With the right jig, cutting tapers on the table saw is a snap.
M ost of us spend a lot of time
tuning up our table saws to get dead-on straight cuts that are perfectly parallel with the Adjustable Jigs. When it comes to taper jigs, the first thing many woodworkers think of is a jig with two arms that are hinged at one end. a few drawbacks as well. Since the workpiece isn’t fastened to the jig, you have to hold it against a stop at the back of the jig while pushing the rip fence. So the idea of using a table You simply adjust the spread of the entire assembly forward. So you’re saw to make a tapered cut might arms to suit the taper your project pushing and pulling at the same seem a little strange. But in reality, calls for, and lock the arms in place. time, which can feel awkward. tapered cuts are just straight cuts at The rip fence is used to guide the jig But the main reason I don’t care an angle, and it makes a lot of sense past the saw blade. for this style of jig is that if you’re to use the table saw. The trick is to The advantage of this style of jig tapering a leg or narrow workpiece, hold the workpiece at the correct is that it’s adjustable, so you can it’s hard to hold onto the workpiece angle for the taper you want. And all use it over and over to cut tapers and keep your fingers a safe dis- you need to do this is a taper jig. of different angles. But there are tance away from the blade.
Fixed Angle Jigs. Most of the time portion overhangs the left edge of I prefer to just make a simple, one- the jig. Then place the fence and time-use taper jig that is suited to stop against the workpiece and the task at hand. (Take a look at the screw them to the base of the jig. jig in the photo on the previous page Control. Regardless of the kind for an example.) of jig you’re using, the key to cut- The design of the jig you use will ting tapers is to always maintain depend on the size and shape of control of the workpiece. Toggle your workpieces. But it doesn’t have clamps or double-sided tape can to be complicated. All it has to do is be used to hold the workpiece to hold the workpiece at the correct the jig, which allows you to angle while you cut the taper. keep your hands a Usually, I just make a simple safe distance sled with a fence and a stop (see from the saw END VIEW POSITION CLAMPS drawing at right). The fence holds blade. This AWAY FROM BLADE the workpiece at the correct angle, way, all you and the stop prevents it from have to concen- FENCE WORK- PIECE moving. Since the workpiece rides trate on is keeping on top of the jig, all you have to do the jig against the rip fence SLED WASTE is push the jig forward. as you push it past the blade. Construction. There are a couple Sometimes, there’s no conve- of tips to follow when making taper nient way to secure the workpiece jigs. First, I like to make the base of to the jig. You simply have to hold the jig wide enough so that I have it against the stop. In these cases, I a safe place to put my hands while usually prefer to locate the stop at using the jig to make a cut. the leading end of the jig. That way, Second, when making the jig, you are pushing the workpiece I position the fence so the taper against the stop as you slide for- on the workpiece lines up with ward past the saw blade. This feels ‹ Hold-Down. the edge of the jig. This way, the safer to me than trying to hold the Toggle clamps bottom of the workpiece is sup- workpiece against a stop. hold the workpiece ported as the blade exits the cut. Finally, if you’re tapering a work- securely, allowing To do this, simply lay out the taper piece on all four faces, you’ll need you to keep your on your workpiece and then place it to take some extra steps, as shown fingers away from on the base of the jig so the waste in the box below. the blade.
TECHNIQUE: FOUR-SIDED TAPERS
Cutting a taper on one or two faces of a work- ‹ Four-Sided
piece is pretty straightforward. But if you’re Tapers. After cutting tapers on all four faces (like on a table cutting tapers leg, for example), you have a bit of a challenge. on the first two After cutting away the waste on the first two faces, tape the faces, you no longer have a straight edge to waste pieces back place against the fence of the jig to cut the in place to create remaining two tapers. a square face Depending on the type of jig you’re using, there for cutting the are a couple of ways to deal with this problem. remaining tapers. One of the simplest is to first tape the wedge- shaped waste pieces back onto the two tapered faces of the workpiece. Then cut the remaining two tapers. (Because of the kerf, you will have to move the wedges down a bit on the workpiece, as shown in the drawings.) This way, you maintain the original square shape of the blank.