system offers the advantage of always getting an exact thickness of tenon regardless of the size of the stock. However, you are limited in the length of the tenon because you use small, circular saw blades. A tenon cut with this arrangement produces smooth tenon cheeks unlike the rough cheeks produced with a dado cut tenon. The spacers below are blade stabilizers of 0.10 " thickness. I use the spacers and shims to cut 3/8" tenons. I first bought two saw blades with too many teeth such that the blades smoked when cut. With the smaller number of teeth/inch the cut is satisfactory. With the spacers, tenons of less than about 1.5" in length can be cut.
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| You still have to cut the shoulders. I use a Dozuki with a piece of scrap inserted into the circular saw cut. Without the scrap you tend to cut into the tenon |