How to Use a Four-Sided Tapered Leg Jig

When I'm gonna make a tapered leg like this one, my preference is to use a shop made tapering jig that's designed just for this particular leg. I really like the way that, when my material's in here, I can throw that toggle clamp down. It really, really securely grabs it, gives me a lot to hold on to when I feed this past the blade. It makes it very safe. So let me show you how, if you want to make one of these tapering jigs for yourself, you can do it. First thing is the base material for the jig, which in this case is this plywood right here. I've cut this to an even number. In this case, I've cut it to exactly six inches. Let me explain that later. Just trust me for now. You want this cut to an even number, like six. The next thing is to take one leg and lay out the taper that you want. Now you've a couple options here. If it's tapered on two sides, what I want to do at the bottom of the leg is leave half of its thickness for a foot. So, if this is inch and a half by inch and a half, I'd mark a line out here at 3/4. If I'm doing this a double taper, in other words I'm gonna cut an angle off of both faces here, then I'm gonna divide this leg into thirds leaving one third at the bottom. So inch and a half leg, I would want to end up with a 1/3, a 1/2-inch foot, meaning I'd measure in from this side 1/2 inch. That's the setup I want to do on this one. Now here at the top, I'm gonna mark that out so that it's the width of my rail plus 1/2 inch. So in this case, I'm gonna be using a four-inch wide rail. So I'm gonna mark the top out at 4 1/2. I am doing a taper on all four faces, so I'm gonna mark the bottom out at 1/2. Then you just need to connect the dots. What this line shows me is where I want that leg to end up. So I actually want to be 1/16 of an inch past that when I make the cut, so there's room for me to clean it up after the fact. So the way I make that happen is I take my plywood base, and I'm gonna lay it on here so that I cover up that pencil line completely. Covering it up here at the top. Got it covered at the bottom. Then I'm gonna flip this over, holding that in place, and trace the edge and trace the bottom. Now what this line shows me here, now that it's on my plywood base, is exactly where that leg has to go in order for me to cut that taper, but we're not done yet. Now I've got a piece ready for this step. This piece is the same thickness as this one. It's not another leg. It's a backstop for a leg. It's the same thickness. I've got a stop down here at the bottom, so I can position this right on the pencil line making the stop, the little foot down here, even with the bottom line. The rest is very simple. Some glue. Screws from the back. Let that glue dry. The next thing I want to add to this, just like on my jig I have here, a toggle clamp at this end. You can get those from woodworking specialty stores. I like having a handle here. It gives me something proud of the jig, something that stands up here to hold on to. This tapered jig is ready to go. Now, remember I said earlier, I want the base of my jig cut to an even number, like six. The reason for that is that, when I want to use this, it makes it very easy. I come to the cursor on my table saw fence, set that to six, lock it in place. That puts me right in the position I need to be in order to use that tapered jig exactly the same way every time. Take it one step further, and you can mark, right on the jig, six inches, till your pencil breaks like mine. There we go. Six inches. That way, you'll always know where that fence has to go, so you have a perfect setup every time you use the tapered Jig. Simple process once you understand it. Be a good way to make tapers, a safe way to make tapers in your shop.