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Tips & Techniques

Taper Jig

By Charles Miller Issue 13

Here’s a jig for a tapering a piece on a tablesaw. For the base, take a straight 1×10 or 1×12 and measure the length of the taper, squaring off the end marks. On these lines, mark the width of the taper (A and B in the drawing) at each end by measuring in from one edge of “the base. Connect these points with a chalkline. Tack the piece to be ripped to the base along the chalkline, and adjust the saw-fence to the width of the base. Set the blade deep enough to cut both pieces, and you’re ready to run it through, as shown.

If the piece you are tapering is finish trim and you’re concerned about the nail holes showing, calculate where the nailing will come on the piece and use these same points for tacking the trim down to the 1x base for the saw run.

—Sam Yoder, Cambridge, MA

Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller

From Fine Homebuilding #13

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  1. User avater
    civileng43 | Jan 05, 2017 07:05pm | #1

    I'll try this for sawing the back slats the next time I make up some more Adirondack chairs.

    Thanks.

  2. Cornelius99 | May 13, 2019 04:45pm | #2

    Another way to avoid nail damage in the finish trim is to nail or screw through the 1 x 10, being careful not to go completely through the trim.

  3. User avater
    treegrower | Jul 01, 2022 09:26pm | #3

    Or mount toggle clamps to the sled and maybe some adhesive sandpaper to the top of it as well. Then there's no need to penetrate the work piece with a screw or pin nail.

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