FAQ

What Java version do I need? Java 21 or later, any distribution.

Do I need MapleCAM? Only to cut through it. Designing and exporting need nothing else — the export is plain SVG. The MapleCAM tab and the direct send need MapleCAM running.

Do I need an internet connection? No. Tenon runs entirely on your machine and sends nothing anywhere.

My joints are too tight to assemble. Raise Fit clearance a tenth or two. Before that, check Thickness against a caliper and Cutter diameter against the bit you actually used — an overstated cutter widens every slot, and an understated one makes every joint tight.

My joints are sloppy. Lower fit clearance. If they are sloppy in one axis only, the thickness is probably wrong: measure the sheet rather than trusting the label.

The parts do not fit on my board. Give it a bigger board, cut the job in two, or turn on Nest in windows to let small parts sit inside larger parts' cut-outs. See Nesting and Sizing.

Can I move parts around on the sheet myself? Placement is recomputed on every change, so a manual arrangement would not survive your next keystroke. Change the board or the parameters instead.

A product refuses my dimensions. That is the product saying the object cannot be built in that material — a box too short for its own handle, a lidded wall too thin for both the lid notch and its corner tenon. The message names what is fighting what.

Why is my pinned box's hook so short? On a shallow wall there is little room for the hook's ramp, and Tenon shortens it to keep the outline cuttable rather than letting the geometry cross itself. A box under roughly four times the material thickness in height will hold less firmly; use a taller box or the glued Project Box.

Where did my decal's logo go? Artwork paths resolve against the design file's directory. If the design moved and the artwork did not, the reference is dangling — keep them in one folder.

Can I use it with a laser? Yes. Choose laser tools in the MapleCAM tab; the cut becomes laser contours rather than spindle contours. Mind the lens: a laser cannot focus deeper than roughly its focal length divided by 1.5, so a short-focus diode lens will refuse thick stock.

Is it free? Yes. No account, no subscription. If it is useful to you, donations are welcome at paypal.me/maplecam.

Something is wrong and this page did not cover it. Email info@whatsit.ca with the design file, what you expected, and what happened.