Taper Jig Redux

 

As James and I prepared to taper the jegs for a cherry side table we tried out a newly finished taper jig that was to be used on the table saw.

 

Here is my Sketchup design of that first taper jig.

We had an immediate problem when applying torque to the fence, the mini-track popped out of the groove.

We decided to scratch that model and make a second jig.

 


We had both seen a very practical and very safe taper jig designed by Steve Latta.

The article "Perfect Tapers on the Tablesaw" regarding this jig was in Fine Woodworking #229, September 2012.

A video of this jig is available here

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The sled is 3/4 inch MDF with a strip of oak on the side that meets the fence.

 

When the oak was strip was screwed onto the MDF it was offset by the thickness of painter's tape...this means that the oak strip runs against the tablesaw fence.

Then a sandwich was made of the same oak board as the fence strip...along with a piece of 1/2 inch Baltic birch plywood.

The oak/plywood sandwich is clamped to the Powermatic fence while fitting over the oak edge of the jig. This keeps proper spacing ...

... and prevents the jig from lifting during the cut.

Other features include an oak stop block with a screw embedded in it, a maple push block handle for controlling the sled, and a 1/2 inch birch plywood knob-adjustable fence.
The adjustable fence has slots to move the fence in and out...and it moves around a secured Bessey toggle clamp.
The end of the leg to be tapered is placed against the stop block and is aligned with taper mark lines...
...the protruding screw helps hold the piece in place.

The marking line for the top end of the taper cut is placed so that the work piece is coplanar with the sled at that point.

The entire sled has been pulled off the blade by 1/32 inch so that the cut is "fat" and will be touched up with a jack plane.

The sled is pushed through and the leg is tapered.

This is the second taper on this leg so a shim is used at the clamp.

The finished product...worked great on the cherry legs. The four legs are now ready for cleaning up the saw marks with a jack plane.

 

 

 

 

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