 The
most popular furniture joint just got a whole lot
easier. The new beadLOCK™
system is a dream to work with and delivers perfect
mortise and tenon joints every time. Aside from their
patented jig, the only tool required is a drill — no
more chisels, mortising machines, table saw jigs or
endless shaving to get that exquisitely cut joint. All
you have to do is clamp the jig in place and drill a few
holes, then insert a length of the company’s
pre-milled tenon stock. It truly is that easy.
Why a Loose Tenon?
I shop tested the beadLOCK™
system and discovered a number of surprises — not
the least of which was that the system also makes a
wonderful doweling jig for standard 1/2" and
3/8" dowel stock. But its true value lies with its
designed function: creating mortises for the company’s
premanufactured hardwood loose tenons. All loose tenons
floats in the space formed by two opposing mortises, but
beadLOCK’s version has a number of advantages over a
standard squared tenon. The multiple flutes are, in
effect, the equivalent of joining either three 1/2"
dowels or five 3/8" dowels together. The innovative
shape offers a large amount of side-grain gluing
surface, for an extremely strong joint. The design also
prevents the joint from wiggling from side to side and
working itself loose over the years.
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Once the beadLOCK is clamped
in place it’s a simple matter to switch from
position A to position B and drill the holes
required for your tenon stock.
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Position A holes are shown in blue;
Position B holes are shown in red. |
Some Workshop Observations
Back in my shop, I took a long, hard look at the
beadLOCK jig and its matching moldings. The kit I tested
was the top of the line version, which included
everything necessary to construct joints with both
3/8" and 1/2" thick tenon stock. The first
thing I discovered was both the plate and the two guide
blocks were made in the USA of hardened steel, so
they’re as durable as they need to be for years of
regular use. Block machining was top quality, and the
set screws were big enough to grip and use.
The matching hardwood stock I received
in my kit tested at 6 percent moisture, which is just
about as dry as it can be in this part of the country.
That’s good — if the molding shrinks too much after
assembly you’ll end up with a loose fitting joint. The
birch molding lay straight as a die on my bench, and
came packed in 12" lengths. The individual
1/2" and 3/8" kits each contain two feet of
molding.
One nice thing I discovered was the
length of the tenon is only limited by the length of
your drill bit. The beadLOCK jig itself places no limits
on length. That means that, for small assemblies, you
can use perhaps an inch of molding, while in large
joints like tables or desks, a three or four inch long
tenon can be used.
About the only thing I didn’t like
about this system is that the shim package, designed to
offset the jig for stock that’s thicker than
3/4", was made of plastic. I would have preferred
steel.
Overall Impressions
I made several mortise and tenon joints in various
species and thicknesses of stock, all without any
mishap. Each of the joints I constructed fit like a
glove. I followed the manufacturer’s instructions (beadLOCK
is made by the Journeyman Tool Company of Horicon,
Wisconsin) and trimmed the tenon stock 1/8" shorter
than the combined depth of the two mortises: doing this,
all my joints closed perfectly under clamping pressure.
It didn’t take long to discover that such tight
joinery doesn’t require a whole lot of extra glue. My
suggestion is to mask the joint to collect the excess
squeeze-out.
Once the beadLOCK is clamped in place
it’s a simple matter to switch from position A to
position B and drill the holes required for your tenon
stock.The system requires that you clamp the jig to the
work, then lock the guide block in place and drill three
holes for the 3/8" stock (or just two for the
1/2" molding). Then you loosen the jig, slide the
block to the right and lock it down before drilling the
last two holes. I found the holes come out more evenly
if you drill the first set of holes twice before moving
the block, then slow the drill speed down on the second
set of holes.
All in all, my impressions of the beadLOCK
system were overwhelmingly positive. This simple jig
brings mortise and tenon joinery within the reach of all
skill levels, providing an inexpensive way to produce
perfectly fitting, repeatable, error-free joints every
time, with nothing but a drill and saw.
There are three steps to using beadLOCK's
system. With the stock to cut to size, begin by
drawing a witness mark across both pieces, right
where the center of the joint should lie. |
Next, clamp the jig to each part in turn, lining
it up with the witness marks. Drill holes with
the jig at the "A" setting, then
switch to the "B" setting and complete
the drilling. |
The third step is to cut the tenon stock to
length and dry assemble the joint to check the
fit. Then you're ready to glue up and clamp the
mortise and tenon joint together. |
 Loose
tenon stock (available in 3/8" and
1/2" dowel diameters) should be trimmed
about 1/8" shorter than the combined depths
of the mortise to allow for glue relief. For
offset joints, where the mortise isn't centered
on a standard piece of 3/4" thick stock,
the factory provides a set of shims. |
| Copyright
Woodworker's Journal Volume 24, Issue 1
February 2000 |
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