Grooving and tenoning are different functions, but closely related. Grooving is applying a rectangular cut into the edge of solid wood stock. The width and depth of the groove is what affects the quality of the joinery; each cut should match all others of the same groove, as well as the dimensions of the tenon. Insert knife systems are extremely important in grooving, since it's critical to maintain the same 90° corner.


Tenoning is a form of joinery which a profile with a counter-profile cut onto the other piece of wood. Open tenons, in which the mortise is not a closed box, are very common in the window, door, and furniture industries. Grooving and tenoning are linked by the machinery needed to perform these cuts; with proper tool design, as wel as the use of spacers and fence positioning, the same tools used to cut grooves can be opened to cut perfect 90° tenons. The thickness of the tenon is determined by the positioning of the fence. The shoulder of the tenon is achieved by the insert knife, and the 90° corner, a critical component, is cut by the incorporated spur knife.

This video shows you how to setup a grooving and tenoning cut on a shaper. It's always a good idea to do a test cut so that you can make fine adjustment to fit best to the wood material and the machine's calibrations.

A short groove and tenon can be used to make custom solid wood flooring. This video explains the build process, as well as how to work with a pre-set template to speed up your setup and make the process a lot easier.