our editors test
tablesaw tenoning jigs
You don't need a high-priced dado set to cut clean, precise mortise tenons, stub tenons, and half-lap joints. A tenoning jig firmly supports your workpiece while you make the tricky cheek cuts with an ordinary saw blade.
Tested by Chuck Hedlund, Master Craftsman Tested by Kevin Boyle, Senior Design Editor
Tested by Kevin Boyle, Senior Design Editor
Tested by Marlen Kemmet, Managing Editor
This updated incarnation of Delta's classic design adds a width-adjustable miter-slot guide bar that you can tweak to fit your saw perfectly. T-slot washers also have been added at each end of the bar to prevent the jig from lifting off the table during use. Out of the box, it works on right-tilting saws; it switches for left-tilting saws with some effort.
It has everything the Delta 34-183 has, and more. After the initial setup and alignment, no tools are needed for any of the routine adjustments, including moving the clamp location. A quick-release pushbutton mechanism allows fast positioning of the jig for both cheek cuts without a lot of tedious knob turning to get from one cheek to the other.
Like the Delta 34-184, adjusting the Jet tenoning jig after setting it up requires no tools, and a quick-release mechanism (in this case, a ratcheting knob) speeds positioning for the cheek cuts. The JTG-10 also has a T-slot-style guide bar but, unlike the Delta jigs, it's not adjustable to custom-fit your saw.
We've had the older version of this tenoning jig in the WOOEk magazine shop for years, and the improvements are welcome. Delta added an adjustable stop on the backstop to ensure its return to 90° without having to resquare to the tabletop. Cheek cuts I made using the 34-183 were super smooth. The jig slides easily and I liked the large handles that gave me a good grip and kept my hands well away from the blade.
The assembly and setup instructions are clear, and, from opening the box to cutting tenons in 3/4" stock, it took less than five minutes on my right-tilting tablesaw. After using the quick-release button to position the workpiece close, the fine-adjustment knob helps adjust the location to perfection. The knob shows .004" increments, with one full turn equaling Vie". My only beef is the cursor on the scale, which hides the 1/16" graduations.
Once I filed a little off the sides of the miter-slot guide bar to fit my saw, the Jet tenoning jig performed well, sliding easily and cutting smoothly. The combination of one horizontal and one vertical push handle feels comfortable—like using a power drill with a side handle. The guide bar has a washer on only one end to engage the T-slot, but I had no trouble keeping the jig flat on the saw table while cutting the cheeks.
800/438-2486, www.deltamachinery.com
800/438-2486, www.deltamachinery.com
800/274-6848, www.jettools.com