The tapering jig is one of the easier to build but often overlooked. What is a tapering jig exactly? To put is simply, it’s a sled that works with your table saw to make rip cuts on an angle.

It can be used to add a taper to furniture legs, cut plywood on an angle, straighten a live edge, or even cut an awkwardly shaped board and reestablish a straight edge.

Materials

Toilet boltsÂ http://amzn.to/2ESVgGJ

Star knobsÂ http://amzn.to/2Ed6l8oÂ âˆ™

Toggle clampsÂ http://amzn.to/2C4MORC

3/4 Birch PlywoodÂ http://amzn.to/2E9ZVqC

Screws #6 3/4″ flat head and #12 3/4″ pan head

Hardwood strip

Tools

Table sawÂ http://bit.ly/2thGg2T

Palm routerÂ http://amzn.to/2jmjkus

Straight router bitÂ http://amzn.to/2xwBuzB

Spiral router bitÂ http://amzn.to/2tUV2wK

Drill/driver setÂ http://amzn.to/2FMH1CE

Gorilla glueÂ http://amzn.to/2FtKA4R







How to Make a Tapering Jig

I started by grabbing a scrap piece of Â¾Â Baltic birch plywoodÂ from my lumber cart. The measurements of the jig will really depend on the size of your table saw and what you plan to do with it, whether itâ€™s taper furniture legs, cut plywood on and angle or straighten a live edge.

I personally cut anÂ 8 inch stripÂ for the base and aÂ 2 inch stripÂ for the fence. Youâ€™ll also need aÂ small strip of any hardwoodÂ that youâ€™ll need to cut down to anÂ exact fit in your miter slot. I used a leftover strip of maple I had from some reclaimed floorboards, but almost any hardwood will do.

Router the Grooves

I used myÂ routerÂ to first make aÂ wide shallow grooveÂ just deep enough so that the head of myÂ boltÂ would lay below the surface. I made one on each end of the board careful to leave a gap on each side and not go all the way to the edge.

Youâ€™ll also need a smaller straight bit orÂ spiral bitÂ thatâ€™s at least the size of whatever bolt youâ€™re using. Without adjusting my routerâ€™s fence, I made a groove inside the other shallow one, this time going all the way through, and I did this on both sides.

When youâ€™re done, your bolt should fit perfectly and slide within the newly created tracks.

Next, I roughly marked where the fence would intersect with the tracks on the base, and marked a rough line. I then use the sameÂ spiral bitÂ to make a slot all the way through.

Mount the hardware

I had some left over hardware from myÂ drill press table build, so Iâ€™m again using simpleÂ toggle clamps,Â toilet boltsÂ andÂ star knobsÂ for this jig.







With the slots all cut out, the table can now be assembled. I slid theÂ toilet boltsÂ up through the tracks from underneath, through the base and up through the fence. I added aÂ washerÂ over the toilet bolts before screwing down the star knobs.

I then marked out where I would install myÂ toggle clamps, then made some pilot holes before screwing them down. I know this will seem obvious, but make sure your screws are short enough so they donâ€™t break though to the bottom piece. I used #12 3/4″ pan head screws.

Attach the Runner

I put down a fewÂ dimesÂ in the miter slot first just to raise up the hardwood slightly to make the glue up easier. I then applied just a few dabs of Gorilla glue to the hardwood strip.

Tip:You just need the wood to stick here so donâ€™t overdo it and get glue all over your table saw and the bottom of the jig.

I added some weights on top on let it set for about 30 minutes.

I then drilled someÂ pilot holesÂ andÂ countersunkÂ them to hide all the screw heads. I then mounted the screws with a screwdriver by hand to avoid splitting the wood.

Trim the Edge

All that was left was to run the sled through the blade with the runner in the miter slot to trim off the edge and create the zero clearance.

The last small detail I added was a metal stop at the end of the fence. Note that this is more to make consistent cuts when youâ€™re tapering legs; the toggle clamps are actually whatâ€™s holding down the wood securely.

To use the jig, mark the line you want to cut and transfer those lines onto the boardâ€™s edges. Then just line those marks up with the edge of the jig, lock it down against the fence, and make your cut.



