How to Turn a Perfect Tenon
George VondriskaDescription
Mortise-and-tenon joinery is one of the most reliable we have, but if your tenons are not sized properly or they are inconsistent, it can be difficult to assemble your projects. Master woodworker George Vondriska reveals a shop trick that you can use to turn a perfect tenon for your woodworking projects.
Share tips, start a discussion or ask one of our experts or other students a question.
Already a member? Sign in
4 Responses to “How to Turn a Perfect Tenon”
Premium Membership
Unlock exclusive member content from our industry experts.
- 24/7 Access to Premium Woodworking Videos, Projects, and Tips
- Step-by-Step Instructional Demos, Plans, and Tutorials
- 50% Off Video Downloads Purchased in the Woodworkers Guild of America Shop
- 2 Printable Woodworking Plans
Unlock exclusive member content from our industry experts.
- 24/7 Access to Premium Woodworking Videos, Projects, and Tips
- Step-by-Step Instructional Demos, Plans, and Tutorials
- 50% Off Video Downloads Purchased in the Woodworkers Guild of America Shop
- 2 Full-Length Video Downloads to Watch Offline
- 2 Printable Woodworking Plans
Gold Membership
$370 Value
Get everything included in Premium plus exclusive Gold Membership benefits.
- 24/7 Access to Premium Woodworking Videos, Projects, and Tips
- Step-by-Step Instructional Demos, Plans, and Tutorials
- 8 Full-Length Video Downloads to Watch Offline
- 3 Full-Length Woodworking Classes to Keep for Life
- 7 Printable Woodworking Plans
- Discounts on Purchase-to-Own Content in the Woodworkers Guild of America Shop
- Access to Ask the Expert Program
- Exclusive GOLD LIVE Streaming Events
What brand of face mask/dust shield do you use?
We, in England (UK) use the correct size open mouth spanner to do these types of jobs they work exactly like your wooden template but with out the work of making a wooden test piece. We check the exact size of the drill bit we would be using by placing it into the jars of the spanner that way we know the hole and tenon will fit exactly. This way it's less work and a lot faster. Ps it is possible to use a adjustable spanner providing you can lock of the adjustable mechanism. By engineering a thumb screw. The easiest way is to use duck tape. Pps The safest way is just to use a solid open mouth spanner. Regards Ian M Chadwick
IMHO, a digital caliper should work better (up to a diameter of about 3"). It would allow you to see how far you need to go and would check the diameter along the tenon's entire length. A slightly tapered shape for the tenon might also work better when the hole isn't perfect. And remember that you can't fit a 1" dowel into a 1" hole - either the dowel needs to be slightly smaller or the hole slightly larger.
just a query on tool hieghts on the video