# RE: taper jig specific advice please



## nelsonmay (8 mo ago)

I am new here. I am also a new carpenter with a full shop. I friend gave me a quick tutorial on hour to build a taper jig cutting it on a jigsaw. I am very close to getting what I want, but I need 12 legs. After I plane, I only have material for 12 legs, so I can't screw up or I go looking for more red oak. He told me to practice on pine, but I am stuck.

I have a 16 inch leg that will be 1 3/4 square. I want the taper to start 2 inches down from the top and final dimension at the bottom to be one inch wide. I am going to do two adjacent tapers.

See the pic of my jig. It is at the right angle, but when I made a cut, the taper at the bottom was at 1 inch but the top edge of the taper fell 2 inches below my 2 inch mark at the top. The only thing I can think of is that my jig isn't wide enough. It is three inches wide. Will that stunt the length of the taper before it comes out of the blade?

Also, do I need my jig to be at least 16 inches long? (for instance where the leg butts into the back of the jig?

I would like to try and solve this before I run out and buy a taper jig. My buddy had a cabinet shop and had jigs hanging all over the walls for when he needed them again. He told me to just get good at creating what you want.

Thanks for your time.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Do you want a 4 sided or a two side taper or a one side only taper?
Depending on what you want ......
You do understand that a jig like that is only good to cut two tapers, one taper on one side, the other on the adjoining side.
Now, for a 4 sided taper, because those angles are already made, you either need to insert the scraps back and tape them (probably the easiest) on OR make a new jig which accounts for the missing pieces.
Show a photo of want it turned out like with the piece nested in the jig.

Lay your drawing on a 5" wide piece of 3/4" plywood with the taper angle flush with one edge.
Then cut away the piece to the lines on the drawing making a large "notch".
Now, when you nest your workpiece in the jig and run the opposite side along the fence it will cut exactly your tapered leg.


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## nelsonmay (8 mo ago)

I just want two tapers. One and the next one on the adjoining side. 

Thanks.


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## Half Fast Eddie (Jan 12, 2022)

You change where the taper starts … 2” from the top … by moving the saw fence closer or farther from the blade. If the bottom dimension is correct … 1” … but the taper start is wrong, then the angle of the jig is off.

I think you need to move the top end of the blank … the end that stays square … further out. Run a screw into the jig and use it to adjust the angle. Run it out about an inch, test cut, adjust. You can use a scrap of plywood 1-3/4” x 16” long to adjust the jig.


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## yomanbill (Jul 7, 2020)

nelsonmay said:


> See the pic of my jig. It is at the right angle, but when I made a cut, the taper at the bottom was at 1 inch but the top edge of the taper fell 2 inches below my 2 inch mark at the top. The only thing I can think of is that my jig isn't wide enough. It is three inches wide. Will that stunt the length of the taper before it comes out of the blade?


If you know that the angle is correct, all you have to do is move the fence & jig & work piece closer to the blade until the cut starts at the correct place. Test on scrap first.

However, if your test cut was on a 16" board and the cut started below your start point and you were left with the desired 1" at the bottom, then you angle is not correct.

An easy way to determine the correct angle is to start with a piece of scrap 16" long with parallel edges. Mark the start point and end point. Lay both marks along the miter slot on your table saw. Now the correct angle is between the opposite parallel side of the test board and the fence. That is the angle you want your jig to be.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

make it easy on yourself and make a new jig (or modify that one). instead of 12" long, make it 14" long, and 1" at the notch like your original, and tapering in. no angle calculations required this way. set fence 3" from blade and go.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

If I was doing this I would make a different style tapering jig that holds the leg so it can't get away from you and ruin the leg:


Taper and Straight Edge Jig


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## EdS (Mar 21, 2013)

If you have a jointer, here is an easy way to get your desired result.


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## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

I don't like those types of jigs, but if this is a one-off type thing they can work as long as you put a screw or nail in the end like HalfFastEddie shows. 

The problem with what you're showing is the blade will tend to pull the material away from the jig, so make it like TimPA shows or flip it and run it the other way.

If you're looking to make a jig that will be useful in the future, it needs to be adjustable and register either in the miter slot or the fence.

Leave room for hand planing or sanding the saw marks off.

No way in heck I would do it on a jointer!


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