Cutting tenons on spindles

[Dave Roller]

I'm making a great many spindles and cutting the tenons on the ends using a skew in one hand and a wrench in the other to arrive at the exact size. I remember reading somewhere that it's possible to sharpen the wrench and use only that tool to cut the tenon. Does anyone have any experience with this procedure? If so, do you have any suggestion for sharpening the wrench (made of alloy steel)? Any suggestions for any other way to speed this work up and yet maintain accuracy? Can anyone point me in the direction to get help either on this forum or elsewhere?

Thanks for your help.

 

[john lucas]

I tried the sharpened wrench. I didn't like it. I sharpened the the top jaw. You have to be really religious about putting pressure on the bottom jaw or it cuts too deep and leaves a tenon too small. I find I have much more control using your method. It's even better if you have something like a very wide parting tool. I like a parting tool a little wider than my wrench. What I like about this method is I use the parting tool in bevel rubbing mode so you really sneak up on the size and just slip the wrench over it. One problem is you have to make sure your wrench sizes the tenon exactly. Wrenches are not exact sizes so I test my drilled holes and then make a tenon that fits just right. Then I size a wrench to fit. It's easier sometimes to take a metric wrench just a hair small and then file it to fit the tenon you turned to an exact fit.

 

[hockenbery]

I cut a lot of tenons using a wrench and a skew in a peeling cut for ornament finials where I want an undercut so that the edge of the cap fits tightly on the ball.
For straight shouldered tenons I use a bedan in a peeling cut with the wrench.

Calipers once they are set are just as fast to make the cut with either tool or a parting tool.

I use the wrenches in demos a lot and often get the suggestion to sharpen the wrench.

Never tried it.

Al

 

[R Henrickson]

I'm making a great many spindles and cutting the tenons on the ends using a skew in one hand and a wrench in the other to arrive at the exact size. I remember reading somewhere that it's possible to sharpen the wrench and use only that tool to cut the tenon. Does anyone have any experience with this procedure? If so, do you have any suggestion for sharpening the wrench (made of alloy steel)? Any suggestions for any other way to speed this work up and yet maintain accuracy? Can anyone point me in the direction to get help either on this forum or elsewhere?

Thanks for your help.

One mention, with a sketch of the wrench:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthr...he-turned-piece-a-certain-size-all-the-length

Message #6 in the thread is what refers to this. I don't think you can use this to cut the tenon altogether, just to fine-tune the diameter of tenon to a uniform dimension.

Never have tried it. I do use an open-ended wrench to CHECK diameters of spindles, but especially tenons, when turning.

 

[Bill Boehme]

One mention, with a sketch of the wrench:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthr...he-turned-piece-a-certain-size-all-the-length

Message #6 in the thread is what refers to this. I don't think you can use this to cut the tenon altogether, just to fine-tune the diameter of tenon to a uniform dimension.

Never have tried it. I do use an open-ended wrench to CHECK diameters of spindles, but especially tenons, when turning.

No, that method shown on the Creek is all wrong. The outside of the shorter side is sharpened as shown in this picture:



However, I agree with John -- it is too easy for it to dig into the tenon if you don't keep firm upward and forward pressure so that the bottom of the wrench jaw is controlling the wrench position. I don't use that method, but I hear that it was something that production spindle turners id to speed things up.

I prefer to use a bedan -- first in a peeling cut and then in a planing cut. If there is a shoulder on the tenon then probably won't be able to do a planing cut.

I also have the original version of this Sorby tool that I use on the rare occasions when I am making a table leg:



The original version was nice because it was designed to work with a diamond profile parting tool as well as the rectangular profile parting tool. For some unknown reason, the tool was redesigned so that it no longer will accept a diamond parting tool.

 

[GRJensen]

Cutting tenons on spindles with wrenches

I have been using this technique for a couple of years now ... works like a charm if you are careful.

I sharpened the short side of a set of open-end wrenches. Get the tenon close to size with a parting tool, bedan, etc. then place the wrench (with the long, unsharpened side down) on your tool rest and carefully push into the work.

Be careful to keep the wrench vertical, otherwise you run the risk of taking off too much material resulting in an undersized tenon.

Gerald Jensen
47215