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Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998

tenon length

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tenon length

#1

tenon length

jared

>remove 1 for email

Hello: Ok yesterday I turned my first bowl with a tenon on it instead of a dovetail. Is the tenon supposed to belong enough to bottem out in the chuck or is supposed to be shorter so that the bottem of the bowl rests against the chuck jaws when it is tight? The literature with the supernova chuck indicates that the tenon should be long but my feeble mind thinks that the whole setup would be a lot more secure if there were more surface area supporting the bowl, ie if the bottem of the bowl was actually resting against the chuck. What is the right way to do this?

THere sure is a lot to learn in this game.

THanks in advance, Jared

Re: tenon length

#2

Keith Tompkins

Re: tenon length

Keith Tompkins

>Hi Jared, it is definitely stronger to create a shoulder that rests on the face area of the jaws.

personally, I always use this method,as I feel more freedom to finish the bottom; the recess does not dictate the finished size of the bowl's foot.

Re: tenon length

#3

Re: tenon length?

Bruce McElhaney Spring Lake, MI

>For smaller bowls, I make the tenons about 1/4" to 3/8" long to fit my Oneway Stronghold gripper jaws. For bowls larger than 10" or so, I'll make the tenon a bit longer. Of course the shoulder on the bowl needs to be smooth and flat. A tenon long enough to bottom out in the chuck would be a waste, unless you've got a very poor holding chuck. At least that's MHO.

Re: tenon length

#4

Re: tenon length

Wood Spinner

>I do not bottom out. I get close on 12" and up pieces. If the tennon seems a little weak I use CA to stabelize and re cut the tennon.

Good turning and be safe

Bill in Casa Grande, AZ.

Re: tenon length

#5

thanks

jared

>Thanks for the response. It really does make sense to me. Jared

Re: tenon length

#6

Re: tenon length

john Lucas

>Jared

As mentioned earlier you need a shoulder for the chuck to sit on. This ads a tremendous amount of strength.

Most of us reverse the bowl and turn the foot as a final step but if your concerned about doing this or don't want to, then simply make a tenon that is smaller than the foot. Then you can carve or sand away this tenon and leave your foot alone.

Re: tenon length

#7

Brad Vietje

Re: DANGER, Will Robinson !!!

Brad Vietje

>Not just a waste, but a DRAMATIC decrease in holding power. Do NOT allow the tenon to bottom out on the base of the jaws -- the tops of the jaws should be firmly against a flat rim that surrounds your tennon. You can (and, in my view, should) always reverse the bowl between centers, and remove these features later.

The depth of the tenon probably matters less than its shape, which must be made to match the inside profile of the particular jaws in use -- there are a number of different shapes.

If you read a comment from someone that implies a tenon should "always be a cylinder", or "always be a dovetail", you can ignore any future "advice" from that source !

Safe Spinning,

Brad Vietje

Thetford, VT

Re: tenon length

#8

Re: What Brad said!!!

Paul Porter in Phoenix, AZ

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