Using a Table Saw to Cut Tenons for Joinery Projects

Mortise-and-tenon joinery is the backbone of strong, elegant woodworking. Chairs, tables, doors, face frames—a tenon usually carries the burden if it takes a racking load. While hand tools and router setups can do the job beautifully, the table saw remains the fastest, most repeatable way to cut crisp tenons with square shoulders and silky cheeks. This guide shows you several proven methods—from a basic single-blade approach to a production-ready dado stack—with safety notes, calibration tips, and pro-level refinements like haunched or twin tenons.

What Are Tenons?

A tenon is the projecting “tongue” at the end of a board that slips into a matching cavity called a mortise, forming the classic mortise-and-tenon joint used in doors, tables, chairs, and frames. Cut so it’s long faces—called cheeks—mate tightly with the mortise walls, the tenon is bounded by crisp shoulders that register the parts square and hide tiny gaps. Woodworkers often size a tenon to roughly one-third the thickness of the stock, with a length around three to five times its thickness, adjusting for species, load, and design. Tenons come in variations—through, blind, haunched, twin—yet all aim for the same outcome: strong, long-grain glue surfaces and a joint that assembles cleanly and resists racking. In short, the tenon is the shaped end that locks two pieces of wood into a durable, aligned whole.

Tools & Materials

• Table saw with a sharp blade (40T–50T ATB for shoulders; FTG or dado for cheeks)
• Crosscut sled or miter gauge with a long, square sacrificial fence
• Optional: dado stack, tenoning jig (store-bought or shop-made)
• Marking gauge/knife, square, pencil, calipers
• Clamps and stop blocks (for repeatability)
• Zero-clearance insert (reduces tear-out)
• Featherboard or hold-downs (for vertical jigs)
• Cleanup tools: shoulder plane, router plane, chisel, sanding block

Safety Essentials

• No miter gauge against the rip fence. That combo can trap wood and kick back. Use a sled or a miter gauge with its stop, not the wall, for crosscuts/shoulders.
• Use push sticks and keep your hands clear of the blade path.
• Riving knife: remove only if necessary for non-through cuts like dadoes; reinstall immediately.
• Secure small parts. Use jigs/aux fences, especially narrow rails and stiles, to keep stock stable.
• Eye, ear, and dust protection. Always.

Tenon Anatomy

• Cheeks: the faces that mate with the mortise walls; they control fit.
• Shoulders: the crisp transitions that register the joint and hide small gaps.
• Haunch: a small extension at the top (or bottom) of a tenon used in frame-and-panel doors to prevent twist and fill a groove.
• Horns: sacrificial extensions at the ends of narrow rails to prevent splitting near the shoulders (trim off later).

Rule of thumb: tenon thickness ≈ 1/3 of stock thickness (e.g., 3/4″ stock → ~1/4″ tenon). Tenon length typically 3–5× the thickness of the tenon, with 1″ being a good general target for furniture rails unless design dictates otherwise.

Plan the Joint

You’ll get the most accurate results by cutting the mortise first and then sizing the tenon to fit. Use a marking gauge set to the mortise width and scribe that onto the rail from both faces to center the tenon. Mark the shoulder line all around with a knife for cleaner fibers. If you’re batching a project—say, cabinet doors—create a story stick and label parts to keep lengths and shoulder positions consistent.

Standard Blade + Crosscut Sled

Best for any shop; no special blade is required.

Speed: Moderate.

Finish quality: Excellent shoulders; cheeks require “nibbling” or cleanup.

Step-by-step

Set blade height to the shoulder depth (distance from tenon shoulder to stock face that will remain). Use a test piece.

Cut the shoulders using a crosscut sled.

• Clamp a stop block to the sled fence for repeatable shoulder positions.
• Place the workpiece face-side down, referencing off the same face every time.
• Make the two long shoulders first (across the rail width), then the two end shoulders. Crisp shoulders now make cheeks easier later.

Cut the cheeks by nibbling:

• Lower the blade to the cheek height (distance from the board face to the cheek surface).
• Stand the piece against the sled fence and nibble away material between the shoulders, moving in small increments; repeat for the opposite cheek.
• Sneak up on the layout line, test-fit, then take whisper passes for final fit.

Refine with a shoulder plane or router plane if needed. Clean the fillets in the corners with a chisel.

Pro tip: Use a zero-clearance insert to minimize tear-out at the shoulders. Score shoulder lines with a knife to sever fibers before cutting.

Dado Stack for Fast, Flat Cheeks

Best for: Batch work, cabinet doors, table rails.

Speed: Fast (production-friendly).

Finish quality: Very flat cheeks; minimal cleanup.

Setup

• Install a dado stack to slightly less than the tenon thickness you intend.
• Use a crosscut sled (ideal) or miter gauge with a long, dead-square fence.
• Add a sacrificial fence behind the work to reduce tear-out and allow the dado to cut “into” the fence safely.

Step-by-step

Shoulders first

As in Method 1, use the sled and stop block to cut the peripheral shoulders cleanly.

Cheeks in two passes.

• Raise the dado to the tenon cheek height (equal to the waste you’ll remove).
• Remove the waste between the shoulders on the first cheek in a single pass (or two if your dado is narrower) with the piece flat on the sled.
• Flip the work and repeat for the second cheek.

Dial in thickness by shimming the dado or taking micro-raises in blade height to creep up on the perfect friction-fit.

Pro tips:

• Keep consistent face referencing (constantly down) to avoid cumulative error.
• Clamp the work to a tenoning carrier for narrow rails—a simple L-shaped plywood jig that rides your sled for safer control.

Vertical Tenoning Jig

Best for: Very accurate cheeks; narrow parts; long tenons.

Speed: Moderate.

Finish quality: Excellent, often ready to glue.

A tenoning jig clamps the rail vertically and slides along the rip fence or a miter slot, presenting each cheek to the blade like a controlled rip cut.

Step-by-step

• Set blade height to the tenon length (distance from shoulder to tip).
• Clamp the workpiece with the reference face against the jig’s registration fence.
• Cut the first cheek by running the jig past the blade; adjust the fence position or jig offset to set the cheek location.
• Flip the piece in the jig and cut the second cheek, ensuring equal offset for a centered tenon.
• Cut shoulders on the sled afterward for perfect, chip-free lines.

Why it shines: Because the work is vertical and clamped, you get excellent control over small parts, and cheeks come out glassy. Pair this with shoulder cuts on a sled, and you’ll be in business.

Accuracy Tricks That Separate “Good” from “Great”

• Calipers + feeler gauges: Measure the mortise width and target a tenon 0.001–0.003″ under for an easy glue-up without starvation.
• Kerf math: A typical full-kerf is ~.125″. Use repeatable fence moves or shims to “step” nibbles predictably.
• Scribe, don’t just pencil. A knife line reduces fuzz at the shoulders, creating a physical groove for the teeth to register.
• Sneak-up sequence: Take most of the waste, test-fit, then remove equal amounts from both cheeks so the tenon stays centered.
• Batch discipline: Label parts (face marks, triangle marks), set hard stops, and cut all of one operation before changing setups.

Variations You’ll Use in Real Projects

Haunched Tenon (for Frame-and-Panel)

If your stile has a groove for a panel, add a haunch—a shallow extension of the tenon that fills the groove and resists twist. Cut the shallow haunch cheek with the same setup but at a reduced height; then saw off the outer waste to match the groove length.

Twin Tenons (for Wide Rails)

Rather than a single wide tenon, cut two narrower tenons separated by a web. This increases the glue surface and reduces the weak, thin cheek risk. Lay out both mortises first; use stop blocks to reference both tenons identically.

Shouldered vs. Shouldered-Only Ends

Full shoulders all around hide tiny gaps and square the assembly. For some aesthetic through-tenons, you may keep only long-grain shoulders and leave the ends proud for wedges or pegs.

Common Problems & Fixes

• Tenon too thick: Skim a whisper-pass off each cheek, or take a couple of strokes with a shoulder plane. Avoid removing all from one side; you’ll shift the fit off-center.
• Gappy shoulders: Your sled fence may be out of square, or the blade height may have slipped. Verify with a reliable square; recut the shoulders, taking just 0.5–1 mm.
• Burn marks on cheeks indicate a dull blade, wrong tooth geometry, or a pause in the stock mid-cut. Clean/replace the blade and maintain continuous feed.
• Out-of-square cheeks: Check your vertical jig for plumbness, ensure the work sits flat on the sled, and ensure the blade is 90° to the table.
• Tear-out at shoulders: Score with a knife, support with a sacrificial backer, and use a zero-clearance insert.

Step-By-Step Walkthrough

• Mark the mortise and cut it first. Set a marking gauge to the mortise width and scribe the tenon thickness from both faces.
• Set the shoulder depth on the table saw and cut all four shoulders using a sled and a stop block.
• Choose the cheek method (dado stack, standard blade nibbling, or vertical jig).
• Cut the cheeks, keeping reference faces consistent; creep up on the fit.
• Test-fit in the actual mortise (not a gauge block).
• Fine-tune with a plane or micro-passes; aim for a push-fit without pounding.
• Repeat for matching parts using the same stops and notes to maintain consistency.

Cleanup & Assembly Tips

• Plane the cheeks, not the shoulders. Shoulders define your reference; keep them accurate.
• Dry-fit fully. Assemble without glue to confirm square; check diagonals on frames.
• Glue discipline: Many woodworkers glue only the cheeks, leaving the end of the tenon unglued to allow some seasonal movement (especially in wide rails).
• Clamping: Use cauls or blocks at the shoulders to distribute pressure and keep parts from skating.

Make or Buy? Tenoning Jigs & Sled Upgrades

• Shop-made vertical jig: Two sheets of 3/4″ plywood in an L-shape, a tall face for clamping, and runners to the miter slot. Add toggle clamps for speed.
• Crosscut sled upgrades: Tall fence, T-track for adjustable stops, and a replaceable zero-clearance throat at the blade entry point.
• Commercial tenoning jig: Heavier, micro-adjustable, and square out of the box; great for furniture work where repeatability is king.

Tolerances & Wood Movement

A tenon that presses in by hand with a bit of resistance is perfect. If you need a mallet, you’re flirting with crushed fibers and glue starvation—end grain drinks glue; long grain bonds. Aim for a thickness that’s a few thousandths under your mortise, and remember: cherry compresses more readily than hard maple; oak’s rays can telegraph flaws on the cheek if you over-sand. Match expectations to species.

Example Setup: 3/4″ Stock, 1/4″ Tenon

• Mortise: 1/4″ wide, 1″ deep.
• Tenon: 1/4″ thick, ~7/8″–1″ long.
• Blade height for shoulders: equal to the distance from the face to the shoulder line.
• Cheek removal: dado stack set shy of 1/4″ per side, or two equal nibble passes with a standard blade.
• Final fit: micro-raises of the blade or two strokes of a shoulder plane per cheek.

FAQs

Can I cut tenons on a table saw without a dado blade?

Absolutely. Use a standard combo blade and “nibble” away cheek material between shoulders with a sled. It’s slower than a dado stack but precise, especially if you follow up with a shoulder plane.

What size should my tenon be?

A classic rule: tenon thickness ≈ 1/3 stock thickness. For 3/4″ rails, start around 1/4″. Length can be 3–5× the thickness; 1″ is common in furniture. Adjust for species, design, and mortise depth.

What’s the safest way to cut tenon shoulders?

Use a crosscut sled or a well-tuned miter gauge with a long, square fence and a stop block. Avoid referencing the miter gauge off the rip fence.

Are vertical tenoning jigs worth it?

Yes, if you cut lots of narrow parts or long tenons. They clamp the work securely, yielding glassy cheeks with high repeatability. Shoulders are still best on a sled.

How do I prevent tear-out at the shoulder line?

Score the line with a knife, use a zero-clearance insert, and back up the cut with a sacrificial fence. Sharp blades help more than anything.

Should I glue the entire tenon?

Often, you glue the cheeks only and leave the tip unglued, especially on wider rails, to accommodate seasonal movement. Practices vary by design—follow your project’s joinery plan.

Printable Tenon-Cutting Checklist

• Mortise cut and measured
• Tenon thickness scribed from both faces
• Zero-clearance insert installed
• Sled/miter gauge square; stop block set
• Shoulders cut cleanly (long sides, then ends)
• Cheeks removed (method chosen)
• Dry-fit confirms push-fit, square assembly
• Cleanup: shoulders crisp, cheeks smooth
• Label parts; batch repeat with same stops

Conclusion

A table saw can deliver fast, repeatable, furniture-grade tenons if you treat the process like precision machining: start with the mortise, register from the same faces, cut shoulders first, and then sneak up on cheek thickness. Whether you favor a dado stack for speed, a vertical jig for control, or a single-blade nibble for simplicity, the priorities don’t change—crisp shoulders, flat cheeks, and a fit that slides home by hand. Once you dial in your setup, batching rails becomes almost rhythmic. That’s when the magic of traditional joinery meets the efficiency of the modern shop.

I can turn this into a printable PDF with a one-page checklist and a simple tenon-sizing chart for standard stock thicknesses.