Need help!

[Skoobidobi]

Dear Board,

I have been making pens for about 5 months. I really enjoy it--and have made some good side money from pens.

My problem is with tenons. Can someone help me to know how to cut them so they are square to the blank?

What tools do I need. I have a thin parting tool----but it seems I can't cut a tenon without it being at an angle (perpendicular)

Thanks in advance for your help.

Longtime lurker---new member,
Skoob

 

[timdaleiden]

What I use for tenons is a mini chisel. I ground it to the right width for euro tenons, and made sure the end was square. It was from a cheap wood carving chisel set I bought. Other people have done the same thing with an old screw driver.

You still have to be careful, but it takes some of the guess-work out of it.

 

[ilikewood]

Tims right...make sure the end of the tenon tool is square. Sometimes if I feel my tenon cut in the wood isn't perpendicular, I'll use a skew to make sure it is.

 

[daledut]

The type of parting tool makes a difference to me. A spear point parting tool is hard to use for tenons. I use one like this


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You can get it from woodturningz.com or Penn state. It is thin and flat and you use it angle side up, making it easy to control.

If you are making a tenon for the center band of a Euro style pen. Here is a little trick if you have trouble keeping it square.


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You can actually agnle it in like the top drawing (the angle is a bit exagerated for explanation purposes). This insures that the outer edge of the CB meets the outer edge of the wood without creating a gap.

If you don't have the flat parting tool, you can use a 1/4" standard chisel. I made a lot of tenons with a regular Stanley 1/4" chisel, the width is even right for a Euro CB tenon.

 

[Guest]

It isn't always in the tools.
Where are you looking when you turn a tenon?
I have found when I look at the tip of the tool I screw the cut up.
I look at the angle between the parted material and the shoulder of the tenon.(90*)It helps if the chisel is sharpened with the tip 90* to the shoulder.
Also some tenons have different lengths.I have an 1/8th and a 1/16th I use both to get a 3/16th tenon.
It's much like turning the barrel of the pen.
Instead of beining mesmerized by the action of the chisel I look at the profile of the barrel.
Sounds weird but it works for me.

 

[Bev Polmanteer]

Maybe I'm goofy but I constantly keep track of my turning by looking at the wood, not the tool.

 

[DCBluesman]

Originally posted by Bev Polmanteer
<br />Maybe I'm goofy but I constantly keep track of my turning by looking at the wood, not the tool.

Ahh. The difference experience makes. It's a lot like typing. Most of us start by looking at the keys. When we get proficient, we know longer need that visual check. Seems you've reached that level of proficiency, Bev (Seems? All I have to do is look at your pens to KNOW you have!)