Half lap Joints Using Tenon Jig and Table Saw
Half lap joints are certainly an easy to make and popular way of making a good joint for a frame or similar wood structure. Some myopic woodworkers say, "Use a router, it's the best" while others opt for using their dado set. In my humble opinion, half laps made with my tenon jig and table saw is the most accurate and fast way to get the job done...and I have made many half laps with dado and router before. What brought on my epiphany, was a need for some frames to support the drawer and shelf of one of my projects.
(click on the picture for a larger view)
| This Arts and Crafts nightstand(somnae) has four panels held together by a batten arrangement. I needed frames for below the drawer and in the bottom compartment to support the shelf. |  |
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Frame members are cut to length and I write 'outside' on each to remind me that I'm getting old. You can see the detail of the tenon jig by clicking on the link on my home page. I have added a toggle clamp to my original jig. It is advised to make sufficient test cuts or risk screwing up a lot of good wood. |
| Once all the cuts are made with the tenon jig, I used the sacrificial fence attached to my miter guage to cut the waste free. Again, I would make some test cuts and secure a stop block to the fence. The waste piece needs to be pushed well beyond the saw blade for safety reasons. |  |
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Now, this is 'perfectly' flat(the Forrest blade helps)..you just can not get this with a router or dado |
| Look, nearly perfect. By the way, I use salvaged wood for most of my projects and this wood is some of that. A little scraping and sanding will clean this up nicely. |  |
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I'll glue these up and with a little abrasive action these frames will be ready for installation. FWIW the lower frame is slightly larger than the top because the nightstand has a slight upward taper. |