3
The Veritas
®
Mini Tenon Cutters cut 60° shouldered tenons on small stock. These small-diameter
tenon cutters are ideal for chair rungs, decorative work on rustic furniture and wherever small
tenons are required, e.g., trellis and lattice work, fan frames, etc. They require little torque
while being driven by an electric drill. The included plug gauge allows the blade to be adjusted
to cut the exact size of tenon required. It is easy to sharpen the blade on a belt sander or
sharpening stone.
These tenon cutters are for use in a hand electric drill. They are
not
to be used in a drill press
for several reasons.
1. Because the workpiece must be rigidly clamped in line with the equally rigid axis of the
drill-press chuck, any misalignment or movement can create high side loads on the tenon
cutter, leading to the shank failing. Any quill run-out in the drill press contributes further
to the problem.
2. Because there is much less feel as to how the cutter is performing when using a drill press,
it is possible to overload the tenon cutter without realizing it. This too can lead to the
shank failing.
3. Overloading the tenon cutter or operating it at high speeds can also lead to overheating the
high-carbon steel blade, resulting in edge failure, loss of hardness, and a useless blade.
Taking a Test Cut
Firmly tighten the tenon cutter in the chuck of an electric drill.
Clamp a piece of wood horizontally in a vise at about waist height. Ensure the end is cut square.
Maximum diameter of workpiece for each tenon cutter size is shown in
Table 1
.
Table 1: Maximum Wood Diameter for Tenon Cutter Diameter
Tenon Diameter
Max. Stock Diameter
1
/
4
"
3
/
4
"
5
/
16
"
3
/
4
"
3
/
8
"
7
/
8
"
7
/
16
"
7
/
8
"
1
/
2
"
1
"
9
/
16
"
1
"
