Replies

1. 
   DonCanDo | Feb 03, 2008 06:41am | #1

   You mean a tapering jig for a tablesaw?

   I had this one:

   http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2076&filter=taper

   until I threw it away because I thought it was dangerous.  It's a good idea, but poorly executed.

   I've made my own out of plywood using the same idea.

1. 
   andyfew322 | Feb 03, 2008 06:47am | #2

   yeah, like that. my shop teacher had that. but i'm going homemade because I use it rarely 

   "It is like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer: it feels so good when you stop"

1. 
   Sphere | Feb 03, 2008 04:03pm | #7

   I hate to be the one that says this, but that design is the most dangerous way of making a taper short of freehand. I have been doing this type of work since I was your age 30 yrs ago, and do not recommend you do it that way.

   On a bandsaw it is fine, such as tapering legs or a short cut as shown in the ad, but ona tablesaw, the holddown aspects are not safe, and a closing kerf will launch that board right at you, with  the stupid jig flying everywhich way too.

   Make a sliding panel cutter or a sled, use DeStaco hold down clamps ( Ya know red handles, rubber tips cam action) and be both safe and accurate. Or follow the advice on attaching to another traveler pc. as posted.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   "Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"

1. 
   bridge_dog | Feb 03, 2008 09:48pm | #20

    Andy didn't you post somewhere else that you just learned to use a table saw? Tapering is an advanced technique that can be very dangerous, even for pros who  use this equipment on a daily basis. I would defiantly stick to the band saw for tapering. You can do this free hand and then use a belt sander to even it out. Not only is it safer, it teaches; hand eye coordination, how to make steady cuts, how to use a sander or plane and there is no jig to buy or build. Its not like you are doing production work. When I first started as a carpenters helper when I was your age I worked for a bunch of old timers who used old methods, like using a saw and chisel to build housed stairs  instead of a router, using a framing square to lay out rafters instead of using a calculator. These old methods while not the most efficient taught me valuable lessons. Most carpenters I work with today don't even know how to use a square for anything than making a square line on a board. When the batteries on my calculator are dead I just pull out my trusty square and finish up. When I am on the job and we need access stairs I just pull out my trusty chisel and build a nice durable set of stairs. I work in heavy construction now where routers a proper material (2x12 )are sometimes not available for proper stairs. Well I am starting to rambel so I hope you get my point. Sometimes the hard way of doing things can teach valeuable skills and make you a well rounded craftsmen.

2. 
   lwj2 | Feb 03, 2008 04:33pm | #9

   I bought one of those things also, used it once, decided I wasn't comfortable with it.I was making legs for a piano bench at the time, so I tapered them on the jointer by starting my cut halfway down the leg, then jointing the leg from the taper start. IIRC, I had the jointer set for a 1/8 inch cut. Cleaned them up with a plane, worked just fine.Leon

2. 
   sisyphus | Feb 03, 2008 06:58am | #3

   If I'm on site and in a hurry I rip a piece of wood to whatever width, say I produce a strip 60"X5".  Leaving the fence in the same place I fasten the piece I want to taper to the 60X5 piece with the part I want to remove overhanging past the 5" mark. Now I run the 60X5 piece through the saw again and the assembly is ripped to 5" and voila!

1. 
   andyfew322 | Feb 03, 2008 07:15am | #6

   very good idea 

   "It is like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer: it feels so good when you stop"

3. 
   Novy | Feb 03, 2008 07:09am | #4

   Hey Andy,

    Built alot of different taper jigs over the years and as usual there is no perfect design.

    

    

   On a hill by the harbour

1. 
   andyfew322 | Feb 03, 2008 07:14am | #5

   dont really need a perfect design 

   "It is like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer: it feels so good when you stop"

4. 
   Gene_Davis | Feb 03, 2008 04:24pm | #8

   Andyfew, it seems as if most of your topics should be over at the Knots woodworking forum, but I'll answer anyhow.

   A one-time jig for a tablesaw or bandsaw is readily made from some sheet stock (plywood, MDF, melamine, etc.) and some scrap blocks.

   You can get the idea from this pic.

   View Image

    

1. 
   Shep | Feb 03, 2008 04:33pm | #10

   I'd add a couple of Destaco clamps to that set-up, to hold the material down. Otherwise, it's pretty much what I use.

1. 
   Sphere | Feb 03, 2008 04:41pm | #12

   Exactly. I love them. We often made neck jigs for the shaper out of 1/2 alum plate to have the rub collar ride on, and by taking off the rubber tip of theDestaco bolts and grinding them to a point, you could really secure the stock to the jigs..ya don't want a 5' long bass neck flying out of a shaper set up.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   "Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"

2. 
   BillHartmann | Feb 03, 2008 10:18pm | #21

   The woodworking mags have featured designs like Gene's from time to time.But have slots and locking bolts to hold the side stops so tht you can adjust it for different tapers.Then clamps to hold ti down.Here are some examples.Some of the plans they charge for, but youcan get the idea just from the pictures.http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/2007/08/17/sn/
   http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=60312
   http://benchnotes.com/Taper%20and%20Straight%20Edge%20Jig/taper_and_straight_edge_ji.htm
   http://www.shopnotes.com/plans/taper-jig/
   http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/story.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/wood/story/data/489.xml
   http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/resources/index.php?cat=727
   .
   .
   A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

1. 
   Shep | Feb 03, 2008 11:36pm | #22

   I don't have a nice taper jig; I usually make something quick and ugly when I have to do tapers. Tack a 3/8" x 3/4" strip on the bottom of the jig, nail a couple of blocks on the top with DeStaco clamps on them, and I'm good to go.

   Maybe someday I'll take the time to make myself a pretty one.

   I do prefer to have the jig ride in the miter slot, and index off that, rather than use the fence. That way, the jig is always registering from the same position.

1. 
   AitchKay | Feb 04, 2008 12:48am | #23

   I definitely agree with the miter-gauge-runner principle-- it's a LOT, LOT, safer! What I did for one jig I made was to take a substantial (approx. 12" w.), full-length rip of 3/4" birch plywood, and make it as straight as I possibly could. Joint it, hand-plane it, whatever. Then plough a groove in the bottom to receive the runner. It'll guarantee that the guide strip is dead straight, too. Make the runner thick enough to fill the groove and still leave 3/8" x 3/4" hanging down to ride in the slot. And make the groove far enough away from the edge that that the edge will overhang the blade, so that your first cut will trim the jig to exact size.I topped my jig with a strip from a roll of 80 grit PC adhesive. I screw down De-Sta-Co clamps wherever I need them. Usually that's enough, but T-nuts counterbored into the bottom are sometimes necessary. If the offcut is going to be heavy, clamp or bolt a 3/4"-thick support to the table on the waste side of the blade.

2. 
   lwj2 | Feb 03, 2008 04:35pm | #11

   That's a nice illo, Gene, what program did you use to do it?Leon

1. 
   Gene_Davis | Feb 03, 2008 07:18pm | #16

   It's Sketchup, available as a free download from Google.

1. 
   lwj2 | Feb 03, 2008 07:45pm | #19

   Thanks, Gene.Leon

5. 
   McDesign | Feb 03, 2008 05:11pm | #13

   I've got the one DonCanDo had (not the actual one); its been fine for me.

   Forrest

6. 
   TomW | Feb 03, 2008 05:25pm | #14

   Depending on how thick or long you need to cut a circ saw with a homemade zero clearance guide will doo a good job.

   Festool or ez smart guide wok well too.

   For furniture legs I have found the fastest way to do it is to bandsaw close to the line and clean up with a ood sharp plane. No machine marks to sand out that way either.

1. 
   davidwood | Feb 07, 2008 03:26am | #25

   Big Foot and Ryobi stand. Easy.

   http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=dAveFBfaBIU

    

    

   david

1. 
   MikeSmith | Feb 07, 2008 05:41am | #26

   andy.... i've made taper jigs... i've bought taper jigs...

   i use an EZ-Guide nowMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

7. 
   PaulC | Feb 03, 2008 05:25pm | #15

   Edge guide (homemade or EZ/Festool) and circular saw.

   Amateurs talk strategy, Generals talk logistics.

8. 
   Waters | Feb 03, 2008 07:39pm | #17

   Hi Andy,

   I didn't read all posts, but here's a little clamp by a company called "de-sta-co."

   Make yourself a plywood 'shoot board' which works great also for straightening stock.  IT's a, say, 8" wide piece with a 3" wide rip glued and screwed to the top of it on the edge that will go against the fence. 

   Then mount two (or 3) of these clamps along the top of the 3" wide strip so that they protrude out over the bottom, 8" wide piece.  two clamps will catch a shorter board for straightening or tapering, and all three to clamp a longer board.

   You can then clamp a board to the top surface of the 8" wide piece, run the whole thing against the fence on your table saw and either straighten curvy boards with no one straight side (poor man's jointer so to speak) or you can pull pull one end off away from the fence  to create your taper. 

   Some of their clamps are longer (extension) than others and would work better for tapering, specifically.

   http://destaco.com/products.asp?loc=USA&lang=ENG&products=Manual%20Clamps&Category_1=Horizontal+Handle+Hold%2DDown+Clamps&Category_2=DE%2DSTA%2DCO%AE+Toggle+Lock+Plus

   Pat

    

1. 
   Waters | Feb 03, 2008 07:41pm | #18

   of course, now that I read...

   Everybody is rec. de-sta-co!

   duh!

9. 
   PenobscotMan | Feb 04, 2008 02:47am | #24

   I've tried taper jigs, but with little success. For legs you need two - because the angle is different for the second cut. Just finished tapering some legs -- cut to line on bandsaw, finish on jointer. This works pretty well.