# My Loose Tenon Jig



## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

I've been meaning to build one of these for ages and joints aren't my best of acheivments in the past. So after looking around I found this design on a google search. Very easy to make and so far have used it a few times and it's reasonably accurate.

I've used bottle tops for the knobs but I did draw the line at making my own toggle clamps


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

looking good, Angie


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

You did a good job ,Angie, but I am not quite sure how you use it. But the jig looks great.

I have been using the Rockler one that is a block of metal where you drill holes and use ribbed tenons. I like floating tenons they work so good.

Herb


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Nice job.


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

Thanks for the comments guys.



Herb Stoops said:


> You did a good job ,Angie, but I am not quite sure how you use it. But the jig looks great........


 @Herb Stoops

In the first picture you can see the pine clamped at the center line. The router sits over it using an edge-guide along the back of the jig. I set the router bit centered across the pine, then move the router to one end of travel, and set the end stop up against the edge-guide rods (locked down by the red knobs). Then I move the router to the other end of travel and set that end stop. I also set the depth to half thickness of the wood width.

Then it's a case of plunge 4mm, rout to other end, plunge another 4mm, rout to other end.... and repeat until I hit the depth stop.

I have a 10mm pocket hole bit from wealdon tool co. which can plunge up to about 55mm, and I've been mortising about 35 to 40mm deep.

Then I gotta make the tenons.....

Using an old bed support plank which was no good for anything else I thicknessed it down to 10mm thick as tenon stock.

I count how many tenons I need for the current job and cut a length of the tenon stock slightly longer than that required for all of them. The tenon stock is then ripped to the same width as the mortise length.

Then I set up a 10mm bead bit and round over both edges.

Once the whole length is prepared I just cut it to length as required.


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## lowracer (May 22, 2015)

vindaloo said:


> Thanks for the comments guys.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I can almost picture it, but not quite .. yet. please post a picture in operation, and I think it will be clear to me.


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## denis lock (Oct 26, 2007)

Hi Angie

Makes you wonder why some woodworkers will spend lots of money on commercial jigs. Well done! You are guiding the router with a single fence. The router can't veer forward (toward the operator) but it can veer backward. I use a second fence but your clamping mechanism would get in the way. Add a strip of wood to your fence and fashion a groove that it can run in with a minimum of play. The router can now only move left-right:no backwards movement.

Denis Lock "Routing with Denis"


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

This looks like a good idea. At this point, I'm not anywhere near using tenon joinery, but when I'm ready, I think the loose tenons are the way to go. I'm not grasping how the jig works or is made, and am wondering if you could post the link to where you found the design. 

By the way, the bottle caps are a good idea. I just made some round knobs, and will use them for a better grip. Thanks. Jim


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

lowracer said:


> I can almost picture it, but not quite .. yet. please post a picture in operation, and I think it will be clear to me.


It's very similar to the one James on this forum made. He posted 



. 2min 40s in he makes the first mortise.


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

denis lock said:


> Makes you wonder why some woodworkers will spend lots of money on commercial jigs. Well done!


Thanks Denis, praise from yourself means a lot.



denis lock said:


> You are guiding the router with a single fence. The router can't veer forward (toward the operator) but it can veer backward. I use a second fence but your clamping mechanism would get in the way. Add a strip of wood to your fence and fashion a groove that it can run in with a minimum of play. The router can now only move left-right:no backwards movement.


I agree, although I haven't had a jump from the router since the first test mortise, but I am going to add the thin strip to run in a channel in the future. At the moment I put stress on the jig by putting pressure from the rear of the jig towards the front to stop the router running away, but a guide channel would definately mean avoiding that problem.


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

chessnut2 said:


> This looks like a good idea. At this point, I'm not anywhere near using tenon joinery, but when I'm ready, I think the loose tenons are the way to go. I'm not grasping how the jig works or is made, and am wondering *if you could post the link to where you found the design. *


See post 9 above for link to a video of another version of the same jig.



chessnut2 said:


> By the way, the bottle caps are a good idea. I just made some round knobs, and will use them for a better grip.


I would make some if I was short of bottle tops but I have a full ice cream container full as my S/O get's through a lot


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## IRestore (Mar 28, 2015)

Very nice!


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## RÖENTGEEP (Feb 18, 2014)

Angie, congrats, well done. :smile:


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## jody495 (Sep 11, 2011)

do you happen to remember what the Google search was? Thanks


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

Thanks guys.



jaody said:


> do you happen to remember what the Google search was? Thanks


 @jaody

Sooooo many images 
Loose tenon mortising jig


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi Angie, thanks for showing my version.

I would suggest that you make a fence so that the router guide will not move back and spoil the cut. This was mentioned in a previous post..

This video from Bill Hylton was the inspiration and shows better detail:

https://youtu.be/zORuOdjasMo?list=PL03A9A5657505D69D


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Herb Stoops said:


> You did a good job ,Angie, but I am not quite sure how you use it. But the jig looks great.
> 
> I have been using the Rockler one that is a block of metal where you drill holes and use ribbed tenons. I like floating tenons they work so good.
> 
> Herb



Yes Herb, I have the original Beadlock Loose tenon system, but have not used it since making Bill Hylton's jig....


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

jw2170 said:


> Hi Angie, thanks for showing my version.
> 
> I would suggest that you make a fence so that the router guide will not move back and spoil the cut. This was mentioned in a previous post..
> 
> ...


That's another video I looked at but lumber that size here qould cost a fortune which is why I used two layers of MDF for the main frame. I think I've worn that video out the times I watched it :smile:


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## lowracer (May 22, 2015)

thank you. I wasn't sure if the stops use the rails from the guise of the router or the router itself. .

The only mortising jig I made in the past, was for my router table where the router is from above.


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

lowracer said:


> thank you. I wasn't sure if the stops use the rails from the guise of the router or the router itself. .


The rods from the router to the guide are what the stops butt up against Hentie. :yes4:


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## Lappa (Feb 5, 2015)

I made the Dan Phalen mortise jig which is similar to yours but retains the router in a groove.

Peter


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

Lappa said:


> I made the Dan Phalen mortise jig which is similar to yours but retains the router in a groove.


That's another version I looked at Peter, but I didn't like the loss of 12mm depth due to the top thickness. It would have been ok with the 10mm pocket hole bit, as that has a long shank, but the 6mm bit is a lot shorter to to it's small diameter.


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## Lappa (Feb 5, 2015)

vindaloo said:


> That's another version I looked at Peter, but I didn't like the loss of 12mm depth due to the top thickness. It would have been ok with the 10mm pocket hole bit, as that has a long shank, but the 6mm bit is a lot shorter to to it's small diameter.


I use spiral upcuts for mortising and the 1/4" is 2 1/2" long so it will mortise to approx. 30mm on my rig. All the rest of my spiral upcuts are 3" and mortise to just over 40mm


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