The article Table-Saw Tools reminded me of a technique I discovered for my sliding table. A quick way to make round tenons on square baluster stock is to clamp the sliding table down and screw on some scrap stock to guide a length of plastic pipe toward the saw blade (see drawings). The pipe should be of a diameter that tightly holds the baluster by way of friction.
By adjusting the blade height I can control the diameter of the tenon. To cut the tenon, I simultaneously rotate the plastic pipe the same direction as the saw blade and ease the pipe toward the depth stop.
A thick carbide blade should be used for this operation. And a piece of sandpaper taped to the pipe will provide a sure grip as you turn the pipe. Finding pipe of the right diameter can be tricky. In one case I used a fishing-rod tube and sanded the corners of the baluster stock to achieve the right fit.
Lauren C. Watson, Newport, NY
