Jim, I'll just toss back that I've seen plenty of undersized tenons cut with a chisel in my classes here...
What I tell my students now is that if you can cut to the line, by all means do it. If you can't cut to the line, then by all means stay off a bit and pare down. But a beginner paring down with a chisel or slick is often just as inaccurate as a beginner going for the line with the saw. So why not start developing your saw technique by going for the line? Also I am using primarily hand tools in my classes and only hand tools for the introductory classes.
Personally, I like to go for the best possible fit with the least possible fuss. I get there by keeping mortise and tenon guages handy at all times and developing my sense of what a finished mortise and tenon look like. I think a joint should slide together easily but not be loose enough to 'wiggle'.
derek, you need to get clear oil.... 10w30 for example, or hydraulic fluid
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