# how to cut round tenon on end of curved stock



## saniel (Jul 9, 2014)

Hello all,

I am looking for a cleaner way to make a wooden training sword. I want to create the handle separate and wish to join it to the guard with a mortise and tenon joint. The hole for the guard is easy, as I can drill it out before I carve it to shape. I am having a heck of a time trying to figure out how to make the end of the handle perfectly round, so that it will fit snugly into the guard. I could do it carefully with hand tools, but I am looking for a more efficient solution, as I will be making these for everyone in my school.

All of the homemade tenon jigs seem to rely on the stock spinning, but since it is curved, I can't stick it in a lathe to rotate. I attached an image of the handle. The red area is where the tenon needs to be.

The tenon needs to be 1/2" deep and 1 1/4" wide.

Also, I would prefer to be able to do this with the blade already attached, and only the guard not yet in place. This way, the blade can run all the way through the handle.
Any suggestions?

Thanks!


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## GISer3546 (Jan 30, 2013)

If I understand you right I think you could use some tenon cutters. I use them to make short dowels but you could probably use it on the end of your blade.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2002088/3716/3-Piece-Plug-and-Tenon-Cutter-Set.aspx


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## saniel (Jul 9, 2014)

*more info*

thanks Giser. 

That type of tenon cutter is an option if I can't figure out anything else. In order to use it, the handle would have to be completely separate from the blade. I have attached a few more pictures to help illustrate what I am trying to do.

The first picture is one of my swords, how I currently make it. Outlined in red is a single 1/2" piece of oak that makes up the blade and the center layer of the handle and guard.

Picture #2 shows the outline of the same 1/2" piece from the side.

The third picture shows what I want to start with instead. The middle piece (outlined in red in pics #1 & #2) would still run through the handle, but not the guard. I would then sandwich 2 more handle blanks onto the side of the blade handle in order to give it the thickness that you can see in pic #1. The area on pic #3, marked in yellow, will be roughly 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" square. This is where I need the perfect "tenon" in order to sandwich the guard over the top of the handle and the bottom of the blade.

I hope that all makes sense!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If the tenon is only 1 1/4" long you could made a jig on a table saw sled to hold the curved stock and run the stock edgewise through the saw. If it were me though, I would cut the tenon first while the board is square and then cut the curved design.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*make the guard in two pieces*

Notch the centers of each piece for the blade, and glue them together onto the blade. Stronger that way also.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

saniel said:


> The tenon needs to be 1/2" deep and 1 1/4" wide.
> 
> Also, I would prefer to be able to do this with the blade already attached, and only the guard not yet in place. This way, the blade can run all the way through the handle.
> Any suggestions?
> ...



Since the tenon needs to be ½" long and 1¼" wide, a tenon cutter would likely be the easiest way to do the machining.


















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