Greetings,

Having found the recent Amazon discount price on the Delta 34-184
Tenoning Jig too attractive to pass up, I ordered one along with a
OSHA safety harness and a Forrest WoodWorker II 40T blade.

I generally build my own jigs, but felt the heavy construction and
heavy speed clamp would be an advantage over a homemade MDF tenon jig.

The unit is, of course, made in China - as is most everything made
from cast iron these days. The castings are a bit rough, with the
occasional surface void in the more difficult to pour positions. The
unit is quite heavy, which is a plus in use.

Removing the cosmolene with mineral spirits took about 15 minutes, and
assembly is fairly straightforward. However, upon mounting the jig to
the tablesaw, I found that it rocked on it's baseplate severely.
Subsequent checks with a straightedge and feeler gauges and depth
micrometer showed that the base is poorly milled, and is out by .028"
diagonally, and over .010" laterally. This contributes to a total
lack of stability which makes the prospects of milling a tenon with
truly vertical and parallel sides nearly impossible. Of course, this
can be dealt with, by lapping the plate extensively on a granite slab
or plate glass on MDF with sheet abrasives. This is being done
presently. The base is not solid on the bottom, but is full of ribs
and cavities that while making the lapping job easier, also makes it
easier to trap crud underneath and catch on the table and insert edge.

As with so many contemporary Chinese Delta products, this is more like
a Tenon Jig Kit, than a final, ready to use product. All the bits and
pieces are there, but they need fettling to be truly useful.

The jig has a linear measuring scale for adjustment, but it is
difficult to read - a chrome plated steel rod with engraved numbers
and markers. I filled the engraved markings with paint to make them
more legible. It is difficult to find a paint color that really
stands out against the chrome surface, however, I doubt the scale is
really all that useful either way. The scale pointer is adjustable,
and the scale reads from 0 to 3 inches.

You may angle the rear stock support to cut angled tenons, but there
is no scale. There IS a 90 degree adjustable stop, however. It tilts
from 90 to 43 degrees as supplied. The milling of the slot that
clamps the support is not flat, so that the ratchet-head clamp lever
that locks it into place requires re-positioning to lock the backstop
into various positions. I will be milling the slot to an even
thickness to alleviate this aggravation.

The chrome plated speed crank used for clamping the stock to the jig
is one of the finer points of this contraption. It has a large foot
and is counterbalanced, so that even though the handle is large, it
can be spun around to speed the clamping process. I would advise
lubricating the inside of the cap to screw-shaft junction and the
threads with graphite, moly, or even paraffin to ease wear on this
item and make it easier to spin down.

The meat of the stock support is provided by a cast iron side support,
which is milled sufficiently flat and is of a hearty thickness. It,
too, will angle back from 90 to 74 degrees so that angled tenons may
be cut. There is an adjustable 90 degree stop and an adjustable
limiter to prohibit the jig from contacting the saw blade. The
movement of this support to provide varying tenon widths is fairly
smooth, and there is a micrometer adjustment based upon a 3/8-16
threaded rod. Each turn of the knob results in 1/16" of movement.
There is a release button that instantly releases the rod for rapid
adjustment of position. There is a large clamp knob which firmly
locks the platform into position.

Both the side and back support are drilled for sacrificial MDF or
wooden faces.

There is NO provision for adjusting the jig's stock support parallel
to the saw blade and this particular jig is off about 3 degrees. This
results in slightly trapezoidal tenons. This could be corrected by
either adjusting the position of the miter track in relation to the
jig base, or by moving the sliding platform in relation to the base.
I haven't decided which to do as of yet, but either method involves
milling out the attachment holes for alignment. The threaded
fasteners in oblong holes would then be the sole restriction against
future alignment slippage.

The miter track measures .74" and has two captive T-track washers at
each end. These are removable if your saw does not have T-track miter
slots. These help keep the jig from rising off the table to dangerous
levels, but does not keeps it completely pinned down, so that downward
hand pressure is needed to ensure completely consistent depths of cut
on large or tough to cut stock. The miter track also has 3 threaded
allen screws that may be adjusted to remove any slop in various table
saw slots. They are steel and seem to be a bit hard on the miter slot
edges, so I may opt for aftermarket replacement cool-block or phenolic
type adjusters. (See Highland Hardware.)

There are two large hollow plastic handles used to push the jig
through the saw, but these have lose top caps which move under hand
pressure. Either gluing them into place or coating the entire handle
with a non-slip plastic dip may be preferable.

Overall, the jig has fine potential, and the basic materials would be
hard to replicate at home, but I feel the price is a little high for a
"kit" product manufactured overseas. It is definitely heavier duty
than the competing Taiwanese products sold by several competitors.
Quality control seems to be a real sore spot in Pentair's attempt to
manufacture Delta and Porter Cable products in China, although I have
several Taiwanese made Pentair products whose fit and finish are
impeccable. I guess this is the result of 80 cent a day workers and
prison sweat shop laborers.

I would balk at the $115 average price for this item, but the sale
price of $89.99 plus free shipping and $25 off your order makes it
more palatable. A little additional work will result in a far nicer
tool - albeit a Chinese tool.

Happy Woodworking!

Greg G.

Thank you; it's interesting to compare that with the "old style" I bought
years ago, probably before China was around. The base was flat, and the face
parallel to the blade. There were no loose caps or other issues. The scales
were the same, but I really didn't expect that or care as they couldn't be
accurate enough. IMO, it's always better to calibrate against an external
standard when using (unless it's from Incra). In any case, I added a tall
piece of melamine to the face for better support, and that negates that scale.

Since the move to China, those quality and flatness issues have gotten to the
point where I'm glad I just moved next to a guy with a milling machine and
metal lathe. Trying to lap .028 over that area takes awhile:-) You might want
to consider a sander to take it part way.

GerryG

On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 02:53:35 -0400, Greg G. wrote:


Greetings,

Having found the recent Amazon discount price on the Delta 34-184
Tenoning Jig too attractive to pass up, I ordered one along with a
OSHA safety harness and a Forrest WoodWorker II 40T blade.

I generally build my own jigs, but felt the heavy construction and
heavy speed clamp would be an advantage over a homemade MDF tenon jig.

The unit is, of course, made in China - as is most everything made
from cast iron these days. The castings are a bit rough, with the
occasional surface void in the more difficult to pour positions. The
unit is quite heavy, which is a plus in use.

Removing the cosmolene with mineral spirits took about 15 minutes, and
assembly is fairly straightforward. However, upon mounting the jig to
the tablesaw, I found that it rocked on it's baseplate severely.
Subsequent checks with a straightedge and feeler gauges and depth
micrometer showed that the base is poorly milled, and is out by .028"
diagonally, and over .010" laterally. This contributes to a total
lack of stability which makes the prospects of milling a tenon with
truly vertical and parallel sides nearly impossible. Of course, this
can be dealt with, by lapping the plate extensively on a granite slab
or plate glass on MDF with sheet abrasives. This is being done
presently. The base is not solid on the bottom, but is full of ribs
and cavities that while making the lapping job easier, also makes it
easier to trap crud underneath and catch on the table and insert edge.

As with so many contemporary Chinese Delta products, this is more like
a Tenon Jig Kit, than a final, ready to use product. All the bits and
pieces are there, but they need fettling to be truly useful.

The jig has a linear measuring scale for adjustment, but it is
difficult to read - a chrome plated steel rod with engraved numbers
and markers. I filled the engraved markings with paint to make them
more legible. It is difficult to find a paint color that really
stands out against the chrome surface, however, I doubt the scale is
really all that useful either way. The scale pointer is adjustable,
and the scale reads from 0 to 3 inches.

You may angle the rear stock support to cut angled tenons, but there
is no scale. There IS a 90 degree adjustable stop, however. It tilts
from 90 to 43 degrees as supplied. The milling of the slot that
clamps the support is not flat, so that the ratchet-head clamp lever
that locks it into place requires re-positioning to lock the backstop
into various positions. I will be milling the slot to an even
thickness to alleviate this aggravation.

The chrome plated speed crank used for clamping the stock to the jig
is one of the finer points of this contraption. It has a large foot
and is counterbalanced, so that even though the handle is large, it
can be spun around to speed the clamping process. I would advise
lubricating the inside of the cap to screw-shaft junction and the
threads with graphite, moly, or even paraffin to ease wear on this
item and make it easier to spin down.

The meat of the stock support is provided by a cast iron side support,
which is milled sufficiently flat and is of a hearty thickness. It,
too, will angle back from 90 to 74 degrees so that angled tenons may
be cut. There is an adjustable 90 degree stop and an adjustable
limiter to prohibit the jig from contacting the saw blade. The
movement of this support to provide varying tenon widths is fairly
smooth, and there is a micrometer adjustment based upon a 3/8-16
threaded rod. Each turn of the knob results in 1/16" of movement.
There is a release button that instantly releases the rod for rapid
adjustment of position. There is a large clamp knob which firmly
locks the platform into position.

Both the side and back support are drilled for sacrificial MDF or
wooden faces.

There is NO provision for adjusting the jig's stock support parallel
to the saw blade and this particular jig is off about 3 degrees. This
results in slightly trapezoidal tenons. This could be corrected by
either adjusting the position of the miter track in relation to the
jig base, or by moving the sliding platform in relation to the base.
I haven't decided which to do as of yet, but either method involves
milling out the attachment holes for alignment. The threaded
fasteners in oblong holes would then be the sole restriction against
future alignment slippage.

The miter track measures .74" and has two captive T-track washers at
each end. These are removable if your saw does not have T-track miter
slots. These help keep the jig from rising off the table to dangerous
levels, but does not keeps it completely pinned down, so that downward
hand pressure is needed to ensure completely consistent depths of cut
on large or tough to cut stock. The miter track also has 3 threaded
allen screws that may be adjusted to remove any slop in various table
saw slots. They are steel and seem to be a bit hard on the miter slot
edges, so I may opt for aftermarket replacement cool-block or phenolic
type adjusters. (See Highland Hardware.)

There are two large hollow plastic handles used to push the jig
through the saw, but these have lose top caps which move under hand
pressure. Either gluing them into place or coating the entire handle
with a non-slip plastic dip may be preferable.

Overall, the jig has fine potential, and the basic materials would be
hard to replicate at home, but I feel the price is a little high for a
"kit" product manufactured overseas. It is definitely heavier duty
than the competing Taiwanese products sold by several competitors.
Quality control seems to be a real sore spot in Pentair's attempt to
manufacture Delta and Porter Cable products in China, although I have
several Taiwanese made Pentair products whose fit and finish are
impeccable. I guess this is the result of 80 cent a day workers and
prison sweat shop laborers.

I would balk at the $115 average price for this item, but the sale
price of $89.99 plus free shipping and $25 off your order makes it
more palatable. A little additional work will result in a far nicer
tool - albeit a Chinese tool.

Happy Woodworking!

Greg G.

GerryG said:

Thank you; it's interesting to compare that with the "old style" I bought
years ago, probably before China was around. The base was flat, and the face

I wish I had more "old" tools. I lost almost everything I owned in a
fire in 1987. Hand planes, power tools, mechanics tools, etc. I'm
having to replace the good old stuff with crap from China just to get
back to where I was. I still have some electronic items that are 20
years old, because they just don't build them like that anymore.
500watt amps, Flying erase head editing VCRs, analog Dolby FM
receivers. They may not have all the fancy remote functions, but the
sound quality and quality of construction is far superior.

Since the move to China, those quality and flatness issues have gotten to the
point where I'm glad I just moved next to a guy with a milling machine and
metal lathe. Trying to lap .028 over that area takes awhile:-) You might want
to consider a sander to take it part way.

GerryG

I have a Delta 6" joiner - 37-195 - and I waited a year to buy it
because the fences were warping so bad on the earlier models they were
unusable. It seems to be a problem with Pentair's products more than
other companies, however. The quality of Chinese crap is improving,
just as Taiwan's and Japan's did. It seems as though Pentair just
hasn't kept up with progress...

As for the jig, I've already completed the job. Started with prussian
blue and a nice, flat, sharp, OLD, US made machinists ******* file to
take off the bulk, then polished it down with abrasives and a 1 RPM
electric motor with an eccentric. It's a leftover from when I used to
build 10,000 RPM Rotary Engines and would lap the side housings...


Greg G.

Greg G. wrote in message

back to where I was. I still have some electronic items that are 20
years old, because they just don't build them like that anymore.
500watt amps, Flying erase head editing VCRs, analog Dolby FM
receivers. They may not have all the fancy remote functions, but the
sound quality and quality of construction is far superior.

Boy howdy, is that true!

Background: among the many thing I "do" to make a living, educate my kids,
and enjoy life, is that I have owned an operated a sucessful recording
studio for over 20 years and during that time have recorded/engineered
beaucoup albums/CD's, some for names you would recognize. I can truly,and
humbly, say that I appreciate good sound when I hear it, and know what it
takes to get it.

I recently visted a relative of my wife's in AR who has an old amplifier
from the late 70's and a pair of Klipsch bookshelf speakers, of almost the
same vintage, in his living room.

The point: I am sitting here with a quarter of a million dollar studio's
worth of high tech, state-of-the-art-equipment, and I haven't heard anything
_in years_ that sounded as good as it did in cousin Terry's living room.

...go figure!

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 7/10/04

Swingman said:

I recently visted a relative of my wife's in AR who has an old amplifier
from the late 70's and a pair of Klipsch bookshelf speakers, of almost the
same vintage, in his living room.

The point: I am sitting here with a quarter of a million dollar studio's
worth of high tech, state-of-the-art-equipment, and I haven't heard anything
_in years_ that sounded as good as it did in cousin Terry's living room.

..go figure!

Yea, we've really progressed from the "straight wire with gain" model
of yesteryear. All this digital stuff, while having a phenomenally
low noise floor, is so artificial and sterile sounding. Not to
mention the inclusion of varying amounts of THD and IM from all the
stages of processing involved.

I have two big rack mount amps I really like, one is a Yamaha
Professional Amp (XLR) and the other a homebuilt Heath AA-1800 DC
Servo amp. The Heath, which puts out almost 350x2 @ 8 ohms, weighs in
at over 80 pounds, and that's with a wireframe chassis. I believe the
Yamaha pumps about 250x2. Shoot, I even have an old Sansui G-8000
(125x2) I picked up for $5.00 at a yard sale and fixed that rocks the
house... And they can do it all day.

I have some newer stuff, but it just doesn't sound the same...

One of those new 100x5 amps they sell at Circuit City wouldn't run an
hour at those output levels without the magic smoke escaping...


Greg G.

Greg,
I purchased a tenoning jig from woodcraft that ,by all practical
purposes, is the exact same jig as the Delta. I'm having a similar if
not the exact problem. It wants to rock right to left. I've been
bitterly trying to figure out what to do with it for about 2 months
now. Great advice on the granite stone, I'll have to lap mine also.


Don
Greg G. wrote in message . ..
Greetings,

Having found the recent Amazon discount price on the Delta 34-184
Tenoning Jig too attractive to pass up, I ordered one along with a
OSHA safety harness and a Forrest WoodWorker II 40T blade.

I generally build my own jigs, but felt the heavy construction and
heavy speed clamp would be an advantage over a homemade MDF tenon jig.

The unit is, of course, made in China - as is most everything made
from cast iron these days. The castings are a bit rough, with the
occasional surface void in the more difficult to pour positions. The
unit is quite heavy, which is a plus in use.

Removing the cosmolene with mineral spirits took about 15 minutes, and
assembly is fairly straightforward. However, upon mounting the jig to
the tablesaw, I found that it rocked on it's baseplate severely.
Subsequent checks with a straightedge and feeler gauges and depth
micrometer showed that the base is poorly milled, and is out by .028"
diagonally, and over .010" laterally. This contributes to a total
lack of stability which makes the prospects of milling a tenon with
truly vertical and parallel sides nearly impossible. Of course, this
can be dealt with, by lapping the plate extensively on a granite slab
or plate glass on MDF with sheet abrasives. This is being done
presently. The base is not solid on the bottom, but is full of ribs
and cavities that while making the lapping job easier, also makes it
easier to trap crud underneath and catch on the table and insert edge.

As with so many contemporary Chinese Delta products, this is more like
a Tenon Jig Kit, than a final, ready to use product. All the bits and
pieces are there, but they need fettling to be truly useful.

The jig has a linear measuring scale for adjustment, but it is
difficult to read - a chrome plated steel rod with engraved numbers
and markers. I filled the engraved markings with paint to make them
more legible. It is difficult to find a paint color that really
stands out against the chrome surface, however, I doubt the scale is
really all that useful either way. The scale pointer is adjustable,
and the scale reads from 0 to 3 inches.

You may angle the rear stock support to cut angled tenons, but there
is no scale. There IS a 90 degree adjustable stop, however. It tilts
from 90 to 43 degrees as supplied. The milling of the slot that
clamps the support is not flat, so that the ratchet-head clamp lever
that locks it into place requires re-positioning to lock the backstop
into various positions. I will be milling the slot to an even
thickness to alleviate this aggravation.

The chrome plated speed crank used for clamping the stock to the jig
is one of the finer points of this contraption. It has a large foot
and is counterbalanced, so that even though the handle is large, it
can be spun around to speed the clamping process. I would advise
lubricating the inside of the cap to screw-shaft junction and the
threads with graphite, moly, or even paraffin to ease wear on this
item and make it easier to spin down.

The meat of the stock support is provided by a cast iron side support,
which is milled sufficiently flat and is of a hearty thickness. It,
too, will angle back from 90 to 74 degrees so that angled tenons may
be cut. There is an adjustable 90 degree stop and an adjustable
limiter to prohibit the jig from contacting the saw blade. The
movement of this support to provide varying tenon widths is fairly
smooth, and there is a micrometer adjustment based upon a 3/8-16
threaded rod. Each turn of the knob results in 1/16" of movement.
There is a release button that instantly releases the rod for rapid
adjustment of position. There is a large clamp knob which firmly
locks the platform into position.

Both the side and back support are drilled for sacrificial MDF or
wooden faces.

There is NO provision for adjusting the jig's stock support parallel
to the saw blade and this particular jig is off about 3 degrees. This
results in slightly trapezoidal tenons. This could be corrected by
either adjusting the position of the miter track in relation to the
jig base, or by moving the sliding platform in relation to the base.
I haven't decided which to do as of yet, but either method involves
milling out the attachment holes for alignment. The threaded
fasteners in oblong holes would then be the sole restriction against
future alignment slippage.

The miter track measures .74" and has two captive T-track washers at
each end. These are removable if your saw does not have T-track miter
slots. These help keep the jig from rising off the table to dangerous
levels, but does not keeps it completely pinned down, so that downward
hand pressure is needed to ensure completely consistent depths of cut
on large or tough to cut stock. The miter track also has 3 threaded
allen screws that may be adjusted to remove any slop in various table
saw slots. They are steel and seem to be a bit hard on the miter slot
edges, so I may opt for aftermarket replacement cool-block or phenolic
type adjusters. (See Highland Hardware.)

There are two large hollow plastic handles used to push the jig
through the saw, but these have lose top caps which move under hand
pressure. Either gluing them into place or coating the entire handle
with a non-slip plastic dip may be preferable.

Overall, the jig has fine potential, and the basic materials would be
hard to replicate at home, but I feel the price is a little high for a
"kit" product manufactured overseas. It is definitely heavier duty
than the competing Taiwanese products sold by several competitors.
Quality control seems to be a real sore spot in Pentair's attempt to
manufacture Delta and Porter Cable products in China, although I have
several Taiwanese made Pentair products whose fit and finish are
impeccable. I guess this is the result of 80 cent a day workers and
prison sweat shop laborers.

I would balk at the $115 average price for this item, but the sale
price of $89.99 plus free shipping and $25 off your order makes it
more palatable. A little additional work will result in a far nicer
tool - albeit a Chinese tool.

Happy Woodworking!

Greg G.

I would balk at the $115 average price for this item, but the sale
price of $89.99 plus free shipping and $25 off your order makes it
more palatable. A little additional work will result in a far nicer
tool - albeit a Chinese tool.

Happy Woodworking!

Greg G.

Unlucky....
I must have got my 34-184 from one of the better production runs. I have
had it for about a year now and it was fine out of the box. Everything
square, no rocking and good accurate results.
Perhaps they have changed something in the production process since then

--
Regards,

Dean Bielanowski
Editor,
Online Tool Reviews
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com
Over 50 woodworking product reviews online!
------------------------------------------------------------
Latest 6 Reviews:
- Ryobi EMS1830SCL 12" SCMS
- Bessey K-Body Clamps
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------------------------------------------------------------

sr_wood said:

Greg,
I purchased a tenoning jig from woodcraft that ,by all practical
purposes, is the exact same jig as the Delta. I'm having a similar if
not the exact problem. It wants to rock right to left. I've been
bitterly trying to figure out what to do with it for about 2 months
now. Great advice on the granite stone, I'll have to lap mine also.

I looked at a few of the other brands as well, and picked the Delta
because of it's past reputation and heavier construction. And for
some strange reason, I want them to stay in business.

I have already flattened the base, and made a few test tenons.
Tweaked up and polished a bit, this jig works great. It's unfortunate
that this tweaking process is becoming SOP for many products.


Greg G.

Woodcrafter said:

Unlucky....
I must have got my 34-184 from one of the better production runs. I have
had it for about a year now and it was fine out of the box. Everything
square, no rocking and good accurate results.
Perhaps they have changed something in the production process since then

I have sometimes wondered if the stuff I get from ToolCrib/Amazon is
truly up to spec. as compared to products available from a real
woodworking tool dealer. I believe it's more a sign of the times,
however. Look at the products at your average Target or WalMart -
people of this era either just don't seem to care about quality, or
don't have the experience or common sense to judge the differences. I
have no doubt that manufacturers have gotten wind of this and cut
corners where possible in order to exploit this.

Either way, after tweaking the unit, it does produce very nice tenons.
I guess it's just my luck that almost everything I buy requires some
amount of polishing to be a truly effective tool.

Notable exceptions would include the Bosch Jigsaw, Senco Brad Nailer,
Whiteside router bits, and the Forrest Woodworker II saw blades.


Greg G.

Greg, G. wrote:

sr_wood said:

Greg,
I purchased a tenoning jig from woodcraft that ,by all practical
purposes, is the exact same jig as the Delta. I'm having a similar if
not the exact problem. It wants to rock right to left. I've been
bitterly trying to figure out what to do with it for about 2 months
now. Great advice on the granite stone, I'll have to lap mine also.

I looked at a few of the other brands as well, and picked the Delta
because of it's past reputation and heavier construction. And for
some strange reason, I want them to stay in business.

I have already flattened the base, and made a few test tenons.
Tweaked up and polished a bit, this jig works great. It's unfortunate
that this tweaking process is becoming SOP for many products.

Greg G.

Sadly this is not an uncommon problem.
A few years back I invested in an inexpensive granite surface plate and a
lot of sandpaper of different grades. It seems like those are almost as
necessary as a screwdriver in assembling modern tools.

--RC