I don’t do tapers often, but I had a project that motivated me to make a safe taper jig. I found several jigs on YouTube and decided to merge them into one I liked and made that. The only thing it lacked was a stop that would allow pieces to be consistently located on the jig. I’m very big on the concept that consistency is better than accuracy.
For my first few tapers, I used several layers of blue tape to provide something to mark the location on where to set each piece. This did work, but it wasn’t ideal. The next time I had to do this, the solution was obvious. I only needed to grab a piece of scrap maple and cut a slot along its length on my router table. Then, I rounded the end to provide a single contact point and rounded over the top surfaces.
Part of what was holding me back was that I was too focused on adding another T-track, but once I realized an extra T-track was not necessary, the final result was easy peasy. I completed the jig with an extra T-bolt and T-knob I had sitting in a drawer, and my jig was now complete. The final run of my project went as smooth as silk.
A big lesson to learn from this is that some plans you find online may not be complete. A stop block is a key component of any taper jig. I know that now.
The new stop on my jig can be seen in the image below, shown in the red rectangle.
I attached a 'shoe' to the end of the taper and the stock rests against that show. That way I don't have to use a separate piece, as shown in the picture above. If the show gets damaged, it can easily be replaced.
I would like the plans.
I have a similar design that I have used on a few projects. I am not sure I understand the rounding of the stop to get a single point of contact. My stop has a flat face that I clamp in place while holding the stop against the angled fence and it seems to work fine.
I have cut alot of table legs and this plan would save having to make a new jig for each different leg. Where can I get these plans? Thanks
Would love to get the plans!
Guess I'm a little surprised that you didn't have a stop from the very beginning. It's a part of every tapering jig that I've seen or used. That said, this is a nice version.
I have a SawStop table saw. Question Will the T-track which is right next to the saw blade set off the SawStop brake?
Looking to see if plans are available to build this unit
I have a similar taper jig that I made using my micro jig clamps. It works great with consistency.
I like the jig. Where can I get the plans?